Stay tuned to meet a couple
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who's determined to spread
the gospel in unique ways.
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My name is Jason Bradley.
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And you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello, and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guests today
are Dr. Roland J. Hill,
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President of UPMI
and his wonderful wife,
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Dr. Susie Hill.
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And she is the
Vice President of UPMI.
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Welcome to Urban Report.
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Well, we're excited
about being here, Jason.
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Thank you for having
us. You're very welcome.
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I'm excited to have you here
on so many different levels.
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Oh, wow.
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You've been on
foundation of our faith.
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That's correct.
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You've been preaching
some serious powerful sermons.
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And I also attended your
entrepreneur camp when I was,
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what, 14 or 15 years?
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Yeah, 14.
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You were just a
little guy. Yes. Yes.
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Buy you're a grown man now.
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Thank you. I appreciate that.
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I appreciate that.
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That's taking it way, way back.
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We actually have some
pictures when I was at the camp.
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I'd like to start
just putting those up
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and we'll just go
through those pictures there.
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Wow. Yeah, that is old.
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I'm there in the back row I see.
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Yeah, we went to the
bank there because we were
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teaching you about
being responsible financially.
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I love it.
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And then we're showing
us these are the students
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that attended
when you were there.
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Nice.
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I remember I used
to get a ride home.
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That was Aaron down
there towards the bottom.
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He used to give me a ride home.
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That was in Dallas. Yes.
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You guys... You were a great
group of kids to work with.
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We were excited about watching
the growth during that camp.
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Amen. I was excited to be there.
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You guys were
excellent instructors
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and you were passionate
about what you were teaching
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because you wanted to
really empower the youth.
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What led to you
starting that camp?
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Well, actually, the
first one was done in 1999.
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I actually thought about
what our youth were doing.
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And we teach
entrepreneurship to adults,
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but we did not do it
for our young people.
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So we started the first
one, and we ran it at the Martin
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Luther King, Jr.
Community Center in Dallas.
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Wow.
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And we had six
students, were our first one.
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It was like our
pilot program. Yes.
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We met five weeks.
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Five weeks. Five days.
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Yeah, five weeks. Wow.
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Five days a week and we
were with them six hours a day.
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Every single day, we took youth
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because we saw that they needed
an alternate route in life.
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Yes.
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So we took the time to
help them identify their gifts
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and their talents and
showed them how to identify
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a need in the community.
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And they actually
wrote a business plan.
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You wrote a
business plan too? I did.
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And then some of those students
started their businesses
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as soon as they
graduated from the camp.
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They had to present
their business plan.
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You remember
presenting yours? Mm-hmm.
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You had to
present your business plan
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and then go ahead and start it.
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So it gave them an opportunity
to think in terms of, besides,
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if you didn't go to college
or if you did go to college,
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you have something else
that you can fall back on
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and still make it.
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We were really
dealing with at-risk youth
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right in the Dallas area.
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In fact, one of the
guys that came to the camp,
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he was actually
put out of his home.
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Wow.
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And he was sleeping with friends
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while he was in the camp.
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Wow.
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So we've been
committed to at-risk youth.
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That's why we started the camp.
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And these are young
kids. These are young kids.
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So ages... The youngest age
is 11 and all the way to 20.
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And so we have run
several camps in the summer.
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We've run some afterschool,
an afterschool programs
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and all across the country.
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And it's really made a
big difference in the lives
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of a lot of our youth.
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They remember it, they
always come back years later
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and they say, "I remember
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what you taught
me in that camp."
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Absolutely, I say that too.
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To be honest, a number of
the young people have come
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back and said, "Listen,
please keep the camps going."
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Yes. Because it made such
a difference in their life.
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Now there's one
guy in particular
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that was on the streets.
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Actually, his
parents put him out.
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If it had not
been for the program,
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he'd probably be
in prison right now.
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Wow. But he took the concepts.
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He started his
own little business
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finishing up high school.
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And what was it called?
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Let me tell you what he did.
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It was pretty ingenious.
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He decided that he would
rent an extra locker at school
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and bought supplies,
paper, pencils, and candy.
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And he would sell
them in between classes.
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He paid $9 to get an
extra locker at school
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and he called it
jigger locker treats.
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That's truly urban.
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Yeah, truly urban.
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And he made enough
money to buy his own clothes.
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He made enough money
to even have a cell phone.
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And he was doing well.
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His mom saw that he was
changing his life around
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and she let him come
back home because he made
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a commitment to
do the right thing.
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You know what's interesting,
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that shows that he was
scaling his business too.
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That is right.
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So, you know,
because he wasn't just taking
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the profits and just
spending it frivolously.
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He was investing,
reinvesting into his business.
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So he learned some
valuable lessons. Right.
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I have a friend that was there
and he started a restaurant.
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He went off to start
a restaurant in Dallas.
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So from... And
he was at the camp.
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So it's producing results.
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In the summer you were
there, there was a young lady.
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She came with her hands
folded, and she was mad.
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And she started walking there.
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She's in the pictures.
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And she said, "I'm here."
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And she said,
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"He's the one that's
going to be talking to you
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about registering me."
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It was her dad. Oh,
wow. She was so angry.
