Mission: Adventure

Picture this with me for a moment.

There was once these two girls who were always together. They were college roommates, friends given the nickname Twins, and they were never apart. These two girls were always together and one fall break they both went home together. After all, staying on campus would be too dull and adventure was a must have. The road trip home was full of loud music, laughter and caffeine. It was perfection.

Once home, the girls were able to eat food that was cooked in a wonderful kitchen, by a loving mother. The thought of nasty school food was no where in mind. The first few days went by with not too much going on. And the thought of adventure was creeping into the minds of the two girls.

One morning they woke up and they wondered into a store. This specific office supply store is known for having paper out for you to write with pens and sharpies, to test them out. The two girls decided that it was time. Time to go to work and stop the sex trade. So, writing in cool colored sharpies the girls got to work and started making people aware!

Here is the story of one of the Twins. So, be inspired and go and do something to get people aware of the sex trade! Take a picture of what you do and send it to us with a story at askmeaboutsextrafficking@gmail.com. We would love to share about what you are doing to get people informed on the sex trade and what you are doing to stop the sex trade!

Now, with out any more pause and talk here is Twin with her story!

Hey guys!

So, I am here to share my story about how my roommate and I went into ninja combat last summer in Tokyo, Japan!

Oh wait, this is the office supply store story? Oh, that one is just as good.

I guess this all started when I found out about this blog. You see, this matter wasn't something foreign to me. I knew a little about sex trafficking and human trafficking. But, I never thought I could be someone who could spark a fire of passion in the life of someone else. Many people think because they have "no time," they cannot stop the injustice of a rapidly growing trade of human sex slaves. When, in fact, this is totally not the case.

If it's one thing that I've learned in my short score of years of living on earth, it's this; there is a time and place for everything. That means there is time! So, where am I going with this before I start my very short and seemingly insignificant story? That my very ordinary life can be extraordinarily powerful in any advancement of any giving pressing matter.

So, allow me to get off my soap box for a moment and share the story with you that I was supposed to share in the first place.

I believe it was a chilly Friday and my twin and I were around town running errands. She was looking for paper while I was playing with the computers (DUH, they are so much fun to mess with) and while I looked for her after a while I saw it. Those sharpie stations with all those pretty colors and stinky smells, were the perfect window of opportunity to share what I've been reading about on this blog from time to time. And, so, with a little help from my twin we scribbled and scribed our way into a blowout of epic proportions, like setting fire to gasoline on a car and walking away from an explosion. We left that station accomplished, knowing that every (and any) eye that can read, could read a fact and allow the spark to flicker into another mind. By doing this,

This passionate fire of awareness
Grows and grows
Until the whole world knows
By those who care.
And for those who care,
Receive and run.

I mean this by saying, that I mean for you to make the change you want to see in the world. Because, that is ALL it takes to make a difference.

 

Wasn't that a great post by Twin!

Thank you so much and we hope to be hearing from you again soon!

You heard it from here. Its no longer us just telling you.

Now, go out and do something about the sex trade,

Nicole and Janice

It's Personal

Hello! Long time! And not going to lie, it has been too long, Janice and I will try not to let it happen again! It was wonderful to reunite with my partner in changing the world. Though, it was not for long it was awesome! Now, she is out spending time with her family and I am left here with my roomie and best college bud, hittin up the home front. I cannot lie, I am enjoying my fall break.

 

I am currently sitting in this cute little coffee shop, writing this post. I showed up about 30 minutes early to a meeting so I could have some time on the blog. Boy, can I just say that it was needed! Anyway, I was having a really hard time coming up with a post to do over sex trafficking.

 

I look at my roommate and I start to complain, "I need a post on sex trafficking. Sex trafficking. I can't just do some random old blog post like everyone else. This blog isn't about that. It's about sex trafficking. It isn't personal! Sex trafficking isn't personal?!"

 

And just like that I put my boot wearing, size 9 1/2 foot right in my mouth... How could I be so blind?! So stupid!? So misguided!? Had I, since coming back to Colorado, been living under a mind washing rock?! The answer is no, but here is why I had such an adverse reaction to my, very misguided, question.

