Week 5

Week 5

Week in Review

Monday January 28, 2019

We are blessed to have such a great In-Prison Management support team. Pat M., Al M. and Greg P. are giving us the tools we need to live a new and improved lifestyle. We are learning that to run a good business, we must first have good character. This is true in the business world and in life. A good name is the best asset one can have.

As time flies by, event after event, we are having fun. We are learning how to live life as new and improved men and as business leaders in society. My PEP brothers and I highly appreciate this wonderful opportunity. We will be better parents to our children and better sons to our parents.

 Kendrick C. (a.k.a. “Carlton”)

Tuesday  January 29, 2019

We, the Conquerors of Spring ’19, are very busy in this second (business) phase of PEP.  We have the following classes: Toastmasters International, Computer Lab, Entrepreneurship, History, and Living in the Village. We are also preparing and practicing our elevator pitches for the Venture Capital Pitch event that is fast approaching.

Overall, we can say that each day is full of classes, and in these classes there is a never-ending amount of knowledge that one can obtain. This keeps us busy in a positive and professional atmosphere. PEP is a hand-up, not a hand-out!

Fall ’19, we welcome you to PEP, and we are looking forward to meeting each and every one of you. Quest for Authentic Manhood and the Leadership Academy will be starting soon. Read and learn the PEP study packet because you all will be tested on the whole thing. You have been selected by PEP, and they only select one percent of the offender population. Congratulations!

Brandon D. (a.k.a. “Cinnamon Roll”)

Wednesday January 30, 2019

We walked into class prepared for the test we knew we would be taking. As we found our seats, a few graduates and Servant-Leaders danced and lightened the mood from a stressful information-crammed week. As our spirits were lifted, we were handed the tests we have been studying so diligently for.

After test time, Brian. T danced to the front of the class and began teaching the next few chapters out of our Entrepreneurship textbook.  Brian T. only got side-tracked a few times, and did a pretty good job presenting the information we will be tested on.

Test day is always stressful, but it can also be very rewarding. As a class, our grades have improved drastically. We are all very grateful for the opportunity we have been given by PEP for a “Fresh-Start.”

 Joseph D. (a.k.a. “Radio Flyer”)

Thursday January 31, 2019

Today was a special day because we dedicated it to pray-outs. Pray-outs are all about giving our brothers some words of encouragement before they return to society.  We are all close to release, due to the prerequisites that PEP has for each participant, including a maximum of three years left on our sentences.  Therefore, it has become common to see those in our brotherhood re-enter society.  It reminds us that we too will be going home soon.  

Pray-outs reinforce that what we are doing here in PEP has purpose and that we are heading in the right direction. PEP is the equivalent to boot camp in the military.  We are learning and becoming men of character.  When it comes time to make the right decisions in life, we will do so because we have built a solid foundation. Thank you, PEP!

 Jacob G. (a.k.a. “Uncle Elroy”)

Friday February 1, 2019

Today was the first of the month, and it was a good day! We got called out for class at 7:10 a.m. this morning, and today is test day. Every one of us seems ready for the Living in the Village test.

Within ten minutes, the test was over and most of us already knew our scores before they even graded them, which is a good thing – studying definitely pays off!  After that, we just did a quick review on the next two chapters in preparation for our next test.

We were done by 8:30 a.m. – that is how we started off this morning and the month. Living in the Village is about building your financial future and strengthening your community.

Ramiro E. (a.k.a. “Chief”)

Expressions

“Sometimes, in the storms of life, when the winds of opposition water our eyes, blur our vision, and pummel our bodies with debris, it is easy to lose track of the path in which we are trying to walk.”

~James Reece

Did you know that an eagle can detect an approaching storm long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm; it uses it to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.

When the storms of life come upon us, and all of us will experience them, we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us; we can allow God’s power to lift us above them. God enables us to ride the winds of the storms that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment into our lives. Brothers, we can soar above the storm! Trust God!

James R. (a.k.a. “Biscuit and Jelly”)