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Meeting Summary: Hang with Ida - Education, Miracles, and Strategy

Overview​

A day of profound spiritual and strategic movement. Gary Sheng and Ida Villavicencio visited Sylvia Carreno and her son Carlos Carreno, witnessing a significant breakthrough in Carlos's vision recovery. The day concluded with a deep-dive strategy session at a coffee shop with Tamara Brown, Karen Giraldo, and Bethany Ramirez, focusing on the crystallization of "Jesus Christ Prep"—a spirit-filled, technological micro school model designed to disrupt the failing status quo.

Key Topics Discussed​

1. The "Jesus Christ Prep" Vision & Branding​

  • The Founder Moment: Gary emphasized creating "the only school that you could" send your kids to because nothing better exists. He proposed the name "Jesus Christ Prep"—bold, "on the nose," and unapologetic.
  • Jesus Prep Bracelet: Gary joked about having a bracelet that asks, "What would Jesus teach?" (Answer: He would teach discipleship, spiritual warfare, and AI).
  • Applied Christianity: Gary introduced the term "Applied Christianity" to describe faith integrated into every action, from business to education. Ida agreed: "Christianity is love, right? Real love is applied love."
  • Prenda & Platform Logistics: Gary explained the value of partnering with Prenda for its "integrated platform" and legislative carve-outs in Texas, which allow for immediate ESA/TIFA funding. He noted, "Prenda is the right partner [for 2026]... money's just on the table that it makes no sense."

2. Miracles and Spiritual Reality​

  • Visit to Sylvia & Carlos Carreno: Witnessed Carlos Carreno perceive the outline of Gary's Meta glasses—his first visual perception in months since his car accident. Sylvia: "This hasn't happened in months."
  • Spiritual Attack: Carlos Carreno described his vision loss as a "spiritual attack," aligning with Ida's view of "spiritual warfare."
  • Hospital Worship: Sylvia shared a powerful story of holding a full worship service in the hospital during Carlos's first week of recovery, facilitated by Christian nurses and technicians.
  • Vision for 2026: Gary invited Sylvia and Carlos Carreno to join him in Liberty, TX, for a New Year's Eve service with his pastor.

3. Critique of the Status Quo​

  • DSM-5 & Labeling: Ida critiqued the DSM-5 as "garbage" and a "diagnostic tool used in psychiatry" that labels sickness instead of addressing trauma. Gary called it "demonic" for how it ruins lives with lifelong name tags (bipolar, ADHD, etc.).
  • Institutional Failure: Tamara shared frustrations from the charter system: "The kids are eating cookies for breakfast... The principal [is] going home to their luxury homes." She noted that some high schoolers read at a first-grade level.
  • The "Deployment" Environment: Tamara, a Navy veteran, criticized her current school for being "under construction 74% of the time," calling it a "deployment environment" unsuitable for children.
  • Unreliable "Geniuses": Gary reflected on his year of being burned by "faithful students" who were brilliant but unreliable, reinforcing the need for character-first leadership.

4. Educational Strategy & Incorporation​

  • Non-Profit vs. For-Profit: Karen and Bethany (a legal expert) discussed incorporation. Bethany recommended a non-profit for tax-deductible donations from churches.
  • The "Pod" Model: Gary envisioning "pods" of 10-20 students led by "compassionate young Christian guides." He proposed a pilot year of 45 kids.
  • Market Research: Karen proposed researching the "pain points" of existing private schools like Cornerstone to differentiate "Jesus Christ Prep."
  • Wildfire Connection: Karen mentioned a connection to "Wildfire" (or Wildflower), a mentor recognized by the San Antonio mayor for helping Christian non-profits secure funding.

5. Personal Dynamics & Character​

  • Doing What You Say: A major discussion on character and integrity. Gary called himself a "recovering ideas guy" and emphasized the "godly" act of doing what you say you will do.
  • Jailbirds Group Chat: Tamara and Bethany shared the story of the "Jailbirds" group chat, named after a friend who "drop kicked" her ghosting boyfriend in public years ago.
  • Ida's Marriage: Ida shared how she loved Jesus Villavicencio through his addiction: "I asked God to pluck out any root of bitterness... I don't have bitterness against him for anything."
  • Protective Nature: Ida described Jesus as her "defender in the flesh" and "spiritual covering."

Key Quotes​

  • Ida Villavicencio: "I would imagine myself rolling my sleeves up and walking into a fire pit of hell [the school system]."
  • Gary Sheng: "I think that this is the perfect time to create a Christian school that atheist parents see it strategic to send their kids to."
  • Sylvia Carreno: "There's no comparison [to God]... walking by faith because you have peace in it all."
  • Tamara Brown: "I'm a realist. I'm like, this is trash. I wouldn't even probably let my own kids go to that school."
  • Carlos Carreno: "I'm not going to be blind for long... everything's going to be okay."

Action Items / Takeaways​

  • Liberty NYE: Gary to coordinate the New Year's Eve trip to Liberty, TX, for Tamara and the Carreno family.
  • Incorporate Entity: Decision to move forward with a non-profit entity for brand building and church partnerships.
  • Meta Ray-Bans: Gary to gift Tamara prescription glasses to help her with "Perception POV" content creation.
  • School Pilot: Targeting mid-February for the launch of marketing to parents for the Fall 2026 pilot.

Strategic Insights​

  • The "Neo School" Advantage: The intersection of Holy Spirit cultivation and future vocational preparing (AI, entrepreneurship) is a unique, unserved niche.
  • Character Over IQ: The school must prioritize guides with the "Holy Spirit" who are inspiring and reliable humans.
  • Applied Love: Education must be grounded in "applied love"—time, effort, and energy spent on the individual flourishing of each child.