The journey to fight child trafficking began long before they ever realized it.

Josh and Yvonne Clendenen are U.S. Air Force veterans whose shared legacy of service began during their tours of duty. They met at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, where a deep sense of discipline and calling brought them together under the umbrella of service. That calling eventually led them to Middle Tennessee, where they planted roots and grew their family. Eventually gave themselves fully to ministry, leading a veteran focused family group, serving in local outreach, leading global missions, and pastoring at Southivew Church in Spring Hill, Tenn., with tireless commitment.

As fulfilling as their lives were, it was a journey far beyond Tennessee that would awaken something deeper—something life-altering.

In 2023, Josh traveled to Nepal with Hope Force International, where he partnered with Apple of God’s Eyes, an anti-trafficking organization focused on rescuing Nepalese girls who had been victims of human trafficking, especially for sexual exploitation in neighboring India. There, amid the shattered stories of young survivors and the quiet heroism of those helping to rebuild them, Josh witnessed unimaginable suffering—and radical hope. He met girls whose lives had been broken, yet who were slowly reclaiming dignity through love, safety, and education. Their resilience pierced him. Their faces stayed with him. And when he returned and shared it all with Yvonne, they both knew there was no going back to life as it was.

In 2024, Yvonne journeyed to the Philippines to experience the day-to-day life at Zeteo Missions, a safe haven for children who have suffered through unimaginable abuse, been rescued from trafficking rings, or were at great risk of being trafficked by the family members closest to them. There, she was immersed in the daily work of walking with young survivors through long roads of healing and serving alongside caregivers who had quietly made trauma their battlefield, most of whom carried wounds of their own. Her heart broke again and again —not only for the children, but for the adults bearing that burden. These were not just staff doing a job, they were spiritual leaders, protectors, and surrogate parents, offering everything they had, often with no one to care for them in return.

As the Clendenens continued to connect with anti-trafficking teams around the world, a sobering pattern emerged. The people doing the rescuing—the advocates, house parents, counselors, and spiritual leaders—were burning out. They were carrying impossible loads with little to no support for their own emotional, physical, or spiritual health.

From that realization, The Guardian Initiative was born.

Founded in 2025, The Guardian Initiative exists to strengthen and sustain the defenders of exploited children. The mission is simple yet radical: to support those already in the fight —rescuers, mentors, and care givers—through strategic care, soul renewal, and redemptive partnership. Because children aren’t rescued by systems alone — they’re rescued by people. And people need care too.

Josh and Yvonne now devote their lives to this unseen frontline—holding up the arms of those who hold others, standing behind those who stand in the gap, and reminding weary warriors that they are not alone, not forgotten, and never without hope.

Driven by purpose and anchored in truth, the Guardian Initiative exists to equip and empower the ones holding the line. It’s more than just a mission; it’s an invitation to join a family committed to ending human trafficking and restoring childhood innocence across the globe.

The fight is real. The cost is high. But hope is rising.