Sex trafficking isn’t a distant tragedy. It thrives because we tolerate objectification in social media. We normalize pornography because we scroll past awareness posts, thinking that someone else will fix it. Our faith commands us to act, but our comfort has made us passive. Silence isn’t an option.

The Beyond Us Missions Conference, which ran from Monday to Wednesday, was a partnership of Mission Waco, local churches, global leaders and the Baylor community. The group was brought together for three days of connection, worship and personal reflection.

The organization’s Waco location fights to prevent trafficking by educating youth on warning signs in juvenile centers and schools, including Baylor; members also train law enforcement, hospitals and community leaders to recognize and address trafficking, according to Hayes.

Founded 12 years ago to combat human trafficking in Waco, Unbound Now has become a global nonprofit organization. Unbound executive director Kristi Hayes said it started with a small local church group that refused to let the issue go unnoticed in the community.