I knew we would be speaking with strangers about the reality of trafficking. I knew we would be biking every day. I knew we would be seeing beautiful places. What I didn’t know was how the three would intersect in such a powerful way.
Day 8 of the ride, we finally hit the coast. This day itself was such a paradox. Everyone was simultaneously on a high from looking to our right and seeing the beauty of the pacific coast while also having hit a wall of mental and physical exhaustion. I think day 8 will always be special to me because of what it taught me. As we all were physically, mentally, and emotionally at our end, we were being abundantly sustained by an influx of justice-centered conversations with strangers. Day 8 was a beautiful reminder of the “why” behind the ride.
Advocates are not limited to someone in a pant suit speaking at a gala in front of “significant” people. Advocacy can happen at the top of a hill when you are covered in bike grease and sweat. Why should we wait to have the conversation?
That night I opened my journal and began to write down the interactions from that day that we had the gift of having with people about anti-trafficking. I wrote down one, and then two, and as I kept going, the entire page was filled. These blessings kept flowing as the next three days I had too many mechanical issues with my bike to count and was met with overwhelming generosity. While I was drained from feeling defeated by the bike, the people who helped me along the way (shoutout Santiam Bikes and Tommy’s Bicycle Shop) showed their generosity through offering the gift of their skill set. It seems like every moment that is filled with difficulty or defeat is overrun by advocacy, justice, and so much purpose.
Those days and every day after I have been filled with immense joy knowing that as we ride, we are being provided with opportunities to share the “why”. This “why” is that millions of men, women, and children are sold and exploited for sex. They are told that they aren’t worth it, that they don’t deserve a life of freedom, and that they should expect the abuse.
This is injustice and your voice is powerful just like the voices of those who are victims and survivors of trafficking.