When I look back on the years that my wife and I were busy raising kids, there was an underlying value of travel in our parenting. We wanted our kids to see the world through a lens of opportunity and not fear. We have a conviction that travel allows us to experience people’s and cultures different than ours, and to see the connection that can occur. Travel gives us a glimpse of the world, and changes how we see the world we come from. We wanted all three of our kids to be fearless when it comes to traveling the world.

When my older daughter was 13, she traveled with me to Fiji to serve for a week with Homes of Hope (www.HopeFiji.org). Fiji is obviously known more for being an amazing vacation destination, but as a strategic nation in the South Pacific, there is a reality that tourism also creates an environment ripe for human trafficking. That’s where Homes of Hope comes in. The vision of Homes of Hope is, “…to create a culture where women and children are free from the stigmas and cycles of forced sex. We believe that no child should have their innocence stolen.” Human trafficking is a global Goliath. The sad reality is that we look at movies like “Taken” and fail to grasp that human trafficking, “…relate(s) to larger systemic conditions such as poverty, forced migration, racism, and discrimination, among many others. Understanding human trafficking in its local context is critical to developing a meaningful response (U.S. Department of State “2018 Trafficking in Persons Report”).”

During the course of that week my daughter and I were able to serve young moms that had been rescued out of sex trafficking. We ate meals together with these moms and their kids. We played games. We sang. We laughed…a lot. It was amazing as a father to see the heart of service and compassion that my daughter displayed. What I will never forget was a 13 year old girl on campus gave birth to an absolutely beautiful baby. Here was my 13 year old daughter serving a girl her age. It both broke my heart and warmed my heart at the same time.

Being at Homes of Hope that week gave me such a deep sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunity to serve with my daughter. Gratitude for a place like Homes of Hope that seeks to restore lives that have been torn apart. Gratitude for the fact that my daughter has never known the plight of human trafficking in her life.

More than anything else, I was grateful that my daughter walked away from that week as a 13 year old knowing that she can make a difference in her world. The beauty of making a difference starts with the simple belief that doing something is always better than doing nothing. She grew in leaps and bounds during that week. I never regretted taking her to Fiji, or exposing her to the reality of human trafficking. I said at the beginning that the desire of my wife and I was to have our kids see the world through the lens of opportunity and not fear. Part of that lens of opportunity also means seeing a need in the world and believing that we have the ability to do something about it. To make a difference one life at a time.

My daughter Emmalie has continued to travel and seeks to make a difference in her world. After graduating from college, she made a decision to join the U.S. Peace Corps and is currently serving in Ukraine. If you’d like to follow her adventure, take a look at her blog at www.EmmVentures.com.

I love organizations like Homes of Hope that make a very real difference in the world by tackling issues that most shy away from. Take a look at their website to learn more about their programs. You can also make a donation to support their work. You gift can literally change the legacy of a young woman’s life and the life of their children!