Brianna Lareau, standing in center, will direct the 2nd Annual Compelled by Love 5k on September 22 at Raleigh First Assembly of God, behind Crabtree Valley Mall.
A Missions trip to Pavia, Venezuela helped Brianna Lareau put a face on the crime of human-trafficking. When she returned, Lareau had a passion to help and decided to direct the 2nd Annual Compelled by Love 5k.
In January 2012, God gave Brianna Lareau a vision to take a step up to help those in need. Lareau answered God’s call and decided to direct the 2nd Annual Compelled by Love 5K.
Lareau made it her “sweet sixteen wish” to do something to help fight human trafficking in the world. So Lareau is directing the 5K race fundraising event that will be held in Raleigh on September 22. The fundraiser will held to raise funds to stop human trafficking.
Lareau said the human trafficking cause was placed on her heart in the fall of 2011.
“I started researching and learning more about human trafficking after a missionary from India came and spoke to our youth group in August of 2011,” Lareau said.
Lareau said human trafficking was placed further on her heart when she went on a Missions trip this summer.
“Human-trafficking is close to my heart and I pray it always will be. I went on my first Missions trip to Pavia, Venezuela in July of 2012 and for the first time in my life I was able to put a little seven-year-olds face to the word ‘human trafficking’. It is the most heartbreaking and helpless feeling in the world. When I came back to the States, I was changed and had a passion to stop this unbelievable crime for that one little girl.”
According to Lareau, God placed it on her heart to do something.
“When friends and family started asking me what I wanted for my Sweet 16, I found myself having to tell them that I would get back with them at a later time because I wasn’t sure. God then convicted me that I am so blessed. I have a home, food, water, shelter, and family and friends that love me. These girls have absolutely nothing! Taken from their loved ones, they are forced into a life of constant abuse and slavery. If they do not comply with the unnatural sexual demands of their captors, they are often beaten within an inch of their life. “
So Lareau decided to be the director of the 2nd Annual Compelled by Love 5k.
“Being the race director at 16 is a hard, stressful, and time-consuming job, but every time I felt like giving up, I would just remember the look on that little girl’s face, and my passion was ignited yet again.”
The 2nd Annual Compelled by Love 5k will be held on September 22 at 10:30am at Raleigh First Assembly of God, behind Crabtree Valley Mall.
Lareau ask local residents to consider making a donation or participating in the race. Local residents can register for the race at http://www.fsseries.com/ or http://www.raleighfirst.org/.
Lareau said she has faith that this will be a successful event.
“I am believing and stepping out in faith that we will have 2,000 people running or walking through the streets of Raleigh on that day to help eliminate human trafficking in our world and even in our own state.”
Although many people think Lareau is remarkable, she does not feel she is doing anything special.
“I am just a normal teenager. I love goofing off with friends, playing guitar and loving on little kids. However, God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called. There is nothing special about me, only the God that I serve. Through all of this, I have felt the Lord call me into full-time foreign missions, specifically to work with girls in human trafficking.”
“If your daughter, sister, or best friend were taken from you and sold into human trafficking, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to rescue her? I know I would. These are God’s daughters, and His heart breaks for them. Shouldn’t ours break too?”
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