Texas mom lured into ‘cult’ church after trip to ‘fun’ haunted house saw life controlled for two decades
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Mandy Valadez was just 16 years old when she was lured into the Potter’s House Christian Fellowship Ministries in Amarillo, Texas — which dominated nearly 18 years of her life.
Recruitment started at a Halloween haunted house in late 2001, she claims. “I went through this haunted house with some friends thinking it was just a fun, scary event for Halloween,” Mandy, 39, from Sedona, Arizona, says.
“I went through this haunted house with some friends thinking it was just a fun, scary event for Halloween,” Mandy, 39, from Sedona, Arizona, says. “But what I didn’t know was that it was actually a recruitment for this organization.” The hell house was filled with gruesome scenes, fire, and terrifying imagery, all meant to frighten people into the group’s control.
“They got your name before you went in, and as you walked through, they’d call it out, saying this is what will happen to you if you don’t join them. I was just 16, and I wanted to get out of there, so I gave them my information,” she says.
From that moment on, Mandy was bombarded with calls and visits to her home and workplace, she claims.
“They kept showing up at my house and work,” she says. “I worked at Long John Silver’s, and they would send teenagers to bond with me so it wouldn’t seem threatening.” Two months later, in January 2002, Mandy caved to their persistence and joined the group.
“The Potter’s House Christian Church passionately follows the words of Jesus to go into all the world and preach the Gospel,” according to the official website.
The church teaches that sinful behavior can lead to physical ailments. Idol worship is believed to cause vision problems, while homosexuality is thought to result in deafness. Breast cancer is linked to gossip and hatred towards husbands, whereas cervical cancer is attributed to the curse of promiscuity.
Content retrieved from: https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/texas-mom-lured-cult-church-778594.
