First victimized as an infant, Andi Buerger spent her first 17 years subjected to abuse and sex trafficking at the hands of her own family.
"Before there was even a term called human trafficking, I was trafficked by immediate and some extended family members, from the age of six months until I was 17 years old," said Buerger.
"The torture, the pain and the things that were going on were so great that I thought I'd rather be dead. At the age of five, that was my first suicide attempt. I just wanted to be gone, and that's where God met me in my life."
She says he spoke to her and told her that he had bigger plans for her. Andi says those simple words kept her alive.
Despite these horrors and much therapy, Andi has overcome her trauma and is now speaking candidly about her own experience to bring hope to other victims.
She has a law degree and a life of business success. She also managed to create Beulah’s Place in Redmond, Oregovercourse of a few years, she took action to support prevention at the community level, providing a model for communities worldwide.
"When we allow our children to be sold, to be used as a commodity, to be violated, persecuted, neglected, discarded and preyed upon by criminal influences, we deteriorate as a civilized community. There is nothing civilized about the exploitation of the weak, the innocent, the vulnerable for selfish gain.”
Today she is the founder and chair of Voices against Trafficking. This organization brings together national and international partners dedicated to eradicating the business of profiting from human lives.
Today on Connections, Andi shares her powerful story. She'll also discuss how we can help put a stop to human trafficking.