VOICES OF HOPE
Jordan
Jordan says he experienced sexual abuse and lived in a closet for the first 4 years of his life before being sold on the black market by his biological mother. Struggling to understand the effects of the abuse, Jordan grew up thinking his body was to be used at the pleasure of others. After spending years in the adult industry appearing in adult videos, working as an escort and prostitute, Jordan was visited by two LDS missionaries who taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ, changing his life forever.
Jordan was born in Illinois. He has one sister and two brothers from his biological family one adopted sister from his adopted family. He now has a large extended family of life-long friends and his LDS North Star support system. He converted to the LDS church as an adult. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon. Mandarin oranges are his favorite food. He loves seeing joy in people’s lives and faces. He loves animals and has a dog named Charity that his mother and aunt gave him. Charity has been his best friend and companion for the past 12 years.
Out of the Closet - Jordan
When I look back on my life, it is a miracle that I made it through all that happened. To this day there are moments when the flashbacks that occur are so strong that I literally lose control of my bodily functions. I see a therapist regularly and take prescribed anxiety medication during the day and sleeping medication at night to function so that I can live some semblance of a normal life.
However, the one thing above that all helps me through each new day is knowledge that no matter how rough it gets or how abandoned I feel at times that God is there and that the Savior is with me. If I hold to the light, I will never be alone again. Now that everything is out in the open, there are no more secrets and no animosity or anger. There is only the sweet peace of healing and knowing that memories of my old life and those burdens are no longer mine. Someone else carries them now, and I can go on.