 

SEX TRAFFICKING IS PERSONAL!!!!

 

Yup, you heard me right. Sex trafficking is personal. So, here is the part where most would back away shaking your head, maybe even scratching it. If this is you, hold on! I realize what I am saying may seem a little...off kilter perhaps.

 

I know some of you are currently saying, "Nicole, what are you talking about?" Other ones may be totally on key and just cheering on the statement. But for those of you who are questioning what I have just stated, let me take a moment and enlighten you.

 

Let's just take a moment and look at the facts, shall we? For some, these facts may already be known, but in my experience, this is generally not the case. The U.S. is the 3rd top destination country for sex trafficking. Getting around 15,500-17,500 people yearly, that's about an average of 43 people trafficked into the U.S. on a daily bases.

 

Now, next fact, Sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 states and at some point in time, every country in the world.

 

Not totally convinced about sex trafficking being personal yet?

 

Did you know in the U.S. 12 is the average age for a girl to be trafficked into porn and prostitution. Yup, 12, horrid isn't it?

 

Did you know that sex trafficking includes girls, boy, women and men. Yup. You better believe it.

Whether it is something that is installed into our minds right off, or not, sex trafficking is personal. It affects the world we live in, if we are conscious of it or not. So, be aware. Don't be blinded by what you want to pay attention to rather then what you should be paying attention to.

 

Keep your eyes open, injustices are taking place everywhere and either you pay attention an know that the issues are personal or you ignore the issues and keep quite on issues you need to have a voice about.

 

Remember to spread the word,

 

Nicole and Janice

 

P.S. If you ever want to email us our email is askmeaboutsextrafficking@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.
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Say What

Good day friends! We hope that you are having a good day and keep having good days to come! A little too cheesy? Not for me! Another busy week has come and gone and I get to see my partner in stopping the sex trade, Janice, for the first time since starting college! Needless to say we are both pumped!!!! Reunited so soon, and if feels so good!

For today I want to ask you all a question, actually more of a favor. But first, I need to tell you a story. Don't let the past few sentences make your mind wander and all together stop reading. We aren't asking for money, that is NOT what the favor is!

Now, for the story. To keep too much information from being shared, the guy I am talking about in this story, we will call him Henry.

As I have said before I am currently in college. Now in one of the classes that I have taken, it was time for us to do a research/argumentative paper. When the time came to decide the topic I knew at once what I wanted to do my paper on. I wanted to do it on sex trafficking! I was pumped!

After the class was done I was talking to my friend Henry and he told me that I should do my paper on child sex trafficking, because he had heard that there was such a thing as child trafficking.

 If my whole body language at that moment didn't change, I would be totally shocked. Not that his suggestion was a bad one it was just that he had not heard about sex trafficking until recently and that he didn't know much about the issue, so I was shocked. Yet another annoyance with sex trafficking being kept quiet.  After the initial shock was over, and I had picked my jaw up off the ground. We continued talking. Needless to say I did not do my paper on child sex trafficking, I did it on sex trafficking and the church, let me just say, wow! But that is a post for another day.

The key point to my story is Henry's suggestion on what my paper should be over. To me that is totally unacceptable! But before we all hunt down Henry and shout every known fact about child sex trafficking in his face, lets take a moment and think about this, shall we?

I was totally stunned about what Henry had suggested, but looking at it now, he is not totally to blame. The fact that he didn't know the extent of child sex trafficking gave me a huge array of feelings. The main one might have been punching a wall. But then I realized how many people are in the same, clueless boat Henry is in.

I feel like, and this may be somewhat wrong, after all,  I am in college and currently without a t.v. and a news station. But, it seems that when a huge news report comes on about sex trafficking, and they don't come on often, its all a huge shock to the public. But, then there is nothing after that. I mean it is normally about a bust after all, totally giving off the idea that sex trafficking is getting better.

