In an attempt to be accepted into Raymond's family, Toosweet took herself and her children to Centreville Baptist Church, which was the church Raymond and his family went to. Toosweet went once, but stopped due to no progress in her relationship with Raymond's family, but Essie and her siblings kept going. Essie was later manipulated by her mother into going to their old church, Mount Pleasant. Essie was then baptized, even though she didn't want to be baptized at Mount Pleasant, due to her mother's manipulation.