Editor's Note: Yin Baibin, the founder of Hope Garden Public Welfare in Beijing, has dedicated himself to entrepreneurship and employment education for marginalized individuals struggling with addiction, helping them reintegrate into society. During a recent stay in the United States, he and his daughter, Li Huilin, actively engaged with various missional churches and participated in their activities. Inspired by his experiences, Yin carefully documented several cases he encountered and investigated, presenting them in a bilingual format to share with readers. January 2025 marks National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the United States. Prior to this observance, an interview was conducted with Sister Alicia Tappan, a survivor of human trafficking who is healing and growing in Christ. Once profoundly impacted by the trauma of trafficking, Alicia has, by God’s grace, regained her health and accomplished remarkable success across different fields. Through her testimony, she hopes to further advance global efforts to combat human trafficking and bear witness to the Lord’s extraordinary works.
In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, Jesus approached those abandoned by society, offering them a chance for restoration. Whether encountering the demon-possessed man in Gerasa, the blind Bartimaeus, or the socially ostracized tax collector Zacchaeus, Jesus always actively reached out, providing restoration and new life. These actions demonstrate that God's love transcends all social boundaries, healing not just physical wounds, but restoring our identity and dignity.
Today, the protagonist of this article, Alicia Tappan, embodies this "from margin to renewal" mission through her personal experience and faith. Through her Survivor Led Solutions, she helps survivors of human trafficking and other forms of trauma, guiding them out of pain, rebuilding their lives, and finding new hope.
Alicia Tappan's Journey: From Abyss to Revival
Alicia Tappan's life story profoundly illustrates the transformation from despair to revival. At 17, she was trafficked and forced into underage sex work, spiraling into addiction, homelessness, and prostitution. She recalls, "At that time, I felt abandoned by the world, seeing no hope." However, God's love led her out of this darkness, giving her new life through faith. She remembers, "Only when God's grace entered my life did I truly understand my own value."
Alicia earned a psychology degree from the University of West Florida, but her subsequent life was far from smooth. She was trapped in her past shadows, engaging in prostitution, alcoholism, working in strip clubs, and living on the streets while battling addiction. In 2014, meeting another human trafficking survivor made her realize she needed to confront her past trauma.
Later, she began sharing her story in church and helped establish the Pensacola Dream Center, serving the homeless. She founded a safe house providing five-year shelter for young people. Though she temporarily stepped back due to family reasons, these experiences deeply taught her the challenges of leadership. She subsequently created Survivor-Led Solutions, dedicated to supporting survivors' growth in a healthy, sustainable manner. Now a mother of three, she continues empowering survivors and helping them overcome their struggles.
As the founder of Survivor Led Solutions, Alicia is not just a supporter of victims, but their role model and mentor. She understands that recovery involves more than providing help, but collaborating with other organizations to help survivors rebuild their dignity and hope. In her interview, she stated, "Our work is not just about providing basic support, but helping survivors move towards independence, regain confidence, and become agents of their own change."
Alicia's work is filled with challenges. As a mother, she must balance caring for her children and supporting survivors. She candidly shares, "As a mother, I deeply understand the importance of caring for my children, while also feeling the mission of helping survivors. This balance is difficult, but I persist." She emphasizes that continuous support is the core of her work—whenever and wherever survivors need help, her team will be there. "Our work is voluntary; survivors can leave at any time, but as long as they need help, we will always be here." This uninterrupted service not only reflects her practice of Jesus' unconditional love but also demonstrates how she gives new life through her personal experience.
Jesus' Healing: Restoration from Margins to Renewal
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus encounters a demon-possessed man in Gerasa, a person completely abandoned by society, who is restored in body and spirit through Jesus' healing. Jesus not only expelled the evil spirits but also restored his social status and dignity. Each of Jesus' actions moved from physical healing to spiritual reconstruction, revealing God's deep compassion for the lost.
In the 10th chapter of the Gospel of Mark, the story of the blind Bartimaeus follows a similar pattern. Bartimaeus was socially abandoned, but when he called out Jesus' name, Jesus stopped and asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" This simple phrase gave Bartimaeus a completely new life. Jesus not only restored his sight but also empowered him to return to society. Bartimaeus' life was renewed from that moment.
Zacchaeus' repentance was also a transformation from inner change to behavioral restoration. In the Gospel of Luke, Zacchaeus demonstrated his repentance by returning unjust wealth, realizing his identity's restoration through action.
These characters, after Jesus' healing and acceptance, moved from brokenness to renewal, restoring their physical, spiritual, and social status. Today, survivor leaders like Alicia help others emerge from pain, reclaiming their dignity and new life through God's love and support.
Ephesians 4:28: From Stealing to Helping Others
Ephesians 4:28 clearly teaches: "Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need." This doctrine penetrates the heart, reminding us not only to abandon past wrongdoings but to emphasize accumulating resources through legitimate work and generously helping others. This deeply resonates with Zacchaeus' repentance. After repenting, Zacchaeus not only stopped exploiting others but actively used his property to help people, transforming from "stealing" to "generosity".
Alicia's work is a modern practice of this teaching. Through Survivor Led Solutions, she helps survivors—once society's "stolen"—recover from deep trauma, not only reclaiming their dignity but also helping them reintegrate into society through education and work opportunities, and even supporting those in greater need. Alicia has said, "We help survivors recognize that they are not just passive recipients of help, but capable of helping more people through their own efforts."
From Survivors to Advocates: Alicia's Mission
Survivor Led Solutions is more than an organization providing basic services; it's a platform helping survivors grow into social changemakers. Alicia emphasizes that recovery is not merely healing wounds, but helping survivors discover their potential as advocates and leaders. Through education and counseling, she helps them find their voice, stand up and tell their stories, becoming supporters of other survivors and positive social participants.
Like Zacchaeus' repentance, Alicia encourages survivors to transform their destinies through concrete actions, helping others and influencing society. She says, "Every survivor has the ability to change their own and others' lives. We encourage them not only to restore their own lives but to become helpers in this process."
Joseph's Revival: How God Transforms Brokenness into Blessing
In Genesis, Joseph's story demonstrates how God transforms broken experiences into blessings. Despite being sold by his brothers and experiencing long-term imprisonment, he ultimately became Egypt's prime minister, saving countless lives. Alicia's story is similar to Joseph's—from a victim of sexual trafficking to a survivor leader—fully proving how God can transform trauma into blessing. She has not only helped thousands of survivors restore their lives but also driven social awareness through policy changes and social impact.
Conclusion: A Call from Brokenness to Renewal
Jesus' healing stories remind us that no matter what traumas we've experienced, God's love and compassion can always lead us to renewal. Today, people like Alicia use their personal experiences and faith to help those once abandoned by society rediscover dignity and hope. Her work goes beyond providing basic living conditions; it helps them rebuild themselves and become powerful voices in society.
Every Christian can be a healer and companion to those facing difficulties, just like Jesus. Through our actions, support, and prayers, we can witness how brokenness transforms into renewal, and how despair is turned into hope by grace.
Originally from the Christian Times, CCD reprinted with permission.