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But do you know, by the
time we finished the camp,
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she had written her business
plan to run her own barbershop.
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The news media came
and did a report on her.
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She was braiding hair.
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She made more money
than her parents were making
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monthly braiding hair.
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She had 22 customers.
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And at the end of the day,
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she went and got
her barber's license
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and started earning
money when she left our camp.
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Wow. That is huge.
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That is huge.
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Empowering the community.
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I want to transition into UPMI.
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First off, what
does UPMI stand for?
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United Prison
Ministries International.
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And we've been
around for 41 years. Yes.
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And it's been exciting
to move into leadership
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because our founders,
Richard and Carolyn Bland
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laid a solid foundation.
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Now they're in the 80s and 90s
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and so it was time for
a transition to be made.
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And the Lord worked at
where we were asked to lead
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the organization.
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Yes.
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And so as the
new leaders of UPMI,
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what's the direction
that you see it taking?
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Where do you want this to go?
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Well, I'm glad you asked that.
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You see it in the Youth
Entrepreneur Business Camp.
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One of the things we
want to do is we want to work
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with at-risk youth.
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We also want to
make sure that prisoners
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get an opportunity
to be self-reliant.
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You know, what we've
discovered is that you can
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teach them about Jesus,
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but you got to take
it further than that.
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So part of what
we see in the future
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is to add what we've
been doing in the past,
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and that is giving good,
solid Christian-based material.
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And adding to that
Christian-based material,
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teaching them how
to be self-reliant.
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Yes.
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And so what are
some of the tips?
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For example, like
you're talking about
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teaching them how
to be self-reliant.
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So what are some of
the tools or the strategies
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or the tips that you're
providing them with to help
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them get to that point?
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Well, actually, what we've done
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is we've designed
what we call the 330K
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project or program.
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And that's designed to train
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and equip about
330,000 ex-offenders
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and prisoners over
the next five years.
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Wow. You heard me correct.
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We have high goals, a
high vision, 330,000 prisoners
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and ex offenders
over the next five years
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with the purpose of teaching
them how to be self-reliant.
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Now I heard your question.
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Your question was,
how do you do that?
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Well, the first
thing you have to do
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is you have to
teach them self worth.
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And you do that by
helping them develop their own
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life's skills.
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Yes. And then we teach
them financial literacy.
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And then we share
with them how to start
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and run and operate a business.
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Now we don't go
into the details of it.
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We give them the basics
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of what it takes to
have a business mind
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and then run the
business when they get out.
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What's nice about
it is that we've used
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these materials to
people who are not incarcerated
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and we've seen the results
that it's had in their lives.
00:09:05.97\00:09:09.04
So we have
repurposed this information
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for the incarcerated individuals
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who are thinking in terms
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of how they're going to survive
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and how they're
going to make it.
00:09:16.75\00:09:18.09
And these skills have
worked just like the same skills
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we taught in the Youth
Entrepreneur Business Camp.
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We're simply
just transferring it
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over to the
incarcerated individuals.
00:09:25.39\00:09:27.86
And it's
really... We're excited.
00:09:27.90\00:09:29.43
We can't wait.
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The reason why we're excited,
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because there are 2.2 million
00:09:32.20\00:09:36.71
of our brothers and sisters
behind jail, behind bars,
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in jail, incarcerated.
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of them get out of jail.
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Wow. That's a large number.
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That is.
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But now the problem is
within three to five years, 76%
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of them are back in jail again.
00:09:54.66\00:09:56.32
Wow.
00:09:56.36\00:09:57.69
So what we said at UPMI,
00:09:57.73\00:09:59.63
we've given them a
Christian foundation.
00:09:59.66\00:10:02.36
But now what we
want to do is say, "Hey,
00:10:02.40\00:10:05.03
you don't have to go back.
00:10:05.07\00:10:07.07
The Christian material
that we're providing you now
00:10:07.10\00:10:09.34
is saying, "Not
only can you be 'saved,'
00:10:09.37\00:10:12.97
but you can be self-reliant.'"
00:10:13.01\00:10:14.74
Why? Because now you
know you are the job.
00:10:14.78\00:10:18.18
You can create
your own business.
00:10:18.21\00:10:20.72
So you're seeking to help reduce
00:10:20.75\00:10:23.69
the recidivism rate
by providing them with
00:10:23.72\00:10:25.75
practical tools for living
in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:10:25.79\00:10:29.06
That's what we do
with Dare to Dream too.
00:10:29.09\00:10:30.56
That's correct. Right,
right, this is exciting.
00:10:30.59\00:10:33.09
Right, right,
right. I love this.
00:10:33.13\00:10:34.46
No, we understand
that if you don't change
00:10:34.50\00:10:37.20
a prisoner's philosophy of
life, he will never change.
00:10:37.23\00:10:41.80
And so what we call
this the PREP program,
00:10:41.84\00:10:46.51
it's the Prison Economic
Reform Educational Program.
00:10:46.54\00:10:52.35
And it's designed
to train them to think
00:10:52.38\00:10:55.95
differently about life.
00:10:55.98\00:10:57.45
Yes. We want to
make sure that they...
00:10:57.49\00:10:59.25
I like...
00:10:59.29\00:11:00.62
I don't know if I
told you this, dear.
