December with Class 4 took place within Segment 2.3 of training, which included two weeks of home break! This gave both the Cadets and our Academy staff a chance to slow down and reconnect with family after a demanding stretch of training. 

During that time, the Academy team was also to finalize all plans for Chazak Foundations, readying our headquarters in PA for the class, as well as finalizing the logistics that come with a new training! We’re so excited as we bring on our first Foundations class, and eventually Class 5 of Chazak Cadets.

For Rescue, December was a time to catch back up and take a breath. The last few months have been fairly full of deployments, which is a good thing, but requires a slowdown period to rest and recuperate while we have limited available Guardians. It also gave a chance for the Public Relations team to try to regain some financial ground, as the last few deployments have drained a lot of resources. We’re grateful to now have a small amount set aside for an emergency deployment fund, meaning we can hopefully deploy at a moment’s notice when a crisis hits, without waiting on resources. We praise God for this blessing. 

We also want to share a piece written by one of our Guardians, recapping the last three months: 

“The last few months were a whirlwind of activity. October began with a trip to Ukraine. The country continues to be ravaged by war, with no end in sight. Missile and artillery strikes, drone attacks, and mines continue to claim lives every day, if not every hour. During our time there, I personally experienced half a dozen close calls. That was in just a month’s time. People that live on the front lines encounter this every day. It’s difficult to pick yourself up and persist in circumstances like this, but it’s much easier when other people are there with you. That was my team for the month of October. We traveled to four different cities, teaching medical classes to people that live in war. While they were grateful for the skills we taught, they cherished our presence even more. To see that people still care and visited them in