All language subtitles for Sound.of.Hope_.The.Story.of.Possum.Trot.2024.en

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[♪ musical swirl ♪]

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[music]

Donna: If there’s ever a good
time to be alive,

it’s when you’re a child.

The time of dreamers,

captains, and clowns,
beating hearts.

When you’re full of all the
curiosity this world deserves.

Mama, you drive like a grandma!

Donna: You don’t know it then,

but the world is simpler.

There’s nothing much
for a child to worry about.

Things just are.

And you shine with something
you will never have again:

innocence.

Diann: Chante, are you coming?

Chante: That car
ain’t even work, mama.

[music]

Chante: I told you!

Donna: I remember
my own innocence

growing up with my
mama and daddy

right here in the
piney woods of East Texas,

where the Lord is easily found.

Murtha: How you all
doing this morning?

Donna: Watch your dress, mama.

[music]

Diann: You comin’, Pookie?

Careful...

Alright.

Donna: This place,

I have both loved and hated.

Yes!

I have seen miracles here.

I’ve seen the
heights and the depths,

virtue born and virtue lost.

It was here I was given life,

now and hereafter,

and it’s where I hope,
with all I have within me,

we could give others
a chance at it.

For all that it is,

you’d never know it by its name.

WC: Let me hear!

Hallelujah!

You might have been put back.

Shut down.

Turned out.

And tossed over.

But you oughta know

that my God is able!

You oughta know...

that He gone get it done!

You oughta know

that you ain’t gotta beg.

You ain’t gotta come
through the side door!

No! You ain’t comin’
through the side door!

You ain’t gotta come
through the back door!

Right?

You gonna walk right on through

through that front door!

Glory Jesus!

Hallelujah!

You can call my Jesus
on the main line.

♪ You can call Him
on the main line,

♪ He gonna give ya
what you need!

[music and celebration continue]

Donna: I first met WC,

years before,
right here in Bennett Chapel.

He and his brothers came
through singing one week,

said he took one look at me,

and knew the Lord
wanted him to stay.

So he did.

[background conversations]

Donna: They made him pastor.

We got married there and
had two of our children,

my precious Princeton

and LaDonna.

Donna: You know Joe brought
them ribs today, pastor.

WC: You know they boiled then.

I can’t have me no boiled ribs.

Donna: You know what?
Just give ‘em to the kids.

Donna: Now, Prince was deprived
of oxygen during delivery,

so he’s goin’ be
my baby from here on.

Murtha: I want me
some more grandbabies.

Donna: Mama, I can’t!

Theresa: You can’t or you won’t?

Murtha: Why you can’t? I want
some more grandbabies.

Donna: Just let this go.

Look, the two I got feel like 10

and they need all of me.

Murtha: Two babies. That’s cute.

You ain’t even
got started yet...

Donna: With all I do...

Theresa: Hello? Yes, Reverend,
she here. Hold on.

Hey!

WC: There you are!

I spent all my change
looking for you.

Must’ve called the whole county.

-I know, been rippin’
and runnin’. How’d it go?

-No sale.

But good news,

I got another couple
wanna meet later this week.

That one’s gonna close,
mark my words.

-That’s right...

-Anyway, I’m in town
in case you need somethin’.

-Nothin’ I can think of.

-You sure? I’m at
the store right now.

-Yeah, I’m sure.

-Alright then now.
You got my love.

-I love you.
Oh! Toothpaste.

-Come again?

-Yeah, we need some
toothpaste and soap powder.

-See? It’s a
good thing I called.

-Oh! And lady things.

-Lady things?
I gotta get the lady things?

I am a pastor, you know.

-The cashier might just
come to Jesus

if she sees you buying lady
things for your First Lady.

Oh! And get some cereal too.

-Lord have mercy! Ok.

-Bye!

-Alright. Bye.

-Bye.

[laughs]

Theresa: You got him buy
your lady things?

-Then he threw that phone

halfway across the parking lot.

[laughs]

Donna: Ok. Call me later, right?
Bye. Alright.

Donna: You ask any of us,
and we’d say the same:

there was no one like Mama.

She raised up 18 children

in an old broken-down
shack in the woods,

made of scrap wood and tin.

Back where you knew you were
rich if your roof didn’t leak.

But I never had so little
and not noticed in all my life.

Lord, she watched out
for her kids.

[whispers prayers]

Murtha: Yes, Lord,
bless Zachariah.

Help ‘em all to be
strong children, oh God.

Be obedient, oh God.

Bless her, Jesus.

Bless her, oh God.

[gasps]

[labored breathing]

[fumbles telephone]

[gasps]

[car approaching]

[running footfalls]

[phone ringing]

[hums]

Donna: Down to the
deepest part of my soul,

I know the Lord is good.

But when your world is shaken,

and it all falls
down around you,

and you plead
with Him to stop it,

but He don’t...

[sighs]

...you forget that
He is ever present.

Oh, Jesus.

[telephone rings louder]

[cries]

[cries]

[screams]

Mama!

[cries]

Mama!

[gospel music]

[mumbles]

[cries]

Donna: You know
the day will come,

but you never expect
when it arrives.

So, to me,

mama left us without warning.

I had my loving husband,
my family,

and countless cousins
and siblings.

I had the Lord above.

But my anchor was gone.

Pulled up,

and I felt the wild tides
of grief rise around me.

Murtha Lee Grisby Cartwright.

A mother of mothers,

her sweet soul suddenly
flew from this earth

and rose on to that
sweet by-and-by.

Knowing I would see her
on those shores was no comfort.

It’s just something you feel
you can’t wait on.

But there was still
more for me here than I knew.

For I had not
carefully considered

that the way things ought to be,

is not how they are,
often enough.

Dispatch: 911,
what’s your emergency?

Mercedes: [cries] Police? I need
you to help my mommy.

Dispatch: What’s
your name, sweetie?

Mercedes: Um, it’s Mercedes.

He’s doing something bad to her.

Man: Why you do it?
Where’s my money?

I know you used it!

[screams]

Dispatch: Just stay on the phone
with me, okay?

How old are you? Mercedes?

Man: Huh? What you mean why?...

Dispatch: Mercedes?

Mercedes: I’m six.
Are you almost here?

Dispatch: We’re sending
someone right now.

Does the man have a gun?
Does he have a weapon?

Mercedes? Mercedes?
Are you still there?

Man: Maybe I’ll go
ask baby girl.

Woman: Why would I do that?!

Mercedes: Don’t hurt her!

He’s doing something
bad to her again.

Man: Where’s my money? Do you
think I’m playing with you?

[baby cries]

Mercedes: Stop it!

Dispatch: Mercedes,
stay with me...

Mercedes: I need you
to come over here.

Dispatch: We’re on
our way, sweetie.

But, I need you to get
somewhere safe, okay.

I want you to hide somewhere.

Man: I’m not asking you again.

-Mercedes: Mama!
-Man: Give me my money!

-Dispatch: Are you still there?
-Mercedes: Yes.

[gunshots][screams]

Mercedes: I need you
to help my mama!

[old TV show plays]

LaDonna: Princeton needs help.

[Princeton grunts]

Oh, mama,
Princeton needs your help.

[Princeton grunts]

Mama.

Mama. Mama!

Donna: LaDonna!
Turn off the burner.

LaDonna: Sorry! You
told me that...

-I know what
I told you to do. You burnt it!

[Princeton grunts]

Hold on, Princeton!

Mama can’t be there
every minute you call her.

Just... Just... Go finish the
greens. Go finish the greens.

LaDonna: Daddy, Prince
needs your help.

[Princeton grunts]

WC: Mama’s on the way
in there, Princeton!

Donna: No! Your daddy
will be there, ok?

He could wipe your ass
for once... Oh!

WC: Really, Donna?

[Princeton grunts and screams]

WC: Princeton, Princeton!

Princeton! Princeton!
Son, son. Princeton.

Donna: Alright, alright, baby!
Ok. Mama’s here. Mama’s here.

