By Betsy Finklea
In a special service at the Latta Baptist Church recently, Dawn Smith Jordan demonstrated that she is not a victim of the tragic circumstances that have occurred in her life; she is victorious.
Through music and testimony, Jordan told about her life, her sister Shari, and her faith in God.
Prior to the beginning of her program, Jordan was introduced by Tim Ammons. Ammons said on May 31, 1985, two days before her sister Shari’s graduation, Shari was kidnapped and eventually murdered. It was the largest manhunt in South Carolina history. Jordan won Miss South Carolina and was second runner-up in Miss America. She is an author and a singer.
Jordan started off with a song followed by a song she wrote, “Hope Has A Name.”
She said her prayer for all there was a favorite scripture, Romans 15:13 -“Now many the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Jordan said she was asked to sing and tell her story at a Billy Graham Crusade. This performance now airs on Billy Graham Classics.
Jordan then got on the piano and sang the all-time favorite, “Amazing Grace.” After this performance, she then sang a different version of “Amazing Grace.”
Jordan then called all of the children to come forward. She sang a song to the children called “No One Like You.” Each child was named throughout the course of the song.
Jordan talked about her daughter, Hannah, and son, Ross. Jordan has been a single mother for 20 years. Jordan was married to a pastor. When her children were ages one and four, her husband came to her and said he didn’t love her anymore. He is married to someone else now. She played and sang the song, “Watching My Heart.”
She sang a version of “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.”
Jordan said when a situation is not like you want it to be, you have to believe “God’s got this” and trust in Him.
Jordan is choosing to look at life through the eyes of faith, not fear. She said God will direct your paths through the circumstances of life. Jordan then spoke about her sister, Shari.
Shari was kidnapped at age 17. It was the largest manhunt ever in the state. Parents were afraid to let their children outside. She said she was so grateful to law enforcement for their efforts and to the many people who prayed for their family. She said the kidnapper, later discovered to be Larry Gene Bell, called the family home eight times and taunted them. She said their story recently aired on “I, Witness” on Investigation Discovery.
Shari had been to a pool party. She stopped at the end of the drive to get the mail. That is when Bell took her. The car was still running. Her pocketbook and medicine were in the car. It was two days before graduation.
The kidnapper told Shari he was going to kill her. He handed her a piece of paper and told her to write a letter to her family. She read the letter that Shari wrote. (Note: This is our transcription of what Jordan read.)
Last Will and Testament
I love you mommy, daddy, Robert, Dawn, and Richard and everyone else and all other friends and relatives. (Note: Robert is the brother. Richard was the boyfriend.) I’ll be with my father now, so please, please don’t worry! Just remember my witty personality and great special times we all shared together. Please don’t even let this ruin your lives. Just keep living one day at a time for Jesus. Some good will come out of this. My thoughts will always be with and in you… (casket closed). I love you all so much. Richard, sweetie, I really did and will always love you and treasure our special moments. I ask one thing though. Accept Jesus as your personal savior. My family has been the greatest influence of my life. Sorry about the cruise money. Somebody please go in my place.
I am sorry if I ever disappointed you in any way. I only wanted to make you proud of me because I have always been proud of my family. Mom, Dad, Robert, and Dawn- there’s so much I want to say that I should have said before now. I love you. I know y’all love me and will miss me very much, but if y’all sick together like we always did, y’all can do it. Please do not become hard or upset. Everything works out for the good of those who love the Lord. All of my love always,
Sharon “Shari” Smith
P.S. Nana, I love you so much. I kind of always felt like your favorite. You were mine. I love you all.
Jordan said that is what it looks like to trust in the Lord with all your heart. She said she hears no fear in that letter. She hears “amazing faith.” She believes God was in that room with Shari and gave her the grace to write the letter. “Her last words were words of faith and testimony,” Jordan said. Jordan said if “we are not dead, God’s not done.” She said “God is hope.” She sang a song she wrote in memory of Shari called “Sister.” She said at first she could not sing this song without sobbing, but now she sings it with joy.
As she said earlier, Bell called the house eight times even after Shari’s funeral. He had taken a nine-year-old girl. He gave Jordan the directions to Shari’s body and then later to the girl’s body. He told her he would get her next. He told her that she couldn’t be protected always, and he would get her one day.
Before he was executed, Bell wrote a long, bizarre letter where he asked Jordan if she and her family would forgive him for what he had done. She asked can we forgive the unforgiveable. The letter came in 1989. It was 1991 before Jordan responded.
She quoted Ephesians 4:32: “And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” She said she realized there was nothing that she needed to do.
Jordan said when Jesus was on the cross he said “Father, forgive them” and then “It is finished.” The debt was paid in full.
She said Jesus paid it all—“the debt for my sins, the debt for your sins, and the debt for the man on death row’s sins.”
Jordan was obedient. On the day, she forgave the biggest hurts of her life she was free. She said God took her from fear to faith and then to forgiveness. Jesus paid a big price for that freedom. She said when we forgive, we let it go and give it to God.
Jordan said your past is part of who you are, you are not a victim to it. Through Christ, we are victorious. “My story is not finished.” she said.
Jordan sand the song “How Far.” She then sang a final song, “I’m Forgiven.”
To learn more about Dawn Smith Jordan Ministries, please visit www.dawnsmithjordan.com.
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