00:11:00.66\00:11:02.52
We need to rescue them with SOS.
00:11:02.56\00:11:07.70
Now break that down?
00:11:07.73\00:11:09.06
He's always coming
up with something good.
00:11:09.10\00:11:11.03
Yes, yes.
00:11:11.07\00:11:12.87
The S is we need to
make sure that they're saved.
00:11:12.90\00:11:15.54
Okay. Yes.
00:11:15.57\00:11:16.91
The O is we need to make
sure that they're optimistic,
00:11:16.94\00:11:20.11
because your view on
life determines your outcome.
00:11:20.14\00:11:23.38
And then last, we want to make
sure that they're self-reliant.
00:11:23.41\00:11:26.95
And so that's what
we're launching out
00:11:26.98\00:11:29.45
with the new phase of UPMI.
00:11:29.48\00:11:31.69
UPMI has done an extremely
great work through the years.
00:11:31.72\00:11:35.39
When you think about it,
we're in over 3000 prisons.
00:11:35.42\00:11:38.93
Yes, and we have actually
distributed 76 million pieces
00:11:38.96\00:11:44.50
of Christian literature.
00:11:44.53\00:11:45.93
Wow. I think you
need to say it again.
00:11:45.97\00:11:47.64
76 million. 76 million?
00:11:47.67\00:11:50.41
That's the last
count but we're still...
00:11:50.44\00:11:52.24
That was the last count,
but we're still continuing.
00:11:52.27\00:11:54.28
Over the last 41 years,
00:11:54.31\00:11:56.78
we have distributed
over 76 million pieces
00:11:56.81\00:12:00.28
of Christian literature
to prisoners for free.
00:12:00.32\00:12:03.55
For free.
00:12:03.59\00:12:04.92
And it is amazing
because we are in every state.
00:12:04.95\00:12:08.52
We're in over 3000 prisons and
in 72 countries of the world.
00:12:08.56\00:12:14.20
Wow.
00:12:14.23\00:12:15.56
So our material goes everywhere.
00:12:15.60\00:12:16.93
That's huge.
00:12:16.97\00:12:18.30
Now I'm sure that it's free to
them, but it's not free to you.
00:12:18.33\00:12:20.60
Oh, no. No, no, no.
00:12:20.64\00:12:22.20
It's not free to us.
00:12:22.24\00:12:23.57
There probably a
little fee there.
00:12:23.61\00:12:24.94
It cost us to purchase the
material and to send it out.
00:12:24.97\00:12:28.44
Yes. We also pay for printing.
00:12:28.48\00:12:30.11
We have to print the material.
00:12:30.15\00:12:32.08
So we do the
printing, we do the packaging,
00:12:32.11\00:12:34.75
and we do the shipping.
00:12:34.78\00:12:36.12
And, of course, you know, we
run a pretty large operation.
00:12:36.15\00:12:39.09
You know, we own 66 acres.
00:12:39.12\00:12:41.16
Okay.
00:12:41.19\00:12:42.52
And we have about
21 people in the staff.
00:12:42.56\00:12:44.39
And so when you're talking
about running an operation,
00:12:44.43\00:12:46.86
you can't get this volume
of material out to prisoners
00:12:46.90\00:12:50.50
without having a staff.
00:12:50.53\00:12:52.13
And so, yeah, we do it for free,
00:12:52.17\00:12:53.64
but it does cost us heavily.
00:12:53.67\00:12:55.47
And that's why we depend
00:12:55.50\00:12:56.84
so heavily on donors to
help us to do this God work,
00:12:56.87\00:13:00.88
because this is
what Jesus told us to do.
00:13:00.91\00:13:02.84
Yes.
00:13:02.88\00:13:04.21
He said, "When I come
back again, I'm going to ask,
00:13:04.25\00:13:05.81
'Have you
visited me in prison?'"
00:13:05.85\00:13:08.42
And that got me excited
because that's Jesus in prison.
00:13:08.45\00:13:13.52
Yes.
00:13:13.56\00:13:14.89
So I want to make
sure that we visit Jesus
00:13:14.92\00:13:16.49
with our brothers
and sisters in prison.
00:13:16.52\00:13:19.33
Yes, yes.
00:13:19.36\00:13:21.23
What gave you,
where did your conviction,
00:13:21.26\00:13:24.37
where did your passion for
the incarcerated population,
00:13:24.40\00:13:27.20
where did that come into play?
00:13:27.24\00:13:28.97
Like, what caused that?
00:13:29.00\00:13:30.34
Well, can I say
this? It was actually...
00:13:30.37\00:13:33.61
It was years ago when we
were in Texas at the time.
00:13:33.64\00:13:39.01
You were invited
to go to the prison.
00:13:39.05\00:13:41.05
And my husband
said... He was a pastor now.
00:13:41.08\00:13:44.19
You were teaching at that point.
00:13:44.22\00:13:45.55
I was teaching at that point.
00:13:45.59\00:13:46.92
But you'd pastored for at
least 16 years before that.
00:13:46.96\00:13:49.16
And prison ministry
00:13:49.19\00:13:51.03
was something
that someone else did,
00:13:51.06\00:13:54.33
not something
that we actually did.
