Week 12
Week in Review
Monday December 18, 2017
Today in the Prison Entrepreneurship Program many of us were up early in the morning ready to attend to our regularly scheduled activities, only to find out that the computer room was not open today. Can you imagine waking up at 5:30 a.m. out of a comfortable warm bed with your mind set on completing your daily tasks, only to find out that they have been canceled? Well, here at PEP we are taught that a big part of succeeding is “being ready to keep from getting ready,” so to us, it wasn’t as big of an upset. And with all the things PEP requires us to learn so that we can apply everything upon release, I think we all used the extra time wisely by studying.
After a quick lunch we had our Toastmasters class, where the PEP graduates helped us complete certain key objectives in our speeches, specifically how to properly stand in front of a crowd and speak without the use of certain words that are so common to many of us, such as um, ah, so, but and then. These communication skills will be very beneficial to us in business and in life. One thing that I truly believe helps us in the program is that before the class starts, we all get prayed-in. That’s when someone will volunteer and the rest of us bow our heads and close our eyes and pray, thanking God for his blessings through Jesus. To everybody, take care and God bless.
Manuel R. (a.k.a. “Dora the Explorer”)
Tuesday December 19, 2017
We are always ready for what the day brings – we read and always learn something new, speak something new, and share what we’ve learned in the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. We strive to achieve so many goals, including being ready for anything, without fear. From being prayed-in for a better day to encouraging others over anything, we’ve just got to do it. We all have problems and situations we deal with in here, including learning what the family has going on out there, but we really can’t do anything about any of it besides sharing with our PEP brothers and have strong faith that God has them and always will.
Another thing we do in the program is dance – that is probably the best part of the day, seeing our brothers dancing and showing smiles on their faces as well. Today we had a presentation about a very good book called Integrity Selling that talked about how to approach and understand your customer. That was awesome to see everyone getting called on to share a little bit about what was presented and provide a good response. When we find out a brother is going to be released soon, we pray him out and encourage him to make correct decisions. Apart from that, we just always have an awesome day and at the end of class pray out and we go upon our day feeling great and stay ready for the next class day to come.
Gary R. (a.k.a. “PEP Cheerleader”)
Wednesday December 20, 2017
First, let me start off by saying thank you to PEP for giving us a chance that nobody else would have. They really mean what they say about having a “Fresh Start” Outlook, which reads in part: “We will treat every inmate with respect, regardless of background or personal history.” Today we had a Servant-Leader Meeting, which consisted of all the graduates and brothers who hold leadership positions, and we participated in what is called training time. We also discussed what a Servant-Leader is and what it means to us. Afterward, we had training time over the word “action.” I learned that when you take action, you must have a goal as you prepare to take the necessary steps to accomplish that goal or mission.
Today was an act of kindness and love from our PEP family. Today we were blessed to have nachos and watch a movie. It has been many years since many of us have actually had a nacho party. It was an opportunity to bond with each other and all our newly-arrived PEP brothers. We appreciate everything that the executives and the PEP staff offer to us. It has been a great journey with PEP and we are looking forward to graduating.
Jacob R. (a.k.a. “Gillette”)
Thursday December 21, 2017
Today is Thursday, also known as “Test Day.” Most of my classmates woke up at 4 a.m. to start studying for today’s test. We have a study group in our dorm where we quiz each other with flashcards to make sure we have the chapter covered. There are times when I may not understand something, and one of my brothers will break it down for me. This is when I remember one of the servant-leaders telling me that “iron sharpens iron.” Today we arrived at our PEP classroom after lunch. As soon as we walked in, we prayed in and read our daily devotional to get the day started on the right foot. We turned in some of our assignments that were due. Next, of course, was test time. Most of our class passed. We were blessed to have two of the executives teach our entrepreneurship chapter today, and it was an interesting class. Mr. Jim H. and Mr. Jimmy W. were very informative. They were able to answer any question our class had pertaining the chapter. Our class was looking forward to watching World History videos, but unfortunately they had called a special count on the Unit, so we had to go to our assigned dorms to get counted. Regardless, today was another great day in PEP.
Garry R. (a.k.a. “Accident Victim”)
Expressions
“The most influential persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is your integrity.”
~ Zig Ziglar
Integrity is something I have learned to have since being in PEP. Without integrity, how is someone going to have faith or even believe in you? When I think of my past, I think that if I’d had integrity I would never have burned any bridges with some of my love ones. I think about how integrity can assist us, not only having an impact on us internally but also producing that amazing feeling you get when people can come and ask you for advice or assistance. It will set a positive example for the younger generations by influencing them to practice being honest. Not only will we enjoy having peace of mind, but we won’t have to worry about being caught in a lie. My life has changed with just this simple quote and a Driving Value I now have as guidance.
Kuenten S. (a.k.a. “Penny Proud”)