Jennisue Jessen on Surviving Human Trafficking, Healing, and the Power of Using Your Voice

Some stories don’t just ask to be heard—they demand it.

On this episode of the Hard Beautiful Journey podcast, I had the immense honor of sitting down with Jennisue Jessen—a survivor of child trafficking, an advocate for global change, and the founder of Compass 31, a nonprofit dedicated to guiding survivors of exploitation toward freedom and restoration.

I’ll be honest—this conversation was emotional. It was raw. It was real. And it reminded me, once again, that healing is not just about surviving what broke us—it’s about rising with our voices, our truth, and our capacity to love.

If you’re new to Jennisue’s work, or the realities of human trafficking in our world, I encourage you to read on with an open heart. This is more than an episode. It’s a movement.

The Beginning: Surviving the Unthinkable

Jennisue Jessen was trafficked starting at the age of four—by someone who should have protected her. Her story is not the one you’ve seen in movies or documentaries. It’s not filled with secret agents and dramatic rescues.

It’s filled with something much harder to face: familiarity.

She was trafficked by someone she knew. Trusted. Loved.

And unfortunately, that’s the case for the vast majority of survivors. As Jennisue explains, more than 80% of those trafficked are exploited by a family member, romantic partner, or trusted community figure. It doesn’t always look like abduction. Often, it begins with grooming, coercion, and deeply manipulative emotional control.

And while the trauma was unbearable, what Jennisue carried with her was a belief that her survival depended on her silence.

“I learned in brutal ways that my survival depended on silence and submission. Learning to use my voice has been one of the greatest challenges—and the most healing.”

From Survivor to Advocate: How Compass 31 Was Born

Fast forward to adulthood. Jennisue found herself living in Southeast Asia, where trafficking was happening in plain sight. She couldn’t walk into a restaurant without seeing children being sold to older men. It was horrifying—and awakening.

She and her husband opened their home to three young mama-baby sets—teenage girls who had been trafficked, became pregnant, and had no safe place to go. Without a formal plan, program, or funding, they said yes to the need in front of them.

That yes became the seed that grew into Compass 31.

Today, Compass 31 operates restoration work in 5 countries and prevention work in 44 countries. They empower survivors through education, skill-building, and something Jennisue calls empowered ambition—where survivors open bank accounts in their names, earn stipends for showing up in school, and save for futures they get to design.

It’s not about rescuing someone and patting them on the back.

It’s about walking with them as they reclaim their identity and purpose.

Healing Isn’t Linear—and It’s Still Ongoing

During our conversation, Jennisue was beautifully honest about her healing journey.

Even now, decades after escaping, she sometimes sleeps with the lights on. She still has nightmares. She still experiences what she calls “hauntings.”

And yet—she wakes up with joy. The kind of joy that makes your face ache because you were smiling in your sleep.

“Healing is incremental. And yes, sometimes I’m still haunted. But I’m also living a life of purpose and joy. I wake up some days with my cheeks sore from smiling in my sleep.”

She talked about what it was like to go from seeing all men as dangerous to learning—through her husband—that not all men are bad. That intimacy can be safe. That love can be healing.

She’s also open about being a “lone wolf” at times. Trusting people again after betrayal is hard, especially for survivors of complex trauma. But as she wisely shared:

“Trauma happens in relationship, and healing happens in relationship.”

It’s one of the many reasons that community is a pillar in my own Healing Heart Journey framework. We need people. We need safe spaces. We need tribes that speak our language of shared experience.

The Story of LB: Love That Never Expired

One of the most tender, moving parts of our conversation was about LB, Jennisue’s childhood babysitter.

LB was her safe place in a home filled with chaos. When Jennisue’s mom decided their bond was too strong, LB was abruptly fired—without a goodbye. They never saw each other again… until last year, when LB found her on Facebook.

Jennisue had kept a Pink Panther colouring sheet they made together when she was four—for 48 years.

Their reunion was like a spark of healing in a space that had long been abandoned.

“Love doesn’t expire. Once it takes root, it is always there.”

LB’s love planted the seed that maybe—just maybe—Jennisue was worthy of love, safety, and protection. And today, she’s carrying that same love forward to the people she mentors and serves.

What You Can Do to Help

I asked Jennisue what real, tangible actions people can take to help—not just raise awareness, but actually make a difference.

Her answer? Slow down.

“We’re all so busy scurrying and scrolling. But healing starts when we actually see people. Love the people in front of you. That one dinner conversation could be the thing that saves someone’s life.”

She’s right. We don’t have to be experts or run nonprofits to make an impact. We just need to show up, speak love, and hold space.

Final Thoughts: Your Voice Matters

There’s so much more I could say about this conversation. But here’s what I want you to walk away with:

Whether you've experienced trauma or you're trying to understand it better, your voice matters.

Healing isn’t just surviving the pain—it’s reclaiming your story, finding your tribe, and using that voice to help others rise too.

I’m endlessly grateful to Jennisue for showing us what that looks like.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here
📲 Follow Jennisue: @compass_31
🌐 Learn more about her work: www.compass31.org
💖 Come connect with me on Instagram: @iamtiffcarson