00:13:54.36\00:13:56.50
So there was a
brother in the community...
00:13:56.53\00:14:00.94
You're telling all the detail.
00:14:00.97\00:14:02.30
We didn't do it. It wasn't us.
00:14:02.34\00:14:03.94
So, I mean, I had an interest.
00:14:03.97\00:14:05.54
I'm a pastor.
00:14:05.57\00:14:06.91
I got called to
pastor these six.
00:14:06.94\00:14:08.51
All I've ever
wanted to be is a pastor.
00:14:08.54\00:14:10.58
So I've always had
a heart for people,
00:14:10.61\00:14:12.98
whether they were
incarcerated or not.
00:14:13.01\00:14:14.92
I've had a deep burning
desire for the souls of men,
00:14:14.95\00:14:18.82
but I never really felt the
strong call to go behind bars.
00:14:18.85\00:14:22.92
And this brother
would come to me when I was
00:14:22.96\00:14:24.96
professor at Southwestern
Adventist University.
00:14:24.99\00:14:27.60
He would come to
me and say, "Doc,
00:14:27.63\00:14:29.06
can you come and help
us out to the prisons?"
00:14:29.10\00:14:30.67
I said...
00:14:30.70\00:14:32.23
Well, I used all
kinds of excuses.
00:14:32.27\00:14:34.84
All kinds of
excuses. All kinds of excuses.
00:14:34.87\00:14:37.44
You pulled a Moses. I did.
00:14:37.47\00:14:40.11
And then finally,
one day I'm in devotion
00:14:40.14\00:14:43.78
and I was speaking
to the Lord and I said,
00:14:43.81\00:14:46.55
"Lord, I want to
reach black men."
00:14:46.58\00:14:50.55
And God said,
"They're in prison."
00:14:50.59\00:14:53.69
And it shook me.
00:14:53.72\00:14:55.99
And literally, a
short time after it,
00:14:56.02\00:14:59.03
the same gentleman
called me and said,
00:14:59.06\00:15:01.46
"Doc, would you come
and teach this concept
00:15:01.50\00:15:05.30
of
theo-economics in the prisons?"
00:15:05.33\00:15:08.04
And of course, I
couldn't refuse because God
00:15:08.07\00:15:10.34
has spoken to me.
00:15:10.37\00:15:11.71
Yes.
00:15:11.74\00:15:13.07
And so I taught for six weeks
00:15:13.11\00:15:14.51
a concept that
I've written about.
00:15:14.54\00:15:16.14
You know, I've
actually written about 22 books.
00:15:16.18\00:15:18.41
I've published 20.
00:15:18.45\00:15:19.78
I love to write.
It's a calling of God.
00:15:19.81\00:15:21.78
And that's what we're
going to bring to UPMI.
00:15:21.82\00:15:24.05
Okay.
00:15:24.09\00:15:25.42
We're not going to get
just everybody else's material.
00:15:25.45\00:15:27.06
We're able to produce our
own material that's directed
00:15:27.09\00:15:30.23
directly to our
brothers and sisters.
00:15:30.26\00:15:33.06
And so I taught this
theo-economics in prison
00:15:33.09\00:15:35.90
and the guys just,
they just ate it up,
00:15:35.93\00:15:39.33
because it talked
about the economy of God.
00:15:39.37\00:15:42.27
It talked about a
different philosophy.
00:15:42.30\00:15:44.67
It told the prisoners that you
00:15:44.71\00:15:46.57
don't have to be
locked in what you see.
00:15:46.61\00:15:48.74
You can trust God
for what He promises you.
00:15:48.78\00:15:51.68
But now the problem, Jason,
is after I finished teaching,
00:15:51.71\00:15:55.55
I got busy doing other things.
00:15:55.58\00:15:58.65
And it was not
until... Last year.
00:15:58.69\00:16:01.12
Just before...
00:16:01.16\00:16:02.49
In fact, it was the last Sabbath
00:16:02.52\00:16:04.13
before everything shut down.
00:16:04.16\00:16:06.83
The churches were shut
down in the middle of March.
00:16:06.86\00:16:08.60
We went to church that Sabbath.
00:16:08.63\00:16:10.57
They were having
prison ministry day.
00:16:10.60\00:16:12.97
Tell the whole story.
00:16:13.00\00:16:14.94
Tell the whole story.
00:16:14.97\00:16:16.37
I said, "Honey,
let's go to church."
00:16:16.40\00:16:17.74
She said they
announced prison ministry
00:16:17.77\00:16:19.37
and I said, "I'm not
going to church this Sabbath."
00:16:19.41\00:16:21.34
I said, "Honey,
we've go to church.
00:16:21.38\00:16:22.74
I want to go." I said, "No."
00:16:22.78\00:16:24.65
He said, "We're not going."
00:16:24.68\00:16:26.01
You were trying to
escape that conviction.
00:16:26.05\00:16:27.95
That's correct.
00:16:27.98\00:16:29.32
You knew there was a
conviction waiting on you.
00:16:29.35\00:16:30.69
Yes. But you know what?
00:16:30.72\00:16:32.59
My husband then
said, "We're going to go."
00:16:32.62\00:16:34.96
And when we went, it was amazing
00:16:34.99\00:16:37.93
what God did on that Sabbath.