I’m not mad at you.
I’m sorry I got mad at you.

I’m sorry I yelled, baby.

I shouldn’t use the bad word,
ok.

Alright. I’m sorry.
I’m sorry, baby.

Ok.

We ok. Ok?

[sigh]

We’re all good now, see? See?

We all good now.

Let me see you. Ok.

WC: Sit on down.
Hold on to this. Hold on.

I’ll be right back.
Give me a minute.

WC: What is going on?

Donna: I can’t shake it, WC.
It won’t go.

I prayed.

I cursed it. I put oil all
over myself. I did everything.

[grunts]

LaDonna: It’s ok, Prince. It’s
okay, it’s alright. I got you.

WC: What your mama meant to you
is a good thing.

And nobody knows that--

-WC...

-Oh, Donna--

-I’m sorry.

I’m fine,

people pass on.

I just need you
to stay with the kids.

I’ll clean up when I get back.

[door opens and closes]

[gasps]

[cries]

Donna: Mama! Jesus,
take this from me...

Please, take it away from me
or just take me home.

[cries]

Just take me home.

[children playing
in the distance]

[music]

Donna: It’s strange
how He speaks

without words,

but still...

you know.

Donna: Yes, I am too.
Ok, I look forward to it.

LaDonna: Hey, mama. Hey, baby.

-Hey, WC.

-You doing alright?

-Just a couple things
I might have to...

quit around here...

-Hey, Diann, it’s me.

You free Wednesday night?

I want you to come
with me to a class.

An adoption orientation.

‘Cause I’m thinkin’
‘bout adopting some kids.

Reverend, look...

I’m talking to him right now.

Just come on over later
and I’ll fill you in. Bye.

-Adoption?

You want to adopt kids?
Like human ones?

-I’m thinkin’ on it.

-Donna, you ain’t
got to do all of that.

Look, why don’t you go
and start the garden again?

Or something,
that’ll ease your mind.

That there is relaxing.

-I don’t need to relax.

-Was that the call?
You just put the call in?

-Look, it’s
just orientation.

-Oh my Lord Jesus, help me.

How are we gonna do this with
all we got already going on?

You’re barely
holding on as it is.

How are we gonna do
all this with Princeton?

-I just said I’m letting
some things go.

If it’s something
we ought to do.

-Why don’t we just get
you down to the pound

and adopt a little puppy?

Maybe one of those
cute little baby kittens.

-He spoke to me!

-They might even have one
of those little tiny horses...

-No! The Lord spoke to me.

-Who did?

-The Lord spoke to me.

He does speak, don’t He?

-Oh, yeah. He speaks.
He’s speaking to me.

-WC, I’m serious.

-I’m serious too, Donna.
We cannot adopt children!

-WC,

I couldn’t go another day
like I was. You understand?

I didn’t want
to be here no more.

But something happened
back at Mama’s today.

He took the depression.

It’s gone! It’s gone!

[sigh]

I want to love like Mama did.
I...

I want to be for them,
what she was to me.

Hm?

Look,

I know you gotta
want this with me,

but I at least need
to hear about it.

See what it’s going to take.

-I don’t see it.

[kisses]

Donna: There never was gonna be
any trial run at it.

We ain’t given that.

We can look away,
but the Father of us all,

He uses one-way streets,

because we are not
meant to turn back,

no matter what
you see down there.

Video: This is a big job,

and it’s important
to have the skills

and the knowledge you need...

Susan: Ok...

Let’s move on.

I’m not supposed to

take pictures at work,

but sometimes I do.

It’s hard to feel like...

I’m the only one
who sees these things.

This is the temporary home
of a single mom

and her five and
seven-year-old girls.

They missed school because
her mother was evicted

because she lost her job.

I found them here doing
a welfare investigation,

and they sent me
to remove the kids.

She gave me these

when she was trying to keep me
from taking her children.

This family had
bed bugs for months.

They couldn’t afford
the $523 payment

to get rid of the bed bugs,

or get new bedding and sheets,

so I was sent there to
remove the kids.

70% of the kids
we have in the system

are there because of
poverty-related neglect.

Most of what we do would be

unnecessary if somebody
would just help these families.

The other 30%...

need homes because
their parents are dangerous

and they put
their kids through hell.

Kids like these.

So this is a seven-year-old boy.

We found him in a crack house.

We were able to
place him in a good home.

This was a girl

who was pimped out
by her mother.

We were not able to save her.

Donna: It’s like driving by
an accident.

You see the twisted metal and
shattered glass everywhere.

Then you see the victims
lying in that wreckage...

mothers, fathers, the children.

The real devastation.

When that hits you,

you can’t just drive by.

[music]

Susan: You are here because

the Department of Protective
and Regulatory Services

can’t stop this.

And we need your help.

Donna: I like her.

Susan: Pastries, coffee,
we love questions.

What are you thinkin’ on?

Diann: I’m thinkin’

you might not be as crazy
as I thought you was.

-Maybe we both is.

But I don’t feel like it.

-I can’t even keep
a husband around.

-Uh-uh, girl!

Don’t take the blame
for that man.

-I don’t know. But I,...

I can’t just sit back and moral
support you after all that.

I can’t.

Susan: Terri!

Hey, Terri! Are you in there?

Terri, are you in there?

[cat meows]

Yeah. Yeah, no foster mom.
Well, I can’t wait here all day.

Yeah. No, I did. I did.

I mean, if she is,
she’s not answering it.

[sigh]

Ok, she’s here.
I’ll call you back.

[sigh]

Miss Nolan.

I’ve been here two hours.
That is simply unacceptable.

Miss Nolan: I don’t control
the bus schedule.

What do you want me to do?

Susan: I’m here for Terri.

-What?!
One missed appointment.

-You’ve missed five!

And she wasn’t in school either,
so where is she?

Is she home alone?!

-Most people work
if you haven’t noticed.

I can’t take her everywhere.

She’s absolutely fine.

Probably made a
mess of everything though.

Susan: Terri! Terri? Terri?!

-See? What did I say?

-Are you here?

-Look at this mess.
Now I need to hire a maid.

Family Services
needs to pay for this.

-Terri?

[meows]

Hey, Terri. What do you say
we get out of here?

Terri: Can I take the kitty?

Susan: No, sweetie. I’m sorry.

But we should probably
gather your things, yeah?

Oh, here. Use this.
That’s for trash.

Hey, did you hear me
knocking out there?

-No.

-Ok.

-Where are we going now? Can I
go home with you?

-You know I wish you could.

But you are going
to a family this time.

Hey, I’m glad to be talking
to you and not the kitty.

Miss Nolan: Oh, no, no, no!
Hey, hey, hey!

You can’t take those toys.
They’re my grandkids’.

Terri: No! Give him back!
He’s mine!

Susan: Hey, hey, hey! Hey!

Those were bought with county
funds. She can take those.

-No, she can’t!
That’s my hard-earned money,

so she can leave those here.

That girl has big problems
you have no idea.

Some kind of chemical imbalance
or neurolastic issues.

She thinks she’s a cat,
for God’s sake!

[laughs]

-Neuro-elastic? That’s
very perspicuous insight.

I’d love to hear more.
-Miss Nolan: More what?

Of your perspective.

What do you think
her problem is?

-She’s a mess,
I don’t know.

Susan: So, neutral operants?

What about successive
approximations

with reinforcements?

Positive and negative?

Or classical
conditioning through

systematic desensitization?

-What the hell
are you talking about?

-Oh, did I lose you?

I think Terri’s problem
is mostly environmental.

Repeated exposure
to terrible things.

Like hateful old hags.
Are you with me now?

-I don’t believe you.

-It’s a
conditioned response.

Everybody has one.

What do you say
we take those toys?

Diann: Why are we taking this
all the way out here?

Donna: Diann, you are asking
too many questions.

-I just don’t understand.

-Just set it over there.

Ok, we will--wait a minute.
-Slow down.

