'My Birth Mother Was Trafficked by Her Mother': Trafficking Survivor Shares Long Journey to Freedom
Amber Love comes from a long, tragic line of trafficking survivors.
"My birth mother was trafficked by her mother, and my grandmother was also trafficked as well," Love said during an appearance on CBN's The PrayerLink.
She shared details of childhood sexual abuse, abandonment, and how at 18 she was being groomed for sex.
"I remember the first encounter that I had being exploited was with a 38-year-old man who was giving me, providing me shelter and a place to stay," Love explained. "But it required that I wait for him in his bed. And because I had nowhere to go or no idea what to do or how to survive, I did those things for a while. And what I found out was that when I decided I don't want to do this anymore, there's got to be another way, I found myself homeless again."
It was a journey that led to 15 years of being trafficked for sex.
Brittnay Dunn helps lead the Safe House Project, a non-profit aiming to eradicate human trafficking while offering holistic support to those who want out. So far, the group has helped more than 500 victims nationwide.
"Every day we're out there working to elevate people's understanding of the issue so that more people feel like they can identify and receive the support services," Dunn told CBN News.
"Our survivor support team is out there every single day fielding calls from across the country of survivors or advocates or law enforcement who have identified somebody saying, 'I'm ready to get out. I'm ready to have 10 seconds of insane courage where I believe that I can trust in you enough, and that there is a hope and a freedom and a future that is free of victimization,'" explained Dunn.
It is a freedom that Love has come to know and share as a member of the Safe House Project staff.
"Oftentimes human trafficking becomes your identity," said Love. "But that's not who we are. We are children of God. We were bought for a price (by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ). Our redemption has been paid for."
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"We belong to the Lord. And in spite of all that pain and suffering, letting go of that trusting, hoping that God would put a new identity in my hands, and that's what I hope for them," said Love.