00:16:37.96\00:16:39.76
The Spirit of the
Lord just came over me.
00:16:39.79\00:16:41.46
I literally just moved to tears
while the guy was preaching.
00:16:41.50\00:16:45.13
And I mean, God says,
00:16:45.17\00:16:46.50
"Now you made a
commitment 25 years
00:16:46.53\00:16:48.64
ago that you ran away from.
00:16:48.67\00:16:50.44
It's time to take it up."
00:16:50.47\00:16:52.61
And to add to the
inspiration, the guy,
00:16:52.64\00:16:55.78
this chaplain
brought has a testimony about
00:16:55.81\00:16:59.51
what prison
ministry is all about.
00:16:59.55\00:17:01.38
It was a guy...
00:17:01.42\00:17:02.75
I was his resident assistant
his freshman year Oakwood.
00:17:02.78\00:17:06.25
I hadn't seen him in 40 years
00:17:06.29\00:17:08.42
and he made the
confession to me.
00:17:08.46\00:17:09.82
He said, "I've been
in prison for 20 years."
00:17:09.86\00:17:13.03
I never knew it. Wow.
00:17:13.06\00:17:14.76
And it was out of that
reconnect that the Lord
00:17:14.80\00:17:17.57
started moving on my heart.
00:17:17.60\00:17:19.50
I like the way one
of the founders says,
00:17:19.53\00:17:21.27
Carolyn says it, Carolyn Brand.
00:17:21.30\00:17:23.77
I got prison fever.
00:17:23.81\00:17:26.88
I mean, it just got in me
00:17:26.91\00:17:28.34
and we should actually start
talking about prison ministry.
00:17:28.38\00:17:31.25
In a television show
that I do every week,
00:17:31.28\00:17:33.08
Chapel in the Air, I
started talking about it.
00:17:33.11\00:17:35.42
And then God
sent me to call UPMI,
00:17:35.45\00:17:38.85
and that's how
the connection came.
00:17:38.89\00:17:40.46
Wow. So that's why we're here.
00:17:40.49\00:17:42.59
I love it. I want to rewind now.
00:17:42.62\00:17:45.19
This is going way back.
00:17:45.23\00:17:46.93
You said that you got
the calling to be a pastor
00:17:46.96\00:17:50.53
at the age of six.
00:17:50.57\00:17:52.00
Six.
00:17:52.03\00:17:53.37
There are a lot of
people that are out there
00:17:53.40\00:17:54.74
that are wondering, you
know, what calling does God
00:17:54.77\00:17:57.01
have on my life?
00:17:57.04\00:17:58.37
How did you
recognize that calling that God
00:17:58.41\00:18:00.01
placed on your
life at that early age?
00:18:00.04\00:18:02.04
Well, you know, I grew
up in a preacher's home.
00:18:02.08\00:18:03.41
I'm a son of a preacher.
00:18:03.45\00:18:04.88
Okay, not a son of a
gun, but a son of a preacher.
00:18:04.91\00:18:06.88
Gotcha.
00:18:06.92\00:18:08.48
And at a young age,
God just softened my heart.
00:18:08.52\00:18:13.36
And one Sabbath when
my father was preaching,
00:18:13.39\00:18:18.49
the Spirit of the Lord just
came on me at six years old.
00:18:18.53\00:18:21.36
And I just walked
down the aisle, man.
00:18:21.40\00:18:23.77
And I gave my heart to Jesus,
00:18:23.80\00:18:25.80
and I heard my
call to the ministry.
00:18:25.83\00:18:27.40
And that's all
I've ever wanted to do.
00:18:27.44\00:18:29.14
Wow.
00:18:29.17\00:18:30.51
I've never wanted to
be a doctor, or fireman,
00:18:30.54\00:18:32.11
lawyer, none of that.
00:18:32.14\00:18:33.48
I just wanted to be a preacher.
00:18:33.51\00:18:35.21
And I've had such a
passion for preaching.
00:18:35.24\00:18:38.48
Man, when I was in high...
00:18:38.51\00:18:39.85
When I was in academy in high
school, I wore ties to school.
00:18:39.88\00:18:44.45
Wow. That's correct.
00:18:44.49\00:18:46.05
If you talk to any
00:18:46.09\00:18:47.42
of the people that
went to school with me,
00:18:47.46\00:18:49.79
they will tell you, "He
always acted like a preacher."
00:18:49.82\00:18:52.73
And not only that,
when he was growing up,
00:18:52.76\00:18:54.83
he has a sister that's
two years younger than him.
00:18:54.86\00:18:57.37
And he talks
about this all the time.
00:18:57.40\00:18:58.77
He says he played preacher.
00:18:58.80\00:19:02.44
She would sit on the
front row with her dolls,
00:19:02.47\00:19:04.87
and he would preach to
his sister and her dolls.
00:19:04.91\00:19:07.78
And then he would
practice baptizing her.
00:19:07.81\00:19:10.95
I baptized my sister
at least a thousand times.
00:19:10.98\00:19:13.98
Wow.
00:19:14.02\00:19:15.35
She ought to be
saved, sanctified,
00:19:15.38\00:19:16.72
and filled with the Holy Ghost.