-Alright.
Set it right here.

-Yeah. Ok.

-Oh! It’s WC. He can’t
find these. Hm-hm.

WC: LaDonna!

Where is your mama?

Donna: But he doesn’t
know about this?

These are just in case.

Diann: No, Donna. No, no. You
are way down this road already.

And he’s just gonna see this
when he comes here.

-His tools are here.
He ain’t comin’ in here.

Unless he sees us.

-You need to tell him.

-Girl, it has been a while
since you had a man.

Look, don’t you know
we’re on broil,

men are on simmer?

-Yeah, that is not
how it was for me.

-Oh! Diann!

I’m talkin’ about the things
they don’t want.

Sometimes you know you got to do
what they don’t want

before they know about it.

And when they finally
warm up to it,

you didn’t waste no time.

-Donna...

you think he’s just gonna
warm up to somethin’ like this?

You’re talking crazy.

Donna: Can you imagine LaDonna
or Prince on their own?

If nobody took them in?

WC: We really gotta talk
about that right now?

Why don’t you go and stop
fiddling with that head scarf

and come over here, woman?

-How romantic of you.

[kisses]

-Oh, you want romance?

I can do that.

[kisses]

-Since when?

[laughs]

-I’m about to show you
romance right now.

Hm...

[music]

[laughs]

I’ll start with a little poetry.

-Oh. No.
Please, don’t, WC.

-Song of Solomon,

behold “you are fair, my love.

Your hair is like
a flock of goats.”

-A flock of goats?
[laughs]

-Hm-hm, yeah. It gets nice
in the end. I know you.

“Your waist,” my dove,

“your waist is like
a heap of wheat.”

-A heap of what?

-Wheat.

See, that’s a
compliment in the Bible!

Heaps of wheat are smooth

[kisses]

and desirable.

-[sighs] They’re big,
is what they are.

-Hm.

[kisses]

-How can we not do something?

-Hm-hm...

[kisses]

-WC!

[sighs]

-’Cause you and me
ain’t got no idea

what to do with all that.

-You need to
speak for yourself.

I mean, is that how you feel
about what I do?

-You don’t never wanna face
nothin’, woman.

Now these are
somebody else’s children.

We don’t know what we gon’ do.

We’re lucky that we doin’ our
own children like we do.

-I’ve never
seen you so scared.

Look at me. What’s the matter?

Look at me. What’s the matter?
Hm?

Is He speaking to you?

Is He speaking?

[sighs]

Diann: Donna!

-Donna: Hey, I’m in here!
-Diann: Donna!

They got a child for me.

Donna: It turns out you
can’t wave too much trouble

in front of my sister before she
jumps out of her chair

and does something about it.

Her heart is just too big.

So she went and beat us to it

and took in a child of her own.

[background conversations]

Brenda: Diann! He looks
just like you.

Oh! [laughs]

Hi, Nino. I’m your
auntie Brenda.

Chewy: I’m married to her,
so I’m your uncle Chewy.

Like Star Wars.

-He’s Mexican. [laughs]

-Yeah, you have a Mexican
Wookiee for an uncle now!

Diann: Come on.

Theresa: Good morning, baby.
Welcome to the family.

Mollie: Hi, baby. How you
doing? You’re so handsome.

Diann: I appreciate you.
You’re so sweet.

Gladys: Hi. You’re so cute.
I’m your auntie Gladys.

Auntie Gladys.

Donna: And I’m your aunt, Donna.

We are so happy to
finally meet you.

You got you a
good mama right here.

[laughs]

WC: Who’s this young man?

Looking all sharp
in this here suit?

Alright, now.

What’s your name, son?
Nino: Nino.

-Nino.

I’m your uncle.
I’m Pastor Martin.

[laughs]

That’s right.

-The Lord heard you, Nino.

The Lord heard this child!

Crowd: Oh, yeah! Yeah!
[applause]

Donna: Our God is a good God!

He’s worthy to be praised!

He’s the father
to the fatherless.

He’s a mother
to the motherless

He’s a doctor when you need Him.

Show Him some praise!

What we doing?

What we doing?

Our God is good! All the time!

All the time! Glory, hallelujah!

WC: Let’s sing.

[sings]

♪ Soon and very soon...

♪ Soon and very soon...

[indistinct]

-Renae: First Lady.
-Donna: Hey!

-How you doing?
-I’m good, how are you?

-That’s good.
Doing well, sweetie.

Listen, I’ve been
thinking about Diann

and what you all are doing here.

It can get really hard.

-Hm-hm. Hm-hm.

-I had two cousins
that were adopted.

-I didn’t know that.

-One made life so
miserable for my aunt and uncle,

they had to send him back.

The other ended up in prison.

It didn’t end well.

You need to be very careful

what you encourage, First Lady.

-We can’t just...
look away.

Susan: Hello, Mr. Sanchez.
This is Susan Ramsey from DPRS.

I’m trying to find a place
for two children.

Would you be willing to take...

No, I understand. No, that’s ok.

Thank you for everything you do.

[background conversations]

Hi, Rachel. It’s Susan.

Could you and Tom accommodate
an emergency placement?

Two kids.

The girl is seven years old
and her brother is three.

Really?

Ah, no, I don’t want
to split them up.

Ok. Ok. You know, I gotta go.
Ok. Thank you, bye.

As long as possible.

One night?

Ok, I may have to take it.
I’ll call you back.

Jo-beth: Still nothing?

-No.

-Well, the O’Brians
were just certified.

-Hm, they want a baby.

-Well, bless
their hearts.

What about the Martins?
They’d take siblings.

You should call them!

-Or I could just punch
’em in the face.

[laughs]

Come on, Jo-beth! Two of our
hardest right off the bat. No.

-You should call them,
seriously. They can do it.

I gotta go.
I’ll see you tomorrow.

-Hm. Come back
with better ideas!

-I guess you’re gonna
be up all night!

Susan: Hey.

Joyce: Anything yet?

-Just one night.

-I’m sorry.
What you gonna do?

-I’m considering the Martins.

-Really?

-Yeah, I would take them
home with me, but

I have drinking to do.

After my fight with Peter.

-Are you guys ok?

-I have no idea.

Mercedes: You scared?

LaDonna: I think they’re here.

WC: Donna?

[gasps]

Susan: Come on!

Tyler: Come on, let’s go!

Let me out.

WC: Look at you!

Look at this child...

Tyler.

You’re gonna be my little boy,
now.

Susan: Mercedes...

Are you coming out? No, OK...

What’s going on?

Mercedes: Hey, Susan.

Are you sure
these people want us?

-Oh, sweetheart.
I know they do.

-What if they’re
not nice to us?

-Do you see Miss Martin?

She just told me that she
knows you’re her little girl.

-She did?

-Yeah. She did...

OK?

OK. Let’s do this.

Donna: My precious Mercedes.

I’m so happy to see you.

My name is Donna,
but you can call me Mama.

Mercedes: Hi, Mama.

-Oh, come on.

Tyler: Is this my bed?

-No. That’s your bed
over there.

Alright, bouncy boy.
Settle down.

Take your shirt off.

[laughs]

I get this one. Oh, hey.

[singing] ♪ One morning soon...

[gasps]

Lord Jesus.

[sighs]

Hey, Tyler.

[singing] ♪ One morning soon,

one morning soon,

♪ I heard the angels singing

Oh, you’re so sweet, baby.

OK.

Now I’m gonna run the tub, OK?

Tyler: No, no, no, no!

Leave me alone! No!
I don’t want to! No, no!

-Nobody’s gonna hurt you, OK?

What’s the matter?
What’s going on, baby?

-No

WC: Hey, hey, hey. Hey. What’s
the matter? What’s wrong?

-I turned on the water
and he just fell apart.

Lord Jesus. [panics]

WC: Tyler, that’s OK. That’s OK.

Hey. Hey. That’s OK.

Come, come. Come here.
Come here.

I got you. I got you.

-Baby, we’re not
gonna hurt you.

