Christa Lester‐Pitsch is a survivor of an offshoot of the infamous cult known as The Way. She was born into and escaped the high‐control religious group, River Road Fellowship at the age of 23. Christa’s main goal in sharing her story is to help people who might find themselves in similar situations as the one she was in. She runs an Instagram page called The Survivor Experience with the hope that others going through similar situations of escaping control and abuse can know that they are not alone. Despite this experience being a big part of her past, and despite her desire to share it, Christa believes that it is one of the less interesting things about her today, Christa is an artist, a musician, and a mom to a spunky little boy. She resides in Bellingham, Washington with her husband Lucas, her son Mason, and their miniature labradoodle, Shiloh.
Christa shares with Rachel the intimate emotional details of her life growing up under the authoritarian control of River Road Fellowship, where she struggled to find the autonomy and freedom other kids often take for granted. She explains her thought process as she began to plan her eventual escape and the complications that arose with her familial relationships in the process of gaining her independence as a young woman.
Before You Go: Rachel reflects on the desperate measures members of high-control groups have to take in order to simply survive and maintain their rights and autonomy in the face of oppressive control.
Follow Christa on IG: @thesurvivorexperience
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