Dear Chazak Friends,

As the 2024 academic year has come to a close, we are grateful for how the Lord has provided for us as an organization in this 4th year of Chazak. For example, this year has been our first full year of running Chazak Academy and Chazak Rescue simultaneously! 

The following is what Dan Lapp, Founder and Chairman, had to say about the year in hindsight,

One of the names of God that has been my source of strength this year is Jehovah Jireh — “my provider.” What fascinates me about God’s nature is how He always embodies the name needed for our specific life circumstances.
This was our first year running at capacity for both the Academy and Rescue. This milestone year presented numerous challenges for Chazak as a whole, marked by donations being lower than our projected budget, an increased need for deployment activity funding, and higher cadet turnover than expected.
Organizationally, we began the multi-year process of expanding our structure from just Chazak Rescue to Chazak with three branches: Chazak Rescue (the responding branch), Chazak Academy (the training branch), and Chazak Ventures (the funding branch).
Chazak Academy continues to train young cadets, thanks to our donors’ generosity, our instructors’ hard work, and our heavenly Father’s gracious hand. We were able to do training deployments in Tajikistan, Greece, Sierra Leone and more. 
Chazak Rescue was able to lay the foundations this year for Forward Operating Bases, gain access to difficult places, and serve people suffering in the war in Ukraine. Following a connection building deployment this fall, we hope to establish a FOB in East Africa. This FOB will have resources and staff which allow us to deploy more quickly into this region.
The Chazak Ventures team is taking shape as we continue to manage and run Deadwood, our training facility and outfitting company. This fall has seen a large drop in business due to the fires surrounding our facility, but we trust that God will continue to bring funds and business our way. We plan to open Impact Thrift in Boise, Idaho, this fall, with the grand opening tentatively scheduled for October 2024. The goal of this branch is to provide funds for Chazak Academy, thereby lowering the training costs for Chazak Rescue cadets.
As we look at how we are to continue Finishing the Mission this coming year, we expect doors to continue opening, and opportunities given for people around the world to be rescued and protected, and for the hopeless to be given hope. This can be accomplished through Guardians that are responding to the crises, your generosity, and the guidance of our Heavenly Father. Our plan for this year is to double our total dollars invested into the mission with a special focus on the deployment side of Chazak. We plan to have 1–2 teams deploying full-time, with a focus on East Africa. Your partnership makes all this possible. Will you join us?
- Dan Lapp — Chairman

Chazak Academy Update:

Class 2

Class 2 has completed year 2’s Academy training, and have moved on to become Guardians! Over the summer, Cadets completed their specialization internships at various locations around the world.

The three Medical Specialists interned in Honduras at some medical clinics. As one Class 2 Cadet described it,

The internship opportunity for the medical specialists this year is working at several clinics in Honduras. The first clinic we worked at was up in the mountains… it [was] rainy season so the muddy roads up the mountain limits travel to the clinic. There we gained experience with taking vitals, working in the pharmacy, and shadowing the doctor. I was able to assist with several procedures and a small surgery. It has been very beneficial for me to shadow the doctor and learn about the local diseases and common health issues that affect the population there. Currently Dengue fever is prevalent there. The language barrier is an added element that requires Google Translate, a good dose of patience, and opens a new world of learning opportunities.

Meanwhile, in the United States, two Cadets with the Water Rescue specialization interned with a rafting company on the Colorado River. As the Cadet put it, 

…Here are a few of the things that I’ve learned in my time here: the importance of having good communication, making quick decisions under pressure, and relying on prayer and strength from God to stay calm when things are out of control.

Another Cadet, with the Incident Command/Communications specialization interned with organizations to receive radio communications training and incident command training. 

The key components of this specialty are maintaining span of control over an incident and providing essential communication to all the involved parties. Throughout the training cycle I have discovered how these skills are not only essential in a tactical sense, but also very useful skills to have in much of everyday life.