Mama got you. OK, you don’t
have to take a bath. OK?

We love you, baby boy.

[grunts]

[sighs]

WC: We just welcomed
two new children

into our family.

You know, that’s worth
the praise right there.

That’s worth the praise.

The other night I was
holding my new son,

in my arms, and he was
trembling and flailing,

terrified

at just the thought
in his little mind

of hot water in the bathtub.

And I couldn’t calm him down.

I couldn’t take that fear.

Nothin’ I could do.

Church, it’s time that we
put our eyes on the children

that ain’t got nobody.

That’s right. That’s right.
Amen!

I know it ain’t easy.

I hear all the time.

“But Pastor,

kids like these, they gonna
cause me some problems.”

Well, yeah. Alright. Yeah.

Well, ain’t you cause
some problems too?

Yeah! Oh, yeah! That’s right.
That’s right. Preach!

“But Preacher,

I don’t have enough money
to be adopting no kids.”

Hm.

Well Joseph adopted
the Son of God,

and had Jesus born
right there in a manger,

right next to a pile of manure.

And He did alright!

Yeah? Right... Amen!
Yes, He did! Amen! Amen.

“But Reverend,

I don’t wanna make
no big old stinkin’ mess.

I ain’t gotta take care of
somebody else’s problem, do I?”

[reacts] In Jesus’ name! Amen!

And what I say to that is:

“Pharaoh’s daughter

took the redeemer of slaves
and pulled him up

right out of the murky banks
of the Nile river...

And set Moses right there
in her home as if

he was her own son!

So why we’re not
doing the same?!

We fill up church houses
like this all over the place.

Every Sunday.

And we praise Jesus in them.

We praise the Lord, alright?

But if we can’t
wrap our arms around

the most vulnerable amongst us,

then what do we have?!

What do we have?

Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!

Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!
That’s what we have.

Noise!

[cheers]

And the children can’t take
the noise anymore.

Crowd: [cheers] Amen! Amen, man!

WC: And I looked.

Lord knows I looked.
I looked Donna.

I looked, but I can’t find

where He say our life
gonna be easy.

[crowd cheers]

And I can’t find it ’cause
He ain’t never said it.

What He said is

count it all joy...

Count it all joy when you

run into trouble.

You know what real religion is?

We got real religion
when we visit

the orphans and the widows
in their distress.

That’s what it is. And that’s
what it says in the Book.

Now, I’m askin’ you...

[crowd cheers]

Right now!

Will you join with us?

Will you take
a little hand in yours

Will you help us lift a child
out of the river?

Crowd: [cheers] Alright! Preach,
preach! We can do it!

WC: [sings]

Bring them up! Bring them up!
Bring them up! Bring them up!

That’s right! Bring them up!

Pull them up! Pull them up!
Pull them up!

[cheers]

Susan: Jo-beth!

Sorry, I’m sorry!

Jo-beth! [laughs] Come here!

First Lady and Reverend say that

22 families want to adopt.

[laughs]

The whole town. Whole town
wants kids now. [laughs]

Jo-beth: Are you kidding?
That’s about right.

Donna: But the training’s
a problem.

Most folks can’t
make it all this way.

So we’re hoping that

you can do the classes
at the church instead,

Jo-beth: yeah? Yes. Of course.
I can get...

Susan: I will get baptized
for 22 families.

[laughs]

Donna: But we’re also here to
ask to takin’ in another child.

Susan: Really?

Hm-hm.

Things are going that well
with Mercedes and Tyler?

WC: Hey, it really don’t matter
how things are goin’.

And I got to ask, hm.

The kids... we want the ones
that nobody else want.

-Susan: Hm.
-Jo-beth: Wow.

Well, we definitely need help
with Intensive Level,

our older kids.

What about the
Santiago boys or Terri?

Susan: Oh Terri? Jo-beth, no.

WC: Who’s Terri?

Susan: Hm, Terri is
a 12-year-old girl

who’s been in care
for three years.

She’s with a good family now,
but they just gave notice.

It’s been tough finding
a permanent placement.

WC: We’ll take her.

Susan: Reverend, First Lady,

I want this to be a good
experience for you.

There are so many other kids

that would be much
easier to handle.

WC: Well, we’ll let...

somebody else take care
of those children.

Susan: No. No. Terri
is not a good fit.

All these people that you say
are watching you...

What happens when it doesn’t
work out with Terri?

I see a lot of children
coming back to me.

WC: Susan,

this is something
that we must do.

You understand?

Susan: Religious guilt can’t fix
the broken child’s heart.

Donna: Love can.

Real, determined love.

Susan: I have to pick up
the pieces.

When all the lovey-dovey is
gone, the real world hits hard.

-It don’t matter.

The state ain’t no family.

Susan: We don’t know the full
extent of the trauma,

but her mother is an addict
and may have pimped her out.

Her boyfriend raped

and tortured Terri
and left her in a ditch.

Her mother subsequently
smothered Terri’s older sister.

She has attachment issues,

manic episodes, and can resort
to some pretty...

Jo-beth: Unusual...

-Hm,

unusual coping mechanisms.

She pretends that she’s a cat.

When people say that
they want to adopt,

they don’t usually mean
kids like Terri.

-They’re just afraid.

That’s all. Had to get
your eyes on other things.

I see, we... We got
our eyes on this, right now.

And this is all that we see.

We got over 20 families

that want kids just like Terri,

and any other child
that need a home.

That’s just in our little
neck of the woods.

You think about that.

We got churches on every corner.

Every single one.

In each and every one
of them peoples

they done heard the same thing.

There shouldn’t be a child
without a home!

We can turn this
whole thing around.

-Let me think about it, OK?
I will call you.

Okay. I will call you. OK, OK.

Joyce: Churches?

-Yeah. Well, they’re
communities.

That’s all I care about.

They’ve locked arms,
they have shared history,

they share burdens.
It’s like a much bigger family.

Joyce: OK. I’ll stick my neck
out and go to bat for this.

I’ll get the budget and put
everything I can behind this,

including you and Jo-beth.

But the Martins have to succeed.

Donna: Terri, we see Susan
all the time.

Listen, I know you had to stay
in a lot of places,

but you ain’t never gonna have
to leave this home, sugar.

I’m gonna take care of
everything you need

from here on.

We’re your people now,

so you can call me “Mama”.

Terri: OK, Donna...

I’m a cat.

WC: That’s what Ms. Ramsey said.

Sounds like a fun game.

You know the other kids
play all kinds of

pretend games round here so,

we got lots to do.

[meows]

LaDonna: What is she doing?

Donna: LaDonna, just get ready
for breakfast. Sit down.

[meows]

We are about to eat, Terri. Keep
your hands clean, OK?

Terri? Let’s play kitty later.

We wanna talk, get to
know you more.

[meows]

OK, tell us what you like to do.

-I’m a cat. [meows and hiss]

-You’re weird.

-Hey! LaDonna, that’s not nice.
Stop it. -Mama!

Mercedes: Do you really think
you’re a cat?

Tyler: You’re not a cat.
You’re a girl.

-She’s acting like a cat.

[grunts]

WC: Donna... Where’s those
chicken livers you saved?

Donna: Oh, they’re in there
somewhere. Why?

OK. [meows]

WC: Terri.
Hey, Terri.

[calls and whistles]

Mercedes: Ew!

WC: Come on. Come on.

[calls and whistles]

There you go.
That’s your breakfast.

[meows]

The cats around here got to eat,

you know, chicken livers
and little mice

and things like that.

So, if you want to be a cat,

we’re gonna set a plate of food
out for you every day,

and you can sleep out
on the porch.

But you got to be watchful of
the raccoons and coyotes and

possums and slugs. They get you.

Terri: [meows]

Donna: WC, what have
you done?

-Something Solomon would do.

-You think that’s gonna
make her feel better?

WC: Maybe that’s why
he had all them wives.

Kept looking for a woman...

that wouldn’t question him
all the time.

