"She's in Close Association with Jo Casteel."

A couple of years ago, a dear brother whom I have known for decades called me, very grieved about my marriage situation. I'll refer to him in this account as an "advocate". He asked if he could seek help for me and for my husband from a "Senior Co-Worker"/"Blended Brother" with whom he had some "building"/relationship.

Before contacting this brother, our advocate made sure he not only had all the facts straight, but also requested proof for all my claims, knowing that some of the claims are hard to comprehend, so proof may be necessary to clear up any skepticism. I gave all that to this brother, and he contacted the senior coworker, Minoru Chen.

If I have the facts straight, Minoru responded to this brother, asking, "What do you know?" This brother proceeded to share at least some of the points of concern, with a request for a time to fellowship more with Minoru.

Things went silent.

The advocate then contacted a companion of his, who is an elder in Anaheim, Andy Kusumo. Andy called Albert Lim, who he is close to and who was in New Zealand at the time. Albert Lim told Andy, who then called our advocate and related to him the reason Albert gave for the lack of response to this urgent request for fellowship and hopefully some intervention.

Our advocate called me. He asked, "How well do you know Jo Casteel?"

I had to think. At first I thought of a sister in Northern California, also called "Jo"... and then I realized he was referring to a sister who had written an open letter about "the Lord's Recovery", was shunned and ostracized, and lost her husband to suicide shortly after she had posted her open letter. When I told this brother that I think I messaged her on FB, but had never spoken with her, he told me that Andy had said that he was told, in response to concerns about me, "She is in close association with Jo Casteel."

I have never spoken with Jo, but I was in Knoxville for a few weeks when my brother lived there, and as I was there, I kept thinking of Jo, a recent widow, and her children, who I had heard live in Knoxville. I decided to look up her husband's memorial - on youtube, and watched it. About a year later, I decided to read her "open letter" - I was probably shaking, because it is so forbidden to read such purported "poisonous" speaking in the Christian community with which I still identified, and which was the singularly most influential force in the development of my identity. Nevertheless, I read Jo's letter.

Nothing poisonous. Loving. Sincere. Concerned, and legitimately so.

By the time I read her letter, I had experienced my own trauma, and her letter resonated deeply with me. I felt such grief for her loss, for what her late husband must have gone through. My heart was utterly broken, again. I sent her a FB message, pictured below:

My FB messages to Jo Casteel

I never heard back from Jo.

About a year and a half after I messaged Jo, I was being told that a brother seeking help for me reached a dead-end because I was in "close association with Jo Casteel."

I was a bit shocked, but then again, this is characteristic in this group. Anyone who speaks out about abuse seems to be guilty of being in close association with one another, or are exempt to receiving care... even though already one suicide, at least, had occurred due to Jo's appeal for righteousness.

Here is a video about this, and in which I share the first 7 pages of the 28 pages of Jo's open letter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7qoEPY1Qaw

It is important to call attention to the futility of reaching out for help, if you are an abuse victim in "the Lord's Recovery", if you have disclosed any information that leaders want to hide. This is evil. This is corrupt. This is dishonest. It is lying by omission.

And I will keep seeking help, and I will keep speaking the truth.

Here is a link to Jo's letter: https://www.mylocalchurchexperience.com/jo-casteel-s-open-letter.

I will add a link to my video after I record it.

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