Update on the Ukraine Deployment

Much has happened since our last post! The Advance Team had the opportunity to deploy to Ukraine. Beginning in Kyiv, they traveled through several regions of Ukraine doing technical and medical rescue training. One such training they oversaw was Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC), a much-needed course in Kyiv where there is a severe shortage of medical trainers.

In addition to providing training, the Advance Team also had the chance to assist in several rescue operations. At one of their locations, some nearby apartment complexes were shelled. There were several recoveries made, in addition to the rescues.

Additionally, the Advance Team was privileged to bless local rescue units with rescue lamps and other tools to assist in first response efforts. They also listened to first-hand stories from Ukrainians who fled Russian occupation.

Team One Kicks off Year Two in the Water

Our first team of cadets is starting their second year of training this month! Their year is kicking off in New River Gorge, West Virginia. There, they are becoming certified in swift water and technical rescue. This will be followed by several weeks of team development in Lancaster, PA.

Introducing the Newest Members of Chazak: Team Two

Team two starts its orientation this month and includes ten new cadets.

Here’s a quick introduction with a fun tid-bit about each one.

• Rhoda Filbrun from Dayton, Ohio. Rhoda has spent the majority of her life outdoors, ranging everywhere from the backwoods of Michigan to more recently, an Ohio livestock farm.
• Kris High from Downing, Missouri. Kris has a love for learning and new experiences.
• David Lapp from Gap, Pennsylvania. David is unable to sit cross legged.
• Josh Lapp from Penn Yan, New York. Josh is an avid culinary practitioner.
• Cheyanne Martin from Millersburg, Pennsylvania. Cheyanne does not drink coffee but she loves a good coffee shop.
• Andrew Miller from Sugarcreek, Ohio. Andrew prefers mountains to beaches and enjoys snowboarding.
• Jacob Nisley from Statesville, North Carolina. Jacob owns his own paramotor and is intrigued with nearly anything involving paragliding or skydiving.
• Elmina Stoltzfus from Salisbury, North Carolina. Elmina once had the chance to climb an açai tree.
• Jesse Wagler from Stratford, Ontario. Jesse broke his collarbone in 2016 while snowboarding, and he has persisted to snowboard regularly since then.
• Niki Yoder from Sturgis, Michigan. Nikki does not like answering generic random fact questions.

Some Things to Pray For

As we launch into this Fall, would you join us in praying for the following?

• The Advance Team as they return home and train for future deployments.
• The civilians in Ukraine who are under Russian occupation.
• Safety and an excellent learning experience for Team One in West Virginia.
• A successful launch for Team Two.
• Wisdom for the directors as they take up the challenge of managing an additional team.

That’s it for today, friends. As always: thanks for being here and following along as together we spread hope into the far corners of this globe!