My first date was with a 63 year old man, and after dinner I very quickly realized this was not something you get paid for without any touching involved. And I didn’t leave untouched. As much as I hated it, I could not deny that I felt powerful with the money and the illusion of freedom. An illusion of freedom that would soon become my prison. I grew up in a healthy and stable family, but I was living a double life. I was using drugs and being reckless at age 14.
Read MoreWhat motivates you? What gets you up in the morning, dressed and out the door – affirmation from loved ones, tangible rewards, attaining your personal or team goals? Whatever it is, you can be sure your unique life seasons and dreams have shaped it. For a survivor of human trafficking, motivation can be tricky. When you’re fighting for your life, survival is often the only motivator.
Read MoreThanks to The WellHouse, all of those doubts I had about God are a thing of the past. Today I believe God has always loved me, even when I didn’t love myself. Today I fully understand the price Jesus paid for my sins and knowing that he has forgiven my sins has helped me to finally forgive myself. Best of all, today I can finally see what I couldn’t see for all those years. I survived my trauma because God has been protecting me, and will always protect me. I am never alone.
Read MoreMy life before coming to The WellHouse was a constant tornado spinning out of control. I was buried alive in brokenness and loneliness. I had lost all hope and was living in complete darkness. I was living on the hood of an abandoned car in the middle of my hometown. I was running from an abuser, a trafficker, and honestly, I was running from myself.
Read MoreFor so long my hands felt dirty, even angry, after years of being trafficked. They were forced to participate in unmentionable acts and carried the scars, visible and invisible, of those regrets. Even after being set free, everything I did was still tainted by the memories of the past. There was no pride in what I accomplished, somehow my history still overshadowed the present.
Read MoreBefore coming to The WellHouse I knew about God, but I didn’t have a relationship with Him, and that’s the biggest treasure I’ve gained while being here. I dove into the Word and the program, and through them God taught me that I am a daughter of the most high King and to wear my crown. He paid the price, I’m forgiven, and the shame and guilt are cast as far as East is from the West. I’m worth it. My past doesn’t define my future. I have a purpose for my life, and it is God-ordained.
Read MoreMy trafficking experience did not happen in seclusion or hidden away. I was right alongside my blissfully unaware peers and unknowing teachers. I would be sold at night and expected to continue with my scheduled routine the next day, putting on the childhood “normal” along with my school clothes. Perhaps if the adults in my life knew what to look for, I would have been free sooner.
Read MoreI don’t know how I ended up there. How things got as bad as they did. I never came from that kind of lifestyle. I may have come from a broken home, but no one in my family ever went as far and as dark as I did. I’ve been to jail more times than I can count, I’ve overdosed on drugs. I didn’t know how to handle any of the things I was feeling, and I did the only thing I knew to do. I numbed myself, until I lost myself.
Read MoreI grew up in a small town in Alabama, about 25 miles north of Birmingham. My brother and I had loving parents and we never went without. We were raised in church where our Dad served as a Deacon, and we were always surrounded by Godly friends. When I became a preteen, I remember having all of these emotions that I couldn’t seem to express without consequences. I became very rebellious against my parents, unable to focus at school, and was losing control of my life.
Read MoreIn the Fall of 2018, I met a sweet, funny, and attractive guy who I could relate to in so many ways. Occasionally we would go out and get drinks at a bar, and I always had fun and enjoyed my time with him. Then came the black out periods. I would wake up frightened after going out with him because I couldn’t remember anything I did from the night before.
Read MoreVictoria was sexually and mentally abused from a young age. Her mother was a drug addict and her father frequently beat her. She was only 12-years-old when she met 28-year-old John. John offered Victoria safety, love, and protection, something her parents never gave her. She trusted him without a second thought, and left home with him.
Read MoreThe WellHouse will build a residential care facility for minor victims of sex trafficking on its campus. The Housing Affordability Trust awarded The WellHouse full funding for the construction of this new home, which will be one of only 40 known programs for trafficked minors in the nation, and the first in Alabama.
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