No research is done after that and everything is just left at that. See if we were to look into it, we would see that yes there is some good happening with the sex trade, but there is a lot left to be done. It's an ever growing crime that expands every second of every day. So in reality, though something is being done which is good, it's only a slight dent in this HUGE organization. And having people like Henry, believe that there is child sex trafficking, because he has heard of it,  once.  Isn't a good thing.

So, here is my favor to ask of you guys. Start sharing what you know about sex trafficking with the people around you. No matter who it is. After all if you plant the seed, it may take time to grow, but at least you planted it. And from there it is their choice to do with what you told them however they want. But for them to do nothing, after finding out about the sex trade would be irresponsible. Plus there is always something to do, even if the first step really is just getting people aware! That's a great place to start!

So, this weekend while you are at the cash register checking out, talk to the clerk about sex trafficking, you may be informing the next big activist for a cause! You never know!

Be aware and get others aware,

Nicole and Janice

P.S. Have you put up stick any notes lately? Want to share an experience or even some facts? Maybe just a story of your life and how sex trafficking affected it in any way? Email us at askmeaboutsextrafficking@gmail.com
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Me, Myself and I

Hello! First off as I start this post Janice and I would like to apologize for the decrease in posts this past week to about a week and a half. We have both been extremely busy. Janice with work and preparations for an awesome schooling experience that she will soon be embarking on! For me, I have been super busy with school and with work! Life is busy and yet so much fun! Janice and I always joke about how we can sleep when we are dead...though I am not sure that really will work, but hey! Jokes are fun when they don't hurt!...Right?

Well, off of that little tangent and on to the meat of the post, after all we aren't intending to be a cookies and milk blog. We ain't no bakers, we be butchers! Well, sort of...we are choppin up the sex trade! No more sex slaves! Freedom!

The other day I was in my Humanities class when my professor got on the topic of how my generation is known as the "I" generation. (mid to late teens and early twenties. So, Janice and I.) I started to really think about that for awhile.

Now, the last post that Janice and I did was regarding our generation as well. Don't get ahead of me right now, stuff will be said in this post that will pertain to everyone, so don't check out just yet. In the last post we talked about how our generation has had its voice taken away from it and we are not as able to be freely us. This all came from a guest speaker in chapel I attended.

Then in humanities, as I previously said, the professor started talking about my generation. I have heard other people call my generation the "I" generation. The way it was explained to me was, my generation is so centered on ourselves that we don't care about others.

This at first made me gasp and be like, "No! Have you ever met me?! This cannot be!" Then I realized not everyone is me, and my generation really is the "I" generation. I feel like, because, for so long we were kept from being "us" my generation totally rebelled. Now, not everyone has rebelled and turned in to the "what about me's," but you get my point. You don't have to agree with me on this matter but hang in there please.

Because of everything that has happened  my generation totally has a bad reputation. Sad but true. I went to the store once, and saw an elderly women trying to make her way to the car in the snow and offer to help her. My offer is totally refused with a look of some horror. But, as I walk a way a women in her 60's (approximately) walks up to her, helps her to her car and then makes her way back into the store.

My generation is feared. My generation is hippies. My generation is hipsters. My generation is composed of people who are shy and of people who act out so much, and only care for themselves.
And it seems like there is definitely a lack of faith in my generations, and in the younger generations. But then I have met my generation and I can see where this all comes from.

But now here is the thing, I want my generation to no longer be the "I" generation, but the "you" generation. I want my generation to be so passionate for others that it spills over into the other generations. Then as the domino affect starts and passions spread, change can happen, like the end of the sex trade!

Ding!! Don't worry, we are a blog about sex trafficking, I cant not mention it!

Granted, this is a HUGE dream, and some of you probably think I am a little crazy for it, but hey I am a dreamer. I dream that there will be an end to the sex trade, most people hear that and already think I am a little crazy. So, go really BIG or go home! Actually, don't go home, don't be thinking only of yourself, think of others. Cause you can make a change no matter who you are or where you are from.

Think of others don't just think of yourself.

You can be apart of the "you" generation,

Nicole and Janice

P.S. ever want to get in touch with us. Email us at askmeaboutsextrafficking@gmail.com
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