Brady Mulder of Heritage Christian Reformed Church in Byron Center, Mich., hopped on his moped this spring to let people know the horror of human trafficking.
Mulder, 23, a 2011 Kuyper College graduate, and his friend, Jonathan Stockeland, 25, who is studying law at the University of Minnesota, rode 8,600 miles (13,840 km) through deserts and mountains on behalf of people in slavery for sex or work exploitation.
With signs mounted on their 49cc mopeds, the two attracted public interest in the 28 states they visited. “When people asked, we said, ‘We’re riding around America, telling about human trafficking.’ It’s an undercover type of injustice that’s all over the world,” Mulder said.
Brady Mulder (left) and Jonathan Stockeland at Senora Pass in Calif.
The pair handed out 1,000 business cards with the address of their blog site and spoke to more than a dozen churches and youth groups.
While in college the young men became interested in justice for those in bonded or forced labor and involuntary prostitution.
They left on May 16 from Byron Center for the East Coast with crates of camping gear, and chugged their average 35 mph way to the West Coast, returning to Byron Center July 6.
They took back roads through small communities, without a support vehicle or major mishaps.
Mulder said he learned reliance on God. Having just graduated, he had little money for provisions and depended on others’ hospitality. “I grew a ton. I had nothing planned for food or where to sleep. I fully relied on God to provide. Through people we met along the way, I saw that God can do the impossible.”
Though their goal was to raise awareness, they also raised $1,500 for International Justice Mission.