Terri: I ain’t gonna eat that.

[meows]

[sighs] [meows and hisses]

I’m gonna call Susan!

I’m hungry!

-I bet you are.

We got a whole lot of food.

But I don’t know
what kind to feed you.

-I don’t think I’m gonna
be a cat anymore.

I wanna be a girl now.

-Good.

We got more than enough
cats around here.

We need more little girls...

[laughs]

Donna: Hm, girl.
your hair is matted.

OK, alright.

So once a week maybe two,
use that conditioner I got you.

Work through the tangles,
moisturize it.

You gotta protect your hair, OK?

And tonight I want
you to tie it up

with a scarf.

You got good hair.

Girls gonna be jealous of you.

Yeah.

You’re a beautiful girl.

OK. Uh.

Susan: Anywhere you want.

And please come get me
if you have any questions.

Anything. OK. Thank you.

Hey. OK. Alright.

Mollie: Hi, how are you?

-Do you expect a raise?

There’s a minimum
income threshold

that they want you to meet.

-We won’t be gettin’ no raise.

-Hm, I’m sure you will.
I have a good feeling.

We’re happy to have you two...

Thank you.

Donna: Yes, I know
you’re nervous. I’m too.

OK. I know how you feel.

Johnnie: We were all done.
Kids all gone. You know that.

But something
kept pulling at me.

“Go, do it.”

-Yes, do it. This is Johnnie
and her husband Fred.

This is Susan.

Susan: Hi.
Thank you so much.

Donna: All kinds
showed up that night.

Mostly friends and family, and

some I hardly remembered.

You feel so many things,
like you’re

flying and then falling
at the same time,

when something so important
feels out of your hands.

Then the kids started coming.

With stories that just
tore at your insides.

Johnnie: Hi. Susan!

[inaudible]

Don’t cry.

Donna: And they kept coming.

Scores of them.

Brenda: I made dinner for you.
Come on, have a seat.

Donna: Out of all that
loss and pain,

children who went into the
system from all over East Texas

made their way to
our little town

into a handful of
determined families.

Diann: Joshua and Randy,
welcome home.

Come on in. Come on
and meet your brother.

[laughs] Nino! No!
Get them out of my house.

You better run!

[laughs]

WC: You’re my little boy now.

That little paper
makes it official.

You ain’t going nowhere now.

[cheers]

Donna: Now, scripture says

“Let the Believers
with little wealth

glory in their high position.”

Now I only ever made sense
of that for one reason:

It seemed the less we had
the more He gave.

He watched over us every way
we could think of.

Crowd: Happy birthday,
dear Keiosha,

happy birthday to you.

[cheers]

Keiosha: Why d’ya all
lookin’ at me?

Johnnie: ‘Cause it’s
your birthday, sweetie.

You know what a birthday is?

You’ve ever had a birthday cake?

-Birthday cake?

Johnnie: All of you guys are
gonna get one. Every year.

Ready to blow out the candles?

One, two, three.

[blows]

[cheers]

Hey, good job!

Great job! How about that?

Donna: WC?

WC: Yeah?

-You paid the water?

-I’m on getting it
turned back on.

-I still gotta get groceries.

That’s at least a hundred
dollars. I don’t understand...

-You don’t wanna think
I know all the things

around here and--

Excuse me, young lady.

Where did you get
those daisy dukes?

Terri: What’s wrong with them?

-Girl, you’re looking for
trouble in those things.

Go change.

LaDonna: Hey, Franklin.

Terri: Hey, Frankie. Come in.

Donna: Oh, not now, baby. I need
everyone’s help for a while.

Franklin: Oh, I’ll catch
you later, I guess.

Terri: We’re gonna
go play Donna.

-I said not now.

Terri: Why not?
We’re done already.

-Don’t go out that door.

-Why not?

-‘Cause I said not now.

-I’ve already done
everything you need me to do.

You don’t stop
making plans for me.

-Just wait a minute now.

Terri: You can’t tell me
what to do.

Why can’t I just do
what I wanna do?

I just wanna go out and
play with Franklin.

Why can’t I do all these things?

Donna: Who are you talking
to like that?

WC, you better see this girl.

[indistinct]

WC: Alright now... Just lower
your voice now.

Lower your voice.

Terri: Especially you!
Don’t tell me what to do!

Why can’t I just do it?

Just leave me alone.

Donna: Alright. Alright!
-I don’t want to do anything.

Just stop it! Stop it! Stop it!

Now, now, now!
Just leave me alone!

I don’t wanna do it anymore.

[cries]

WC: Hey! OK. OK. OK.

That’s OK now. Look, look.
We’re here for you now.

[cries]

Take your time.
Donna: Alright.

Terri: I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

-It’s OK. It’s OK.
-Sorry. I’m sorry.

Dr.: Terri has suffered
a significant

amount of rejection and betrayal

from her mother.

Abandonment from her father.

It may take a long time
for her to trust you.

Diann: Well, that’s
the broken window.

He got locked out
and used a rock to get in.

But honestly,
I can wait on this.

The real problem is in here.

Come on in.

So it’s leaking in here.

Every time I try to wash clothes
the whole place floods.

They say the sewer pipe
is backing up

‘cause of all us in here now.

I don’t have $800 to fix it.

WC: Alright. It’s a
lot of people.

They’re with a lot of
wear and tear so.

I’ll go see what I can do

Diann: Anything you can do
I appreciate.

Mark: I would make it more real.

Announcement: (So give today
and help us meet the

one million dollar
building campaign goal.)

Mark: Hey, that color look
right to you, Jim?

Oh, no.

Brand new projector better be--

So I really want that
whole wall there.

Got the new screens, I don’t
wanna do that. Leave all--

(Abundant Life is going to the
Caribbean. Join us--)

WC: Mark! You gotta minute,
my brotha?

Mark: WC! Good afternoon.

Jim, hold off on the
announcements for a minute.

-I left messages but

I never heard back.

-Yeah, I’m sorry,
I’ve been swamped.

-Well, I don’t wanna
bother you with too much, but...

we’ve come into some needs,
pastor.

-OK. Well, what’s going on?

-The kids keep comin’ and

it has put a strain on people
somethin’ fierce.

And the houses’
gettin’ worked now.

I got one mother,
she’s a single mother,

she needs a new sewer line.

And I just ain’t
got it right now.

-Reverend, you know we’ve been
doing the best we can.

-Mark, I appreciate everything
you’ve done thus far.

It’s just that we’re
in a situation here

and our only way--

-Isn’t the county sending you
all support still?

-These are working families.

It goes fast.

There’s a lot of needs.

-OK... Hey look,

you took on a heavy burden, WC.

-So why can’t you?

Lord, if we can just come
together on this...

-Because it’s too much.

I’m not going to turn
everybody’s life upside down.

-We can’t come at it like that.

You know what it says in James?

-I do know. I’ve got a Bible.

You also need to use wisdom.

-Wisdom?

I say I got a Bible too.

I just ain’t seen the part
about the big stages.

I’ve seen the orphans and
the widows, and the millstones

-Look, Reverend--
-and the sheep and the goat.

-Reverend, you
need to back down.

-But I ain’t seen the
standing-on-the-sidelines part.

There’s a bloodbath
going on outside

and you on a cruise
ship up in here?!

-WC!

We care about kids here.

-Which ones?

You can’t see
the ones sitting right

outside on your doorstep?!

-The conference is coming up.

On top of everything else,

it’s just not in
the church budget.

So this is from Mary and I.

Give me the names of the kids.

We got gift baskets
planned for Christmas.

OK? We’ll do what we can.

-I appreciate this.
I really do.

-Right. Hm. Alright. Take care.

Donna: What are you
doing out here?

WC: Cleaning up.

I took care of your
sister’s plumbing.

-Well, that’s good.

-Pastor Mark helped.

Lord knows
I want to love that man.

I really do.

But he got me on my face
so much I can’t barely

get the taste of dirt
out of my mouth.

