Geoffery

I am who I am because of Jesus Christ. Plain and simple.

My name is Geoffery.  I am a Disciple of Christ, a University of Central Florida student, an Army Veteran, and Florida native.  I am very passionate about social justice & fighting human trafficking.  

I am a firm believer that God shapes us as we partake in our individual journeys. Like many others, my own path has a few bumps in the road, harsh curves, and forks in the road - also known as life's little challenges.  Activist and musician Bernice Johnson Reagon once said, "Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are."  Losing my parents at a young age was the toughest challenge that I've ever faced.  When I was twelve years old, my father died from a brain aneurysm; and when I was nineteen, my mother passed away from a heart attack.  There were several moments when I found myself confronted and even paralyzed, by feelings of emptiness, loss, grief  and at times, anger.  Shortly after my mother had passed God affirmed within me that  he did not give me a "spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self- discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7).  It was this "spirit of power" that motivated me to move forward.  It was during these challenges that I was able to discover not only my limits, but learn more about how I am, the world as a whole, and how I might be able to successfully effect change within it.  

If you want the full story, I'd love to tell it to you one day.  We just may need a few cups of coffee and about an hour or so.  

I was born and raised in Florida for all of my life, except during a four year stint of living in Northeastern Tennessee.  After graduating high school in 2006, I enlisted in the Florida Army National Guard while simultaneously attending college.  I was introduced to the issues of human trafficking in the summer of 2009.  And it was here that I first heard about International Justice Mission (IJM).  Due to a mission with the Guard, I found myself in Washington, D.C. for a year.  It was during this year that I spent nine months volunteering with IJM at their Headquarters.  In the Spring of 2012, I applied and was accepted into a highly competitive internship with IJM as their Investigations and Security Intern.  

My time with IJM was truly transformational.  During this time God confirmed my passion to "seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly" with God (Micah 6:8).  He taught me to love the love those who could not be loved, to speak for the voiceless, and to defend the orphan and the widow.  He broke my heart with the stories of struggles and challenges of those rescued, and he emboldened my heart by calling me to stand up and fight.  

After six tremendously blessed years in the Guard, I felt God leading me in a slightly different direction.  And that is where I now find myself:  walking down a path, holding His hand tightly as I look all around me at the wonder of His creation and looking ahead to see the amazing sights ahead.

What does your journey look like?