Monday, December 9, 2019
As we gathered in the dayroom this morning, everybody was full of energy and were ready to get the day started. As we were patiently waiting to go to class, we conversed about what we were going to give our last speech about. We were all called out to go to the PEP room by none other than Gami J. We got our badges, found our seats and everyone who had homework due turned it in before we prayed in. After that, we heard one of our brothers read the word of the day to us. It was very inspiring and had a lot to do with striving to do better in life.
As we are continued our final Toastmaster speeches, my brother Samuel H. went up to speak. He talked about our inevitable release, which was really motivating. He also told us we might have a test on Integrity Selling in the next few weeks. This got a whole bunch of us nervous, because we have probably focused more on our pitches than reading the book. We also have to be prepared for our Entrepreneurship test on Wednesday. To a lot of us, our grade point average is very important, and we are doing the best we can keep it high or to improve it.
We are taking all that we can from the program and getting ready to use it in the free world very soon. We want to make our families proud and get back to them as soon as possible to show them the new men that we have become. We thank PEP, and we thank God that he gave us this opportunity to redeem ourselves.
Jose O. (a.k.a. “Selena Gomez”)
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
First off, we would like to thank God for another amazing day. Today has been great because we have finally finished Toastmasters and now have extra time to work on our 7 to 12 minute pitches. It’s hard to believe that we are almost ready to graduate, and with our Phase One brothers here looking on, it’s a good feeling to be able to share our experiences with them.
Like we say, we need to make the next class the best class. We push for that and with so much to give back, it’s only fair to say that it is worth it. There is so much love and fun in this program that it becomes infectious. We are here to help each other change for our families for the better so that we can help create a better future. We want to accomplish things and create a great journey to success. We are able to share stories with each other and show that we can relate with one another regardless of where we come from. We want to live our dreams, and in order to do that, we have to change the way we think and put thought into our choices.
All we can do is take what PEP offers and use it to make the change that needs to be made. Today was a good day, and we can’t wait to explore and share the love we have been freely given. We are thankful for the effort and time PEP puts into us.
Ramon O. (a.k.a. “Sweet Little Cookie”)
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Today we began our class as usual with a pray-in and reading from our daily devotional book. Afterward, we proceeded to take a test on Chapter 12 from our Entrepreneurship book, and our whole class passed. This now makes two weeks in a row that not a single person has failed the entrepreneurship test.
After we received much praise and congratulations, John S. proceeded to teach the curriculum on how to do proper valuations for our businesses. Now as smart as our class is, the material was quite confusing. It took us some time to understand it, but thankfully John S. was very patient with us and made sure that he explained everything in ways that would be easier to understand. Then we had the honor to make a recording of a few pray-outs for some of our brothers who are leaving soon. It is very important to us to show our brothers support and to wish them well while on their righteous journey through life. We then got to watch some video updates from some of the brothers who have recently been released, and they gave us some pretty encouraging words.
Toward the end of our class, we received homework assignments for our business plans. We have been working hard in preparation for our competition, and we can’t wait to show the world the Servant-Leaders that we have become.
Curtis P. (a.k.a. “The Mader”)
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Today has been a great day. In the PEP classroom, the Phase One brothers continued their journey through Authentic Manhood, while Phase Two brothers worked as facilitators, doormen and even emcee. The rest of us that are in Phase Two were in the computer lab or in the dorms studying for tests that we have to take this upcoming week. We must always stay prepared for anything the program throws at us, because we know that we can be tested on anything we have gone over in class.
As the day rolled on, a few of us decided to hold a study group on the Chapter 13 from our Entrepreneurship book. We are almost done with all of our tests for the class and have only one more left after Chapter 13. After that, we decided to study Crime and Punishment, parts 3 and 4. This book is a really hard read because of how slow and old it is. Nonetheless, it is a really good book once you get into it. We also have Integrity Selling that we need to focus on, but we are able to teach each other the material that we need to know.
Thank God that we are near the end and will be graduating on January 24th, 2020. This has been one incredible journey, and we all hope that we make our families proud. Thank you PEP for this experience and opportunity at redemption.
Mark P. (a.k.a. “Sebastian”)
Expressions
“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”
~ Amy Wilson Carmichael
The reason I chose this quote is that as a man, you think that the word “love” means a relationship with someone. I was raised that love is a good thing, and yet I was also taught that love could hurt the person who shows affection. As I have grown and become a man, I have learned that the word love is something that you have to put a bridle on, because I have kids of my own and I will always love them, but I also have to teach them about love so that they will have a good understanding of it. You can’t be use the word love loosely around others, because they can it the wrong way and you can end up hurting that person. So I will always watch what I say and how I say it. I will use it, but putting the best interest of others above my own means I recognize God’s leadership in fulfilling my dreams. May the Lord help me to love others well. I want to be the one who shows love to everybody regardless. You never know – the love you show may be all it takes for that person to get through a difficult time in life. God love us all.
Edward P. (a.k.a. “Honey Bunches”)