Sebastian Hart - Ensenada

Going on this trip I was very skeptical and had absolutely zero expectations and I was almost scared of what would happen out there. I was involved with the Anti-Human Trafficking team. I have always told myself when I graduate I want to work towards the goal of combatting this horrible thing, I never knew why but this was a perfect opportunity.

Before we left, I went home to tell my mom about where I was going to be for the next week and what I was doing and she had asked me why I chose the human trafficking team. I told her I don't really know but this was the team I was most passionate about and God is calling me here then she looks me in the eyes and says, "Sebastian... you know the I was a young girl I was trafficked." I responded "mom how would I know that if you never told me.." and she said thats why her childhood was so hard growing up which I knew of but never knew the reason why. My mom and my relationship growing up was anything but close and I almost resented her for how she treated and abused me but after she had told me this I felt connected to her on another level and like me going to help the girls at the camp was really helping my mom and I was getting close to her. God works in mysterious ways.

Prior to arriving we were told what to expect, the rules, etc... but I still had no expectation and I had mentioned this to Pastor Coba and he said "you just gotta let God do what God does." At first I didn't really know what this meant but I decided why not I'll listen and let God move the way he moves. When I arrive at the Human Trafficking site I noticed that they were heavily gated inside, barbed wire, and even a watchtower overlooking the entire property. We walk inside and I meet the leaders Randy and Sandy (funny I know) and they tell us how many girls they have, where they get them from, what the process looks like, and while they were talking I have never felt such a conviction to do what they were doing and just make a difference. Hearing the stories I heard and what girls went through from 18 all the way to 6 years old was so heartbreaking it made me so angry and made me reflect on my own life on how privileged I was and I recalled every moment I complained about something so small and compared it to the girls situation. After our talk we go down and meet the girls and I immediately feel some kind of connection with them like I was supposed to be there to meet them and change their lives. As the days go by they open up about their situations one by one and every single story was harder than the last. One girl had said and I quote, "I am scared that one day people are going to break inside and kill everyone and take me back where I was." A 16 year old girl telling you this then right after going to laugh and play with her sisters leaves a major impact on you whether you want it or not it was unbelievable. These were some of the happiest and most energetic girls I have ever met and realizing that they had nothing but gave everything was life changing to me. It was them and God fighting the battle together and the amount of faith and gratitude they had is a small portion of what most of us have today. I had initially came on this trip thinking that it was for me to change their lives, but I soon realized it was for them to change my life. This is what Coba meant when you just gotta let God do what He does. Sometimes we don't know what to expect or what God has in store for us, but if we step aside and let Him work the way he does, I promise you will see Him move. For those looking for a reason to serve, go out with no expectations and let God do what he does, It will be worth it trust me. - Sebastian