I made a new friend last week. I’d like for you to meet him, too.

This (the young’un) is Josef Kainrad, a member of our son Greg’s church homegroup. The two of them came to our house for a visit and homemade chili. Greg thought we would be interested to meet Josef, or “MoJo” as he’s known. And that we’d want to hear about the eight-week, coast-to-coast charity bicycle tour he is preparing to do.

Ya think?

MoJo may be a little young to call it a “bucket list,” but one of his longtime dreams has been to bicycle across the USA. He told us that his mentor had encouraged him to go for it, and had added, “Why not make it for a cause?” After a little research, Josef found a cause he feels passionate about, one that needs exposure and support: the fight against human trafficking. In a recent press release he calls sex trafficking “a toxic truth” that we should care about because it not only lowers women to mere physical objects, but also corrupts the character and hearts of men.

So you see this is no ordinary bike ride. He will ride the 3770-mile “Bike To Be Free” Tour completely on his own, but he is not alone. Interested persons are offering support toward his trip expenses. A Denton bike shop is sponsoring Josef by helping with his equipment. Friends have been hosting benefit concerts and other events. Others are making tax-deductible donations (link below) to Abolition International’s “To Be Free” Safe House project, the specific project that Josef’s ride supports. And everywhere, people are praying.

As for MoJo, he has been busy training to increase his endurance. So far he has been using a fixed-gear bike, which is suitable for neighborhood jaunts but NOT mountain passes and seven-hour days. Although he has ordered a multi-speed bike, I love this photo of his “fixie” keeping company with some of transportation’s “big dogs.” Off the bike he blogs, arranges appearances in the towns he will ride through, sends out support letters, and talks about his mission whenever he has a chance.

Josef is doing all this to help set abused women free. He expressed on his blog what he would like to say to them:

You don’t know who I am, you probably never will. You don’t know what I’m doing for you, I have no idea who you are. We will probably never have any interaction, talk face to face, or even know of each other’s existence. But I love you, am fighting for you, and am praying for you fiercely.

This makes a difference.

Wow. That’s the kind of “mojo” I can get behind.

How about you?

If you share Josef’s concern and want to get behind him, you can . . .
* Visit/follow/share his blog here.
* Watch and share the “To Be Free” videos he has posted on his blog.
* Donate through this official page.
* Learn more about human trafficking and Abolition International’s safe houses.

Tailwinds, Josef.

Thanks for reading,
Jan

PS: I am linking up with every woman I can find, starting with Jen and the Soli Deo Gloria sisters and Rachel Ann’s Company Girls.