Letter to Candace (January 18, 2022)

Sarah, Christina, and Candace. Topsail Beach 2005.

Dear Candace,

How are you? While watching the Christmas play, we saw your daughter was standing in front of my granddaughter Penny. She looks very much like you, that is how we noticed her! Those years when you were often with our family, cooking, playing, laughing, hiking, skiing, vacationing; resulted in a lot of photos! I picked up an album out of the dozen or so, to find a few quickly. Here you and the girls are making a sand sculpture. I believe Yvonne, Renee, and Josh Bright, as well as Melody, Tess and Mattie Urban, and Helene, also joined us on this trip. Of course so much has changed since those innocent days of friendship. Courtesy of Calvary Temple micro-management….

Morning coffee with a sleepy Christina and Candace. Do you ever think of us anymore? We met you at Lagrange Baptist Church. The fun times had with our families and many others! I loved you and got to know your family. Encouraged you to have a good relationship with your own folks, invited your mom over to our house, and met your dad and step-mom. Your little sister (lots of pics), at our house with you. Family thrives on love and forgiveness and apologies, to heal and strengthen family bonds. (Family as in, who you are born into.) Those who gave birth to you, raised you, share your DNA, and leave you physical inheritances.

You kids sure enjoyed posing….

I read your testimony on the Calvary Temple website a while back. Saddened at the omission of the Christians up here in NY, that loved and helped you in those early days after you asked Jesus to forgive and save you. Not Calvary Temple. You met the Bright kids on that beach vacation, and their parents asked you to come down and live with their family in Virginia. (Before we knew that Calvary Temple was a dangerous church. A church that divides family members and portrays it as ’sacrifices for God’.)
The Brights later threw out their lovely daughters Yvonne and Renee. Joey, your husband, has shunned (on pastor's orders), his lovely parents and his brothers. While I was being kept in a motel by my husband (from my family), you protested and wanted to leave Calvary Temple. But Joey (pressured from Pastor Scott and deacons) was being encouraged to take away your baby daughter and put you away too! You shut up and fell in line to keep your baby and home. I understand. What they tried to do to you and your family was wrong. All these actions against the families of Calvary Temple, by its pastor Star Scott and deacons, is wrong.

But two wrongs do not make a right, Candace. You are strong and brave. Husbands and wives mess up, so the one who sees the danger of bad decisions is honor-bound to warn and help right the ship. Joey needs you to look him in the eye, and say we are going to your parents and brothers today, to apologize for all the years of hiding from them. Hiding their grandchildren from them, hiding from his brothers. And work your tails off to rebuild that bruised and battered family relationship. Jesus wants you to, see Isaiah 58:7 and Proverbs 6:16-19. And you love Jesus. More than you love a pastor or man.

I love you Candace, and look forward to seeing you again soon, and meeting your little family.
Molly

P.S. We spent yesterday shoveling out of a typical NY snowstorm, remember those days….