And finally, one Cadet (Ropes Tech) travelled the western United States and climbed wherever possible. This including climbing Yosemite and various other mountains in the west. She also had the opportunity to provide ropes training for Class 3 in their 1.5 Alpha Training.

The Way of the Cross

After completing their 2.5 Specializations, four Cadets from Class 2 successfully became Guardians in late August after they went through the final training portion known as “The Way of the Cross”. This challenging test, administered by Chazak Rescue, combines elements of the Marine Corps Crucible with intense first responder and humanitarian aid scenarios. 

The Cadets hiked over 50 miles with 55-pound packs on their backs, all while managing on only 4 hours of sleep per night, including the night before the event began. They had to ration 3,150 calories over the grueling 58-hour training period. Despite the stress and fatigue, they excelled through various scenarios, including medical, humanitarian aid, ropes rescue exercises, and more.

Class 3

Class 3 Cadets completed year 1 of Chazak Academy, ending with the 1.5 Alpha Training taken at Deadwood, our training facility in Idaho. The focus of the training was on physical skills with some soft skills mixed in. Cadets lived out of their backpacks without many of the modern conveniences to which they were accustomed, and daily routines were designed to prepare them for the lifestyle that they will face on deployment. Cadets also began to apply the trainings and certifications they acquired throughout the year in a variety of team scenarios. Some of the Guardians were also able to assist in their training over the summer.

Four of the Cadets stayed on throughout the year. However, due to various reasons, they have made the decision to pause their training for a year, and plan to rejoin along with Class 4 for their second year.

Class 4

After some uncertainty about whether it would be possible due to lack of funding, by the grace of God and the generosity of Chazak Rescue’s partners, we have officially onboarded Class 4 into Chazak Academy! These Cadets are currently in 1.1 training, and are completing a wilderness trip. Stay tuned for the next blog post, where we’ll introduce Class 4 to you!

Chazak Rescue Update:

We are currently in the process of developing a plan for a shift in the way we conduct many deployments. This comes, in large part, due to the fact that the focal point of terrorism globally has been shifting from the Middle East to Africa. 

Western departures from Africa, the onset of military governance, and the deepening of Russian presence there will, in all probability, only hasten this pivot in deployment strategy. Hence, the Chazak Forward Operating Base (FOB).

The FOB will be a dynamic and adaptable facility, strategically located for easy logistics and resource access. It serves as an ideal entry point for guardians and cadets, whether operating independently or in collaboration with a long-term partner. The FOB’s secure location will be versatile, capable of functioning as a field command post, shelter-in-place, and supply storage. It will not be a static deployment site, but a responsive hub designed to address crises across a broader regional area. The FOB’s location would be subject to regular re-evaluation and change, ensuring it remains optimally positioned to meet evolving deployment needs and opportunities.

Benefits to the Forward Operating Base include that it will,

1. Enable quicker and more intentional responses to higher-risk crises that require the specific specializations with which Guardians are equipped.
2. Allow Married couples to live on the base as a family.
3. Allow continuing development of long-term connections and partnerships for future deployments.
4. Help establish an easier/faster path to acceptance by local governments and larger humanitarian aid organizations.
5. Significantly decreases the amount of downtime while waiting for deployments.
6. Reduce cost of living expenses while on deployment by utilizing local sources for food, lodging, and transportation.

Following a connection building deployment to East Africa, we have determined that a full-scale operational deployment to this region is a go.

‍

Our focus will be on the region of East Africa, with the goal of deploying from a Forward Operating Base in Kenya to help reduce living and travel costs. The Guardians have begun Phase 2 of establishing the FOB in Africa. 

And Now to You:

Please join with us in prayer for the Cadet Classes, as well as the Guardians as they begin this new phase of deployment. Thank you so much for your continued partnership with us in the mission being finished through Chazak. We’re excited to see God’s hand at work.

To partner with us financially, visit chazak.kindful.com and explore your one-time or monthly giving options!

Until next time! 

‍