As we look ahead with great anticipation at how the Lord will guide our ministry this year, we’d also like to take a moment to celebrate our successes. Much of our success is because of you…our benefactors, prayer supporters, volunteers, board members, partners, faculty, staff and friends.
We’re delighted to report on a successful first full year:
Prison violence is on the decline at Waupun Correctional Institution, and Operation Transformation is getting the credit.
Our students are setting an example for non-violent behavior. Very recently, a student in our program reported that he had to have a surgery rescheduled due to a communication error within the prison. He was not happy at all and expressed his displeasure. He said that one of the correctional officers listening to him reached for his pepper spray in case the student needed to be subdued. The other officer told him to put it away and said, “…this guy’s in that Trinity program and you won’t have any problems out of him.” The other officer put the pepper spray away.
Our students are improving their relationships with their families, in particular with their children.
A letter arrived from the son of one of our sophomore students. The son confessed that for most of his life, he hated his father because of his attitude and tone. But he remarked that recent letters from the father were warm, supportive and inviting. The son looks forward to letters from his father now and commented that he has noticed a great change over the last year. Our student said the letters from his mother said the same things. Our student was thrilled to share his family’s comments, contributing his transformation to the program, saying that his heart and attitude were changing, giving him a different outlook on life!
We know that when inmates change their kinship relationships, they change their families and communities by breaking the cycle of crime and violence in families. We’ve seen just the beginning of this in 2018 and we’re looking forward to watching the impact of our work grow as our students’ ministries mature.
Other successes in 2018 include: Accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission. As a result, the Waupun Seminary is now an official extension site of Trinity International University – Deerfield, IL. New Foundation Partners: Siebert Lutheran Foundation, Madison Christian Giving Foundation, Kaztex Foundation and Bader Philanthropies. Monthly devotions led by pastors around the state (Part of a plan to deepen relationships with a variety of churches, as part of our long-term sustainability plan.) Fourteen churches have become our financial partners (our sustainability plan at work). Successfully completed our inaugural fundraiser with Burl Cain, founder of the model from Angola State Prison, in attendance as our keynote. Already reports of violent encounters among staff and inmates are showing reductions of inmate assaults on prison staff and are being credited to Operation Transformation. Positive feedback from Warden and prison staff. Thank you for your support in 2018! We look forward to our continued partnership and many good things for our ministry in the New Year!
Steve Mayer Mike Murphy Co-President Co-President
Prayer Requests
Praise: our film crew was able to interview a couple of students for the video being created to encourage more inmates around the state to apply.
Pray for the circulation of the film clip to get widely distributed and shown to a larger number of inmates and thus see a surge in applications.
Pray for inmates to have the courage to apply. It is a huge sacrifice and fear for a man to transfer from a medium security prison to a maximum security prison environment.
Pray for the Warden and his staff as they work through the challenges and pressures that come with low staffing levels inside the prison.
“You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.”
-Psalm 16:11