{"id":527,"date":"2017-10-25T23:38:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-25T23:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.couleedevserver.com\/exodus\/freedom-rocks-how-we-celebrate-survivor-stories\/"},"modified":"2021-05-08T02:39:23","modified_gmt":"2021-05-08T02:39:23","slug":"freedom-rocks-how-we-celebrate-survivor-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.couleedevserver.com\/exodus\/freedom-rocks-how-we-celebrate-survivor-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Freedom Rocks: How we Celebrate Survivor Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=&#8221;in_container&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][vc_column_text]\n<div class=\"video-container\">\n<div class=\"hs-responsive-embed-wrapper hs-responsive-embed\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 100%; height: auto; position: relative; overflow: hidden; padding: 0; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 256px; margin: 0px auto;\">\n<div class=\"hs-responsive-embed-inner-wrapper\" style=\"position: relative; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 56.25%; margin: 0;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"hs-responsive-embed-iframe\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/161952782?autoplay=1&amp;loop=1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-service=\"vimeo\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Since this video was made, the estimated number of slaves in the world has increased from 27 million to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ilo.org\/global\/about-the-ilo\/newsroom\/news\/WCMS_574717\/lang--en\/index.htm\">40 million<\/a>. The problem certainly hasn&#8217;t gone away.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">But saving the one is as important as ever.<\/span>Sometimes we&#8217;re overwhelmed by the numbers. Our brains try to break down that big, ominous 40 million, and often, the humanity involved gets lost in translation. We just can&#8217;t wrap our minds around that much human suffering. That many life stories marked by trauma. That many grieving parents and frightened children.<\/p>\n<p>So we see the number, rather than the human life behind it. And, well, numbers are easy to put aside when our heads hit our pillows at night.<\/p>\n<p>We believe that if somehow we can remember the one \u2013 the one young mother who has been separated from her children; the one boy who has known nothing but grueling labor on a fishing boat \u2013 that&#8217;s when we can <a href=\"\/how-to-fight-human-trafficking-7-actions-with-big-impact\">fight human trafficking<\/a> in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n<p>Since at The Exodus Road we work day in, day out, gathering evidence and building cases to <a href=\"https:\/\/theexodusroad.com\/search-and-rescue\">rescue those caught in human trafficking<\/a>, we need reminders too. Reminders of the human beings on the other side of our work \u2013 the ones awaiting rescue and the ones trying to recover their lives and walk into freedom.<\/p>\n<p>For us, those reminders are stones. River rocks that can fit in the palm of your hand, inscribed with a name, a place, and a date. We have nearly 900 stones in our U.S. office today, and each one represents a human life. Each one represents a story \u2013 scarred by slavery but forever changed by rescue.<\/p>\n<p>The stones in our office that represent every rescue we&#8217;ve helped make possible; they remind us that our work is not for a cause. Our work is not for a number. Our work is for each individual person who deserves to find their way home.<\/p>\n<p>Whenever we get news of a new rescue, our staff gathers for a rock party. We take a moment of silence to reflect on the lives of each survivor. We talk about <a href=\"https:\/\/theexodusroad.com\/stories\">their stories<\/a>. Then, we take a blank stone \u2013 once representing a life enslaved \u2013 and we draw freedom.<\/p>\n<p>We look forward to the day when we&#8217;re surrounded by thousands of freedom stones. Thousands of unique, individual reminders of lives that matter. Lives that are now free.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=&#8221;full_width_background&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; equal_height=&#8221;yes&#8221; content_placement=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; bg_color=&#8221;#f4f4f4&#8243; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; top_padding=&#8221;80&#8243; bottom_padding=&#8221;80&#8243; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221; tablet_text_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; phone_text_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; border_type=&#8221;simple&#8221; column_border_width=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_style=&#8221;solid&#8221;][image_with_animation image_url=&#8221;3396&#8243; animation=&#8221;Fade In&#8221; hover_animation=&#8221;none&#8221; alignment=&#8221;&#8221; border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; box_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; image_loading=&#8221;default&#8221; max_width=&#8221;50%&#8221; max_width_mobile=&#8221;default&#8221;][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;See how it all began.&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|font_size:52|text_align:left|line_height:56px&#8221; use_theme_fonts=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1620441422430{margin-top: 15px !important;}&#8221;]\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Download Laura Parker&#8217;s book, <em>The Exodus Road: a Wife&#8217;s Journey into Sex Trafficking and Rescue.<\/em><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=&#8221;No Line&#8221;][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row type=&#8221;in_container&#8221; full_screen_row_position=&#8221;middle&#8221; column_margin=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_tablet=&#8221;default&#8221; column_direction_phone=&#8221;default&#8221; scene_position=&#8221;center&#8221; text_color=&#8221;dark&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; row_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; row_border_radius_applies=&#8221;bg&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; shape_divider_position=&#8221;bottom&#8221; bg_image_animation=&#8221;none&#8221;][vc_column column_padding=&#8221;no-extra-padding&#8221; column_padding_tablet=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_phone=&#8221;inherit&#8221; column_padding_position=&#8221;all&#8221; column_element_spacing=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; background_hover_color_opacity=&#8221;1&#8243; column_shadow=&#8221;none&#8221; column_border_radius=&#8221;none&#8221; column_link_target=&#8221;_self&#8221; gradient_direction=&#8221;left_to_right&#8221; overlay_strength=&#8221;0.3&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243; tablet_width_inherit=&#8221;default&#8221;&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":913,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-survivor-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.2 - 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