CAN WE USE IT for FREEDOM?

Words by Rebecca Meidinger | Photography by Ben Nash Photography

Occasionally we cross paths with someone who has dedicated her life to speaking on behalf of those whose voices have been silenced. The experience is humbling and inspiring, challenging us to consider how we’ve used our own voices. A growing number of individuals have recently felt led to speak up for those who’ve been silenced and enslaved through human trafficking. Lisa Hanson of Fargo is one of these people. Over the last few years, she has chosen to be a voice for those who’ve been taken captive through forced labor and sex trafficking, both around the world, and even more specifically in our own community, state and nation.

Lisa is the founder of Voice for the Captives, a local faith-based non-profit organization that serves to raise awareness and bring education to our community about the reality and presence of human trafficking — what it is, how to see it, and how to fight it. Lisa explains that in 2012 when she first encountered the opportunity to learn about this subject matter, her heart was closed. She wanted nothing to do with it. “I didn’t want to open my heart to that. But I knew that God was tugging at my heart. He kept speaking to me about this issue. When I finally started learning about it, it shattered my heart. I knew I needed to do something about it.”

Lisa started doing what she encourages anyone with this particular heart-tugging to do: get educated. She watched human trafficking documentaries, read books, and found organizations that are fighting this evil both here and abroad and read their stories. As she researched, Lisa found out that every state has trafficking, including North Dakota and our own city of Fargo. In her desire to educate others, Lisa held movie nights at her church, showing the documentary “Nefarious.” Each time she showed it, a few people would linger afterwards and ask her, “Okay, now what do we do?”

Eventually Lisa knew she was being called to do more. Through the winter and spring of 2013, she gathered interested people to meet and discuss how to move forward. As she looked around the table at her meetings, she realized that, among others, God had drawn together a web designer, a photographer and a graphic artist. This was a team of primarily young people with the necessary skills to market an organization — all eager to offer those skills for a cause. From these meetings, Voice for the Captives was born. Lisa says of the early days, “Sometimes I just wanted a day off from knowing. But these girls [who are being trafficked] don’t get a day off, so why should I? At first I couldn’t sleep knowing about it, but now I can’t sleep not doing anything about it.” source list of people and businesses that can offer free or reduced services for victims (such as car and home maintenance, housecleaning, plumbing and hairstyling), sharing time, love and skills in tangible ways as victims get back on their feet.

Voice for the Captives’ mission is “abolishing sex trafficking through the love and power of Jesus Christ.” Their emphasis is preventative care: working to bring awareness and education to individuals, school faculties, church leadership, medical professionals, law enforcement and anyone who is willing to learn. This initiative happens through a five step process: joining people in prayer, creating community awareness through events, working with state lawmakers to bring justice, unifying churches to fight trafficking, and bringing healing to the victims. Over the last three years, Lisa has noticed that the greatest struggle is bringing healing to the victims of trafficking. Most victims have little to no financial help, which makes building a life after trafficking overwhelming.

To the person who is wondering how to speak up for the captives, Lisa says this: “Pray first. Learning about human trafficking means opening your heart and mind to a horrible evil, so pray first, and then begin educating yourself.” On the Voice for the Captives website you’ll find many resources to help you learn more about modern-day slavery and how to be on the lookout for it in your own community. Talk to your church about hosting a movie event to show a documentary. Educate your kids. Although we want to shelter our kids from something so horrible, they need to know what this is and what the signs are so they can guard themselves and their peers. Offer your skills. If you have skills or