00:19:16.75\00:19:19.49
So it was in his blood. Yes.
00:19:19.52\00:19:22.22
And by the way,
Jason, that's why we're
00:19:22.26\00:19:24.03
so sensitive to young people.
00:19:24.06\00:19:25.86
Yes. And you help at-risk youth?
00:19:25.89\00:19:28.40
That's correct.
Let's transition into that.
00:19:28.43\00:19:30.37
Let's talk about how you
helped the at-risk youth?
00:19:30.40\00:19:32.63
And that's been...
00:19:32.67\00:19:34.00
That's the reason why we
could identify with the need
00:19:34.04\00:19:37.14
of working with children.
00:19:37.17\00:19:38.51
We know when we
catch them young,
00:19:38.54\00:19:40.71
we can keep them out of jail.
00:19:40.74\00:19:42.14
Yeah. It really matters.
00:19:42.18\00:19:43.51
In fact, it's an
excellent way to keep
00:19:43.55\00:19:44.88
them from going into jail.
00:19:44.91\00:19:46.25
Because they know
before they finish
00:19:46.28\00:19:48.52
and graduate from
high school, that they have
00:19:48.55\00:19:50.49
something to hold on to.
00:19:50.52\00:19:51.85
That's right.
00:19:51.89\00:19:53.42
Many of them have
actually, even the one
00:19:53.46\00:19:54.82
we just ran this summer.
00:19:54.86\00:19:56.19
We ran a Youth Entrepreneur
Summer Business Camp.
00:19:56.22\00:19:58.53
And one of the young
ladies at the graduation
00:19:58.56\00:20:01.76
when they presented
their business plan, she said,
00:20:01.80\00:20:04.67
"I already have a customer.
00:20:04.70\00:20:06.23
Somebody already called me."
00:20:06.27\00:20:07.67
She's going to be
helping people make decisions
00:20:07.70\00:20:09.64
about how to
organize their home.
00:20:09.67\00:20:11.77
Almost like an
interior decorator.
00:20:11.81\00:20:13.84
But she is a high
school student who is already,
00:20:13.88\00:20:18.51
and she's already
postured herself to do that.
00:20:18.55\00:20:20.88
And she said, "I
already have a customer."
00:20:20.92\00:20:23.32
So instead of allowing her
to just come out and fit...
00:20:23.35\00:20:25.79
You know, just sit
around and not really know
00:20:25.82\00:20:27.72
what she's going
to do with her life,
00:20:27.76\00:20:29.26
it's making a difference.
00:20:29.29\00:20:30.63
When they come from
single parent homes,
00:20:30.66\00:20:32.33
it really is
challenging for a single parent,
00:20:32.36\00:20:36.06
whether it's a mom or a
dad trying to raise children
00:20:36.10\00:20:39.57
and keep them on the
straight and narrow path.
00:20:39.60\00:20:42.17
Every parent says,
"Thank you so much."
00:20:42.20\00:20:45.41
And one of the
kids said, this summer,
00:20:45.44\00:20:47.48
"Are we doing
this again next summer?
00:20:47.51\00:20:49.38
Please. We want to do it.
00:20:49.41\00:20:50.75
I'm going to do it and
I'm going to come back."
00:20:50.78\00:20:52.11
Yeah, they want round two.
00:20:52.15\00:20:53.48
You know what's interesting?
00:20:53.52\00:20:55.58
The community loves
this type of program.
00:20:55.62\00:20:58.35
Yes.
00:20:58.39\00:20:59.72
And we were actually
blessed to get quite a bit
00:20:59.75\00:21:02.09
of support from businessmen
and women in the community.
00:21:02.12\00:21:05.03
I love it.
00:21:05.06\00:21:06.39
And we've done it
through the years.
00:21:06.43\00:21:07.76
And when they see we're making
the investment in our children,
00:21:07.80\00:21:11.40
many of them
understand what prison is.
00:21:11.43\00:21:13.90
They can see the prison pathway.
00:21:13.94\00:21:16.57
If you don't invest
in your children now,
00:21:16.60\00:21:19.21
you can expect to pay the
bill when they get in jail.
00:21:19.24\00:21:24.25
Because the
community still pays.
00:21:24.28\00:21:26.01
Yes, yes, absolutely.
00:21:26.05\00:21:28.62
What kind of challenges
have you faced with COVID and,
00:21:28.65\00:21:32.49
you know, UPMI and
going into prisons?
00:21:32.52\00:21:35.52
Well, one of the things
we found that when COVID hit,
00:21:35.56\00:21:39.36
there were no more
in-person chapel meetings.
00:21:39.39\00:21:43.06
They shut that down
in all of the prisons.
00:21:43.10\00:21:45.53
So the prisoners had
to stay in their cells.
00:21:45.57\00:21:48.64
UPMI stepped up.
00:21:48.67\00:21:51.07
We have received more
requests for literature.
00:21:51.11\00:21:54.68
So the pandemic has been
a blessing on that front.
00:21:54.71\00:21:57.48
So we're strong.
00:21:57.51\00:21:58.85
We're handing out thousands
00:21:58.88\00:22:01.28
of literature more
than we've done before
00:22:01.32\00:22:04.25
as a result of the pandemic.