I’m where the Lord put me,
I’m doing His work,

but why I got to beg?

-I don’t know why you
keep going over there to them.

-Because we ain’t got
enough to pay for the electric

on the church right now.

We barely got nothing’ for all
these kids coming in!

-Well, that’s embarrassing, WC.

I mean, what go around here
ain’t nobody’s business.

-Why it ain’t his business?

We worship the same Jesus,
ain’t it?

He’s my brother.

-Come on. Come here. Come here.

[sighs]

Terri: How far is this place?

LaDonna: Girl, you asked
to come with us.

Franklin: We shoulda drove
my dad’s truck.

Joshua: Franklin, you
can not drive.

LaDonna: Alright, here we are.

OK, all you swore on your
dead granny’s graveyard

that you’re not gonna tell
nobody about this.

And Terri swore on her cat.

-[laughs] I don’t have a cat,
troll.

-Girl, it’s a joke. Chill.

This is our pond,

nobody knows about it.
So let’s keep it that way.

Franklin: Especially parents.

Bro, if my mom knew about this,

she would for sure think
I’m gonna drown.

Joshua: So, who’s going in?

Terri: No way, I can’t swim.

LaDonna: It’s too cold
for all that, anyway.

Franklin: It’s not that bad.
Stop being a baby.

Terri: Aight, you go in then.

Franklin: Aight, I might

[sighs]

LaDonna: Stop trying to
show off, little boy.

[grunt]

Put that down!

WC: You ain’t got no choice.

LaDonna: Really? I know I can’t.

WC: Ain’t no such thing
as can’t...

Alright, let’s try it again.

Do like this, alright?

Together: [sings] ♪ I...

♪ need Thee...

♪ Every hour,
I need Thee...

WC: Hm-hm. See?

Look at you, girl.

So pretty in that dress,
playin’ that song so good,

you gon’ be playin’
it at the church.

LaDonna: [laughs] Daddy, no!
Oh, yes. You is.

WC: You gon’ be playin’
it at the church.

If I got a thing to do with it,

you’re gonna be right up there
next to the pulpit.

Right at the pulpit
next to your mama.

LaDonna: [laughs] But daddy,
I messed it up.

WC: I don’t know about all that.
[laughs]

[laughs] Yes, you are.
You got it.

You got lots of talent.
[inaudible]

LaDonna: Daddy...

Terri: Daddy...

Daddy...

Daddy...

[playing and laughter]

LaDonna: Ouch!

What’s wrong with you?

Donna: Hey, what are you doing?

I saw you trip her!

Terri: I didn’t do nothing!

LaDonna: Yes, you did!
Stop lying!

Donna: Get in the house
right now.

Terri: Stop it! What about her?
You ugly little bitch, LaDonna!

[grunts]

Hey! [grunts] Get off me!
Get off! [screams]

Donna: You get away! Get away!

Terri: You liar!

Donna: Get off my daughter!

LaDonna: Why did she have
to come here?

-That’s enough, LaDonna!

-Didn’t you just see
what she did to me?

Make her leave! I don’t want
to hear that again.

Why don’t you ever do anything?

She’s so mean!

Mercedes lies and
steals all the time and

you never do anything!

-I said that’s enough.

You need to show them
some understanding, OK?

-All you care ‘bout is them.

-LaDonna, come here.

Come here. Come here.

Come on. Come on.

Terri: You got me, you got me.

You won’t get me.
You ain’t gonna get me.

[grunts] Alright, [laughs]
I’m hit. [screams]

[laughs] [inaudible].

Got me. [grunts]

Got you, got you.

Donna: Tyler and Prince,
you all go wash up.

Dinner is almost ready.
[laughs and plays]

Terri: Oh, no. Got him, got him.

Donna: Terri.

[sighs]

I wanna talk to you.

I want you to know I didn’t mean
what I said earlier today.

-Yeah, you did.

Donna: No, Terri. I was
just very upset.

You’re my daughter too.

But we missed out on a lot.

I didn’t give birth to you,
or nurse you.

I didn’t get the chance to
rock you to sleep...

[sighs]

We’re gotta to work on
this together.

Terri... look,

I’m not giving up on you.

I ain’t gonna do it, but you
can’t give up on me either.

Dr.: Do you have any questions?

Terri: Hm-hm.

Dr.: OK. Well,

I want you to try and be
positive about yourself.

Don’t dwell on all the work
that has to be done.

I want you to know
that you’re beautiful,

you’re capable

and you’re strong.

OK?

Terri: OK. I will.

LaDonna: Mom! I can’t find
my yellow dress!

Mom...
-Huh?

LaDonna: Where’s my
yellow dress?

-I can’t hear you.

-I need it for church!

Terri: You’re beautiful.

I am beautiful.

I am capable.

I am strong...

And responsible.

I am stupid.

Such an idiot.

[sighs]

Donna: Oh, come on, Tyler.

Time to take a bath.
Ready to take a bath?

Ready? Ready to take a bath?
[laughs]

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Are you going to bathe?
Come on, see it. It’s okay.

Oh! [laughs]

Terri: [meows]

[sighs]

Donna: Terri, what’s the matter?
What’s going on?

Are you worried about something?

Hm-hm.

Terri: I’m just playing.

-What’s going on
with you, girl?

-Nothing. I just
like that game.

-Yeah, but you’ve been
playing that a long time.

You miss her? Your mama?

-She was mean sometimes.

-How was she mean?

[breathes heavily]

Hey, you just get her
out your mind, okay?

You’re here now.

You’re my child
and ain’t nothin’

gonna happen like that
in this house.

Hey!

[breathes heavily]

Terri...

Baby...

Look at me.

I was thinking about making
a pie or cookies or somethin’.

What do you think?
You wanna help me?

Yeah.

Terri: Why is she doing that?

Donna: It’s called baptism.

It means she’s a new person now.

You see, Jesus takes
all your sadness

and everything
you’ve done wrong...

and gives you a new life.

Donna: It seems there’s
no heartache on earth

like the wounds from
a mother or father.

They eat at you and
refuse to stay hidden

in the recesses of your soul.

You can’t ignore them.

You can’t numb yourself so well

that they will not one day
overtake you,

and the ones
you’re meant to love.

[indistinct arguing]

Glen: ...listen to
your mother.

Theresa:You better listen.
Don’t talk to me like that...

[inaudible] [screams]

[indistinct arguing continues]

Donna: Hey, Glen.
Is Theresa here?

Glen: Yeah, but it’s really not
a good time First Lady.

Theresa: Get yourself
back in here!

-I should talk to her, really.

-This is really, really
not a good time.

-Theresa! It’s Donna.
Where are you at?

Theresa: I do everything
for you all.

I give y’all everything I got
and this is how you act?

[thud]

Donna: W.C.? W.C., wake up.

W.C.!

I heard something outside.

Go check on the girls. Go!

[snores and grunts]

WC: I never agreed to no
nocturnal children!

If it ain’t serious, Lord,
it’s gonna be.

Better be dead, dying or worse.

I always get that...

It is serious. It’s Terri.
She’s gone.

-Oh, Lord.

Her window’s open.

Franklin: Your parents
are gonna kill you.

Terri: No, wait.

Put your arms around me.

WC: “So tell us again, Reverend,

how’d you find yourself getting
shot by your neighbors?!”

Terri! Terri! Franklin!

Boy, your daddy’s gonna hear
from me in the morning!

Terri: He told me to come here!

Franklin: No, I didn’t.
Terri: Yeah, you did.

You told me to come here!

Franklin: No, I didn’t.
I never did.

Terri: He’s lying.

WC: Get your tail out here
right now, little girl!

Now!

Susan: I haven’t observed
much progress...

Dr.: How’s the
adoption progressing?

That could change things.

WC: It’s tough right now.

It would change the stipend.

Donna: It don’t seem like she
wants to be anyways.

Dr.: Until she believes that
she’s loved and

that she’s safe it is not
going to happen.

