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Dear Friends and Supporters of PiFO,
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, our second cohort of 25 men has been selected. Soon our new students will be transferred from other prisons around the state to the Oregon State Correctional Institution (OSCI) in Salem. The Corban classes are scheduled to begin in October of this year.
A few weeks ago, I received a call from the wife of one of our applicants to the second cohort. Her name is Lacy. Lacy got my cell number from the PiFO website. After telling me who she was, she said her husband had asked her to contact me to find out if he was admitted to the program. I knew that the successful applicants had been previously notified by the Department of Corrections, so I was prepared to tell her that her husband was not admitted to the Corban college degree program. This was going to be a tough message to deliver to her.
Just to make sure I gave her the right answer, I asked for the name of her husband. I was overjoyed when I saw his name on the list of our second cohort! I said, “Lacy, I have good news for you!” She said “What?” Then I told her that her husband was admitted and was going to be a Freshman in the Corban extension in OSCI.
I wish I could have seen her face. She shouted with joy, became very emotional and began to break up. I could sense that tears were flowing down her cheeks. She could hardly believe it—her husband was beginning a journey that would lead to a bachelor’s degree from Corban University.
And then the shocker came. Lacy said, “Judge, you will never guess what I am about to tell you!” She was right. I never would have guessed in a thousand years. Lacy then said, “I am in graduate school at Corban. I’m going to be a classmate with my husband!” Wow! Amazing! Awesome! Only God could orchestrate something like this.
Weeks later I am still blown away by the story of Lacy and her husband being college classmates. I know that God has many more surprises for us. Please join God in prayer and support for the students and their families at the Corban extension in OSCI.
Simply amazed at God’s grace and mercy,
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