00:22:04.29\00:22:05.62
So that turned
out to be a blessing.
00:22:05.65\00:22:07.26
Wow.
00:22:07.29\00:22:08.62
And what has
happened, because the pandemic
00:22:08.66\00:22:11.06
has affected all of the world,
00:22:11.09\00:22:13.43
and so we're getting
requests from other countries
00:22:13.46\00:22:15.83
of the world for
literature for their prisoners.
00:22:15.86\00:22:18.63
In fact, over
the next few months,
00:22:18.67\00:22:20.24
we're going to be
sending out close to 200,000
00:22:20.27\00:22:23.71
pieces of material
both to Cuba and Mexico.
00:22:23.74\00:22:27.31
Wow, close to 200. 200,000.
00:22:27.34\00:22:30.15
Free. We're
donating that free to them.
00:22:30.18\00:22:33.82
So the Bible Answers in English.
00:22:33.85\00:22:36.38
We have picture of
that, what that looks like.
00:22:36.42\00:22:38.85
We'll show what
the Bible Answers...
00:22:38.89\00:22:40.66
Yeah, we have it
in Spanish for them.
00:22:40.69\00:22:43.06
Respuestas Biblicas.
00:22:43.09\00:22:45.56
And we have that going...
00:22:45.59\00:22:47.23
We have 180 pieces
00:22:47.26\00:22:49.40
of literature
that's going to Cuba,
00:22:49.43\00:22:51.43
and we have 70,000 pieces
00:22:51.47\00:22:53.90
of literature
that's going to Mexico.
00:22:53.94\00:22:55.94
That's huge.
00:22:55.97\00:22:57.31
So you're seeing an
increase in the hunger
00:22:57.34\00:23:00.51
or the appetite for Christ.
00:23:00.54\00:23:03.55
That is correct.
00:23:03.58\00:23:04.91
People are
wondering what's going on.
00:23:04.95\00:23:06.28
And so you guys are meeting
that need with the literature.
00:23:06.31\00:23:07.75
Our motto is, the
answer for crime is Christ.
00:23:07.78\00:23:11.02
And we believe in seeing Christ
00:23:11.05\00:23:14.79
indwelling in the
people's hearts holistically.
00:23:14.82\00:23:17.99
So we're not just
ministering to their souls,
00:23:18.03\00:23:20.13
we're saying,
"Listen, we want to teach you
00:23:20.16\00:23:22.33
how to be self-reliant.
00:23:22.36\00:23:24.93
We want to develop you so
that you know who you are.
00:23:24.97\00:23:28.34
We see the whole man." Yes.
00:23:28.37\00:23:30.94
So in other words,
you're implementing Christ
00:23:30.97\00:23:32.67
method of evangelism?
00:23:32.71\00:23:34.04
Yes. Look at
you're right on point so.
00:23:34.08\00:23:35.84
I got you. I'm with you.
00:23:35.88\00:23:37.35
We're mingling with
people where they are.
00:23:37.38\00:23:39.25
Yes.
00:23:39.28\00:23:40.62
We see the
prisoners in their need.
00:23:40.65\00:23:41.98
There's a lot of talk about
what's changing their lives.
00:23:42.02\00:23:46.39
Okay, transformation.
00:23:46.42\00:23:48.46
But if they don't get the right
material to feed their brains,
00:23:48.49\00:23:51.63
they will never change.
00:23:51.66\00:23:52.99
And so we're committed,
in our new leadership,
00:23:53.03\00:23:55.70
to provide fresh, new,
innovative material that will
00:23:55.73\00:23:59.20
transform their thinking.
00:23:59.23\00:24:01.50
And when you
transform their thinking,
00:24:01.54\00:24:03.51
you got a new man
that can reenter society
00:24:03.54\00:24:06.44
and not just
survive, but thrive.
00:24:06.47\00:24:09.48
We really believe
God just doesn't want
00:24:09.51\00:24:11.45
prisoners to come out and
say, all right, I'll make it.
00:24:11.48\00:24:14.58
No, we want to see them thrive
spiritually and financially.
00:24:14.62\00:24:19.12
Let's talk about your needs.
00:24:19.15\00:24:20.76
What are the needs
of the organization?
00:24:20.79\00:24:22.99
Because you're sending a
lot of stuff out for free.
00:24:23.02\00:24:24.76
So what are your needs?
00:24:24.79\00:24:26.26
Well, one of the
things that we are needing
00:24:26.29\00:24:28.66
is we are trying to prepare
our community for receiving,
00:24:28.70\00:24:34.34
not just for the prisoners,
00:24:34.37\00:24:35.70
but also for those
who reenter society.
00:24:35.74\00:24:38.17
This 330K project,
00:24:38.21\00:24:41.88
we're needing funds to make
00:24:41.91\00:24:43.78
sure that's
available for our prisoners.
00:24:43.81\00:24:46.35
And we believe
that when they get this,
00:24:46.38\00:24:48.42
because we have
a captive audience.
00:24:48.45\00:24:50.42
The prisoner has time.
00:24:50.45\00:24:52.29
And they tell us all the
time, "We have a lot of time.
00:24:52.32\00:24:54.66
We love reading material."
