Dear friends,
Early in the morning, long before the men in our program take their seats, one of our professors begins her slow, prayer-soaked drive toward Fox Lake. It’s an hour and twenty minutes of holding each student before the Lord—asking that, whatever their weekend held, the Holy Spirit would meet them as they walk through the classroom door.
By 8:00 a.m., the students file in. Some come tired, some carrying unspoken weight, and others ready to learn. They settle into their seats, and the professor begins where she often does—with Scripture.
This week, she opens to Psalm 23:1:
“What do you want? And how does God being our Shepherd reshape that desire?”
The room grows still as the men write, reflect, and wrestle with what it means to be led rather than driven.
Then begins six hours of Introduction to Psychology—Motivation, Emotions, Stress, Social Support, Cognition. As she describes it, the course is “like a buffet line,” a collection of topics that might not seem to go together but form the foundation for the next four years of study.
The men dive into theories of motivation, connecting classic psychology with calling and Christian purpose. They ask thoughtful questions. They challenge one another. They apply what they’re learning to their own stories—stories marked by foster care instability, military trauma, family chaos, rebellion, grief, and, for some, surprising grace.
By late morning, they’ve spent hours discussing fear, anxiety, anger, and the ways the brain and body process emotion. Then comes a break: they return to their units for lunch and count.
When count clears, they walk back to the classroom through the cold. There’s the usual joking about “mystery meat” in the cafeteria but they settle quickly, eager to continue. The afternoon opens with Stress and Social Support—a subject the professor loves, and one that touches every man in the room. They explore how stress shapes the body, how support systems heal, and why community matters. They identify the people who steady them, and the ones they hope to be steady for.
As the day winds down, she introduces cognitive bias—how prejudice and stereotypes form—and closes with a simple story called The Wall in the Middle of the Book. Then they pray. And at 3:30 p.m., the men walk back toward their housing units, carrying new questions, new insights, and often—new hope.
The professor begins her return drive, praying again.
For what went well.
For what didn’t.
And for each of the men entrusted to her care.
Friends, this is what your generosity makes possible: six-hour days of discipleship, learning, healing, and transformation—right in the heart of prison.
Every mile driven, every page studied, every prayer whispered, every breakthrough moment… you are part of it.
With gratitude,
Andrew
Executive Director