Donna: We’ve given her
everything she needs!

I don’t know what else to do,

with all we got goin’ on.

Dr.: Then it may be in
her best interest

to be in a different home.

Donna: What?

Dr.: I don’t see her
forming an attachment.

-No! That won’t ever happen.

Susan: First Lady--

Donna: Susan, I won’t have that.

-It’s not up to you. Or me,

okay?

I told you.

People in this town
are looking to you.

We can’t have them give up
because they see

things falling apart with Terri.

What’s happening
with Possum Trot

has the attention of the state.

We’re approaching legislators
for more accommodations,

more resources.

This could mean a huge,
huge change for the system.

And Joyce won’t risk that.

She will pull Terri

if she feels that she needs
different care.

WC: Now if you pull Terri
from my home

how’s that things
not falling apart?

She’s still gone.

-You wouldn’t be giving her up.

It would be
psychiatric intervention

at the recommendation
of her doctor.

Not your fault.

-Nobody is gonna see it
that way. Hm,

-Susan, you got to understand.

There’s so many families here,

they’re hanging on by a thread.

Everybody ain’t got it like it.

Just be mindful of that, if you?

Take her out now
you gonna get a lot

more kids than Terri
if you do what you say.

-Okay.

We just need to turn a corner...

Yeah.

Okay? -Okay.
-Okay.

Donna: W.C.!

WC: What’s wrong?

-I need you in here!
And bring Terri.

WC: Terri!

Donna: Terri, what is this?

WC: You gotta speak up, T.

You need to tell us
what is going on.

Do you want to hurt
somebody here?

Donna: Why was that in your bed?

-Somebody might come in
here at night.

I don’t want them to hurt me.

Donna: Terri,
who hurt you, baby?

-Her friends.

Everybody.

-Look, you’re safe here now,
okay? Just calm down.

-Let me go. You’re hurting me.

-It’s okay. Just calm yourself,
okay?

Okay, baby. I’m trying
to talk to you,

I’m trying to love you. I’m
trying to talk to you.

Let me love you, you’re not
gonna turn your back from me.

-[grunts] don’t touch me!
WC: Terri, hey! You--

Donna: I am your mama!
I am your mama!

-You ain’t my mama!

-Yes, you my child.

-You ain’t my mama!

-Yes, I’m your mama,
you hear me.

WC: Terri!

-Get off me.

WC: Donna, Donna!

-Leave me alone!

WC: Terri.

Donna: Oh, Lord Jesus. Oh, God.

WC: Donna...

-W.C. [cries]

-You’re alright, Donna?
You’re alright?

-Susan knew this wasn’t gonna
work. Oh, Lord Jesus.

What are we doing, W.C.?
What are we doing?

-Donna...

-Why did we agree
to take this on?

-This is what He said to do.

-I don’t even like these
kids sometimes, W.C.

I’m losing my own little
girl in all this!

I just want them out
of our lives!

Oh, God.

I am nothin’ like my mama.

-Terri gonna be fine.

All we got to do is just
stay calm and do it.

-No. No! Are you
listening to me?

-This is what the Lord said we
do. So this is what we do.

Now it’s not the time to give in
what we need and look back.

-I need help!

I’m here every day by myself.
Just by myself.

-I do not leave you alone.

-Yes, you do, W.C.

-And now what do you
want from me?

-I’m here with Prince,
I got LaDonna.

I can’t take it no more.

-I don’t leave you alone.
Now I’m doing the best I can.

-I can’t be everywhere at once.

I’m keeping everybody.

With food on the table.
And lights on.

Everybody’s lights on! What more
you want me to do, Donna?

-Everybody’s falling apart

and I don’t know
what to tell them.

-Listen... Donna!

Donna: ♪ I love the Lord,
He heard my cry,

I need you, Father. I need you,
right now.

I can’t go on. Father, Please,
Jesus,

We need you right now, Father.

Right now, come into this room.

You see what we going through.

Give us the strength, right now.

♪ I love the Lord,

He heard my cry,

[WC joins] ♪ And He...
And He chases my grief away,

Long as I live and
troubles rise,

♪ I’ll hasten to...
His throne ...

[sighs]

WC: I’m sorry.

I shouldn’t have talked
to you like that.

Hm.[sighs]

You... You’re a good mama.

Donna: What are we gonna do?

[cheers]

WC: Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

This is a special place,
Bennett Chapel.

The eyes of the Lord
are on this house.

You know, I looked
and I couldn’t find any

Harvard graduates in these

pews here.

I didn’t see any
rocket scientists

or movie stars either.

Maybe not yet.

But what I do see is a room
full of regular people.

Sound a whole lot like
the 12 regular people

that Jesus left His whole
church to, doesn’t it?

You’re doing something,
in this here house, that

almost nobody else would.

You took in an orphan child.
Or two or three or five!

You left your fishing boat

and you walked on
with Jesus anyway.

And I know something else.

Some of you ain’t
too sure about it anymore.

Fair.

Some of you,
your compass is spinning

and you wonderin’,
which way is what?

I know you feel it
because I feel it too.

[crowd cheers]

If we believe the Bible,

then we must bear that burden,

but it ought to be light.
But sometimes

that burden is only light
when it’s shared.

And we family...

If you’re feeling something
heavy right now,

I want you to stand up with me.

Stand up.

Rest on your feet with me.

That’s alright.

Some of you feel like
you can’t go on.

Some of you feel regret.

I want you to know
that you heard Him right.

You didn’t make a mistake.

He ain’t ever promised us easy.

But what He promised us is that

He was gonna be
right there by our side.

So let’s take up this cross
and let’s keep on.

You did hear Him,

and He’s going to hold
you right now,

because He hears you too.

Come on up here. Come on.

Come on.

I’m asking you now
to get your arms around

your brothers and sisters.

Be there for them! When they
call you in the midnight hour,

you come running.

They’ve got vomit on them
from an ailing child,

you wipe it off!

They about to jump off the cliff

you step out there in front.

The greatest in His kingdom

is the servant of all!

Yes, He is! The Good Shepherd.

It’s time to do this together,
church.

Not alone.

[crowd responds in
Interposing voices]

We stand before You
in our weakness, Lord,

now may the power of
Christ come upon us.

Visit your people right now,
in this moment!

In our weakness your
strength was made perfect.

Take the weight
from their hearts, Lord,

and give them
the Holy Ghost power

to do what needs to be done.

Yeah! You got the power, Lord!

Donna:[sings] ♪Satan, we’re
gonna tear your kingdom down,

Oh, Satan, we’re gonna
tear your kingdom down,

You’ve been building
your kingdom,

All over this land.

♪ Satan, we’re gonna
tear your kingdom down,

♪ Oh, the preachers, they’re
gonna preach your kingdom down,

♪ Oh, preachers, they’re gonna
preach your kingdom down,

♪ You’ve been building
your kingdom.

Donna: We got our arms around
each other, like we never had,

and He can take you
to deep places

with someone by your side.

Mollie: Whatcha doin’?
I know how it is, it’s hard.

Donna: I’ll come back
and help you Mollie.

Diann: Here, Randy.

Donna: The road turned
and we followed it.

Lord, the places you
find yourself.

Diann: I can’t give him back.

I won’t be part of that, Donna,
I won’t.

I couldn’t live with myself!

[cries]

Donna: Diann...

You rescued that baby
from the fire.

Now let us give him
what he needs.

Donna: Yea, though we walk,
the path goes one way

when you’re sure
it’ll go another.

Donna: Joshua is coming home!

Hey, Joshua!

Hey!

Donna: I see now. The shadow
of death is just poetry.

Until you step into that valley

and the shadow falls over you.

Only at that moment
do you understand

you’ve stumbled into a place
that will try your soul

to its very core because you
followed God to that place.

But you had not come
to green pastures.

You arrive somewhere
that is only found

by a winding, narrow path,

with only lamplight
at your feet,

because the Lord is not needed
in green pastures.

The still waters are behind you.

