“Stay focused on God and you will be rewarded.”
— Adam
It’s a crisp spring morning, and the chapel at Calvary Colony is filled with familiar faces gathered to celebrate a remarkable achievement: GED graduation day.
Jennifer, Memphis Union Mission’s Learning Center Administrator, has prepared a favorite meal for each graduate. The campus, learning center, and chapel have all been decorated for the occasion.
“Every client and staff member stops what they are doing to be there,” Jennifer says. “We want each graduate to feel that this day is truly theirs.”
As Pomp and Circumstance fills the chapel, Adam, Kavion, and Johnathan walk down the aisle in cap and gown. Each man has passed five rigorous GED exams while participating in Memphis Union Mission’s Christ-centered recovery program. Most complete the coursework in approximately six months—far faster than the typical timeline elsewhere.
Yet the celebration is about more than earning a diploma. It is about transformation.
Each graduate prepared a speech reflecting on the journey that brought him to this moment.
Kavion encouraged the men around him: “You have to have God first, get your mind to it, and you can accomplish it.”
Johnathan pointed to Scripture: “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14).
Adam shared a challenge of his own: “Keep your mind positive and encourage others to do the same. Stay focused on God and you will be rewarded.”
For Jennifer, watching these men succeed never gets old.
“Many of our clients have spent their lives believing they could not succeed,” she says. “When they earn this, they learn that they can.”
She is also quick to recognize the role of faithful supporters.
“In 2024, we graduated more men than in the previous five years combined,” Jennifer says. “This would not have been possible without the support of our donors. We are so very grateful.”
Because of friends like you, men such as Adam, Kavion, and Johnathan are gaining the education, confidence, and hope they need to build new lives in Christ. Thank you for making stories like theirs possible.
Responses