00:24:54.69\00:24:56.36
And this is the material
that they need to receive.
00:24:56.39\00:24:58.83
So it's wonderful
to have this available.
00:24:58.86\00:25:00.56
So we need funds to make that
available for the prisoners.
00:25:00.60\00:25:05.33
Okay. And it's...
00:25:05.37\00:25:06.74
And then we also, you know,
on our properties in Verbena,
00:25:06.77\00:25:10.41
Alabama, we are
developing a retreat center.
00:25:10.44\00:25:14.08
Not just for ex offenders,
but for chaplains, for wardens,
00:25:14.11\00:25:19.38
for preachers, because we really
00:25:19.41\00:25:21.88
want to minister to more
than just the prison population.
00:25:21.92\00:25:26.25
Actually, but we
want to minister to those
00:25:26.29\00:25:28.19
who are having to work
with prisoners inside prisons.
00:25:28.22\00:25:31.36
So we need funds to continue
to complete our retreat center
00:25:31.39\00:25:35.03
right there in Verbena.
00:25:35.06\00:25:37.37
And if someone wants to get
involved, how can they do that?
00:25:37.40\00:25:41.14
They can call our organization.
00:25:41.17\00:25:42.80
And we have...
00:25:42.84\00:25:44.17
On the website, you can see
00:25:44.21\00:25:45.54
we have a staff that
will receive you lovingly.
00:25:45.57\00:25:48.58
We have a great
staff that you can call.
00:25:48.61\00:25:51.18
And if your church does not
have a local prison ministry,
00:25:51.21\00:25:55.98
we are prepared to help
any local church to start
00:25:56.02\00:25:59.05
their own prison ministry.
00:25:59.09\00:26:00.96
So they can call us.
00:26:00.99\00:26:02.32
And definitely if they
want to make a donation,
00:26:02.36\00:26:05.23
they can do that on our website.
00:26:05.26\00:26:06.96
I want to put all your
contact info up real quick.
00:26:07.00\00:26:09.53
We're going to put
up the contact page.
00:26:09.56\00:26:11.13
And if you would just read...
00:26:11.17\00:26:12.50
If they want to send you
mail, how can they do that?
00:26:12.53\00:26:14.20
They can send the
information to United
00:26:14.24\00:26:15.87
Prison Ministries International.
00:26:15.90\00:26:17.97
PO Box 8,
00:26:18.01\00:26:19.77
Verbena, Alabama 36091.
00:26:19.81\00:26:24.28
And the phone number is
00:26:24.31\00:26:25.65
(205) 755-4744.
00:26:25.68\00:26:31.52
You can contact us
at our website @upmi.org
00:26:31.55\00:26:37.23
And when you go to our website,
there is a donation button.
00:26:37.26\00:26:40.83
And we would want folks
to just get excited with it.
00:26:40.86\00:26:43.90
We want everybody
to catch prison fever.
00:26:43.93\00:26:45.93
Yes. And support
what we're doing.
00:26:45.97\00:26:48.74
But can I say this? Absolutely.
00:26:48.77\00:26:50.11
One of the
things that I've found
00:26:50.14\00:26:51.47
as we've talked about prison
ministry and I'm so thankful.
00:26:51.51\00:26:54.74
It's a privilege for us to be
in this position to really make
00:26:54.78\00:26:58.65
a difference in the lives
00:26:58.68\00:27:00.02
of prisoners and their families.
00:27:00.05\00:27:02.48
We don't know anyone
whose life has not been
00:27:02.52\00:27:05.52
touched by prison ministry.
00:27:05.55\00:27:07.99
Yes.
00:27:08.02\00:27:09.36
Everyone, every church has
someone that's incarcerated
00:27:09.39\00:27:12.69
or a family member
that's incarcerated.
00:27:12.73\00:27:15.70
Everyone knows at least
one person who is incarcerated.
00:27:15.73\00:27:20.24
And I say, "Wow,
this was far reaching."
00:27:20.27\00:27:22.40
So for us to be
in this position,
00:27:22.44\00:27:23.77
we're so grateful.
00:27:23.81\00:27:25.14
So we need your prayers.
00:27:25.17\00:27:26.54
And we ask that God
will continue to open
00:27:26.57\00:27:28.18
the doors for us
to make a difference.
00:27:28.21\00:27:29.98
Absolutely, absolutely.
00:27:30.01\00:27:31.71
And you're doing
such a wonderful work.
00:27:31.75\00:27:33.62
And I love how you
put it because, you know,
00:27:33.65\00:27:35.82
the person that gets arrested
isn't the only one doing time.
00:27:35.85\00:27:39.05
There are a lot of people that
are impacted by those decisions
00:27:39.09\00:27:42.82
and by those consequences.
00:27:42.86\00:27:44.39
So I want to thank
you for what you're doing
00:27:44.43\00:27:46.56
and thank you for
coming on the program today.
00:27:46.59\00:27:48.93
And I want to
thank you for joining us.
00:27:48.96\00:27:51.30
I can't believe our time is up.
00:27:51.33\00:27:54.00
But until next time,
may God richly bless you.
00:27:54.04\00:27:57.04
God bless.
00:27:57.07\00:27:58.41