Now you’re staring
at the face of evil,

and where the fear of it
will rise up in you

because it has left such a mark

that you will swear
it can never be undone.

[prays] We can’t do it
without you, Jesus.

WC: Come on, now. Let’s go.
LaDonna! Mercedes.

LaDonna: Go, Mercedes. Go!

We don’t have time for this.

WC: Come on now, move your feet,
little one. Let’s go.

LaDonna: We got it, Daddy.

WC: I want A’s from all y’all.
Each and every last one of you.

Terri: Hey.

What’s up?

Vanessa: Your sister is such
a ho, LaDonna.

LaDonna: Shut up, Vanessa.

Let’s go.

Terri: We’re here.

Boy: I just got a bathroom pass.
[laughs] [inaudible]

Terri: She thinks I’m in the
nurse’s office.

-Alright, go, go on, hurry up.

What? Show me what you got,
come on.

[laughs] Come on. Let’s go.

Before somebody gets here.

Come on, take it off. Let’s go.

[laughs] You’re crazy.

[cries] [gasps]

Mr. Thompson: Mrs. Martin.

Donna: I am so sorry,
Mr. Thompson.

I understand the suspension
and we’re working on this.

-Mrs. Martin.
It was serious this time.

You might need to
stop by a drugstore.

-What? Hm.

Donna: What happened
in there, Terri?

Did that boy hurt you?

Terri, I’m talking to you.

-I’m not gonna do
what you tell me.

-How you fix your mouth
to say something like that

when all I try to do
is protect you?

-No, you are not!

You want me to be like you.

I ain’t gonna be
a fake little pastor’s daughter!

-Okay, that’s enough!

Now I’m the parent here.

You may not accept that but

you at least gonna respect me.
You hear?

-No!

-Terri!

You’re not gonna
talk to me like that.

-Stop it! I don’t
wanna be here!

I don’t wanna be anywhere!

I wish I was dead!

I wish I wasn’t born!

[cries]

[cries and screams]

[gasps] [gasps]

[sobbing]

[screams]

[sad music]

[sighs]

[sad music]

♪ One of these mornings ♪

♪ Won’t be very long... ♪

[engine starting]

[music continues]

Donna: Terri.

[somber music]

[dramatic music]

[door opens]

Terri’s gone. She took the car.

I don’t know,
she was so upset...

WC, I don’t know, but the way
she talked, she got me worried.

What we gonna do?

Tell Diann to grab
the kids from school.

Fred, Fred, Fred!

Renae: What’s the matter, Chewy?

-Terri took off in Donna’s car.

-Terri is driving?

She’s gonna kill somebody.

WC: RJ! Terri took Donna’s car!

She came by here?

[gasps]

Please, Lord,
help us find this child.

Alright go head back to town,
tell everybody.

Glen: Alright.

[door closes]
[engine revs]

Donna: Diann, you
heard something?

Ok, ok, bye.

[car door closes]

Oh, Lord, we need your help.
Oh, God.

Donna: Diann, you hear anything?

Diann: She’s not here.

Diann: But people are already
looking for her, ok?

And I got more people coming.

-It’s getting late. -I know.
Should we call Susan?

-No!

Why we gonna do that?
Ain’t gonna help anyhow.

WC: Terri!

Come on, girl!

Terri!

You got people looking for you,
that love you now!

Donna: Terri!

Terri!

Susan: No... No, I didn’t hear.

How long?

OK, OK. OK. Hey, Renae,

we’ll have to have
this talk later, OK?

Thank you.

Terri’s AWOL.
She took Donna’s car.

Jo-beth: What?

-They found the car crashed,
but no Terri.

[music]

[soft music]

[soft music continues]

Donna: Terri!

Terri! Where are you?

[music continues]

Renae: I know this
is hard, Susan.

Donna: Terri.

Terri: Are you mad?

-No.

I’m not mad.

-Am I a new person now?

Donna: Everybody!
We found her! WC,

We got her!

WC: Jesus...

Donna: Ok, that’s ok.

[inaudible]

Donna: We found her...

-We found her.
-Yeah, we found her, guys!

Donna: WC!

She’s ok. She’s ok, everybody.

Susan: Are you ok? Yeah? Ok.

[sighs]

Donna: She’s safe now.

Take her home then...

Susan: I’m supposed
to take her back with me.

Right now.

-Susan, please.

-I wanna believe
we turned a corner.

First Lady,...

have we turned a corner?

Well...

[sighs]

It looks to me like we have.

[crowd celebrates in
interposing voices]

Donna: I’ve had to
look at some things

I couldn’t see before,

things I need to change.

I know I hurt you, Terri and...

I’m sorry, baby girl.

Terri: Did my mom hate me?

-No.

Come here, baby.

Don’t say nothin’ like that.

Your mama didn’t hate you, ok?

-I tried to be good,

but it didn’t matter.

-This wasn’t nothing
you ever did, you hear me?

Look at me.

She couldn’t see you.

But I see you.

And when I look at your
sweet little face,

I see my little girl.

You’re a gift

and you were only ever
meant to be loved.

Love is kind,

love protects,

and love never gives up.

That’s ok...

And love forgives, baby.

That’s where you’re
gonna have to start. Forgive.

Hm.

It’s okay, I got you.

Hm.

-[gasps]

[cries]

-That’s ok.

It’s alright, baby girl.

It’s okay.

[soft music]

[crying]

Let it out, it’s okay,
it’s okay.

We got you.

Let it go now.

He sees you sweet baby.

Donna: We say we believe,

that we’ll follow Him
wherever He leads.

The truth is you don’t even know

if you have faith

until something weighs down
on you with all its might.

There you see what’s inside.

When you follow to that place,

you will become like
the One who leads you,

or you will find that
you never knew Him.

We followed.

I heard it said we ain’t
had no business tryin’.

But I say, if we can,

then who is it that can’t?

We took up those little hands

in the weakness of our own.

We took them in faith.

And yea though we walk
through the valley,

and the shadow of death
bears down on our souls,

I will fear no evil,

for I have seen
that we do not walk alone.

[soft music]

[phone ringing]

Susan: Hello?

WC: Susan,
how you doin’, my sister?

-Reverend! Hi.

-Well, I just have finished
talkin’ to some people

and it looks like we got room
for more children.

-Reverend, I can’t tell you
how it feels to know that.

But at the moment

there are no more.

-What?

What do you mean?

-There’s not a child
in need of a home

in 100 miles of Possum Trot
in every direction.

But I know where to find you.

-Alright then, uh.
Well, you let me know.

-Thank you.

Hi, I’m the real
First Lady Donna Martin

and this is my husband
Bishop Martin.

If we can do this in Possum Trot

with the little that we had,

what can we do if
we all come together?

Today there are nearly
400,000 churches in this country

and there’s more than
100,000 children

waiting to be adopted.

It is time for a change.

Enough is enough!

Don’t you think that this
100,000 children deserve

a beautiful life?

Don’t you think that
they deserve a chance?

It is in your hands.

I’m here to tell you that
you can make a difference.

That we can
annihilate this problem.

That there will be not a child
without a loving home.

But it’s time now
to put some action

in love and you know love
is an action word.

You can’t sit up and look at
how bad they are

but you’re not doing
anything about the problem.

I challenge you today,

I challenge you to stand up

and let’s say this church
and that church,

we’re going to
make a difference

in the life of children.

Let’s help them,

let’s get them
out of the system,

bring them in there,
teach them, show them,

let them, help them
to understand that

their life is just as important
as any other child.

Next, on the website.

That’s mine.

Next is mine, Sonny.
I wanted next.

Well, I’m on a roll.

Next, on our website,

you’ll find the information
of how you can get involved.

Don’t be shy.

Go ahead and take
your phones out

and scan the QR code.

Let’s change this whole world.

Let’s change the mindset

of what has happened in the past

and show forth that

we are the people of God.

God has given us the ability
and the mind to do this.

So let’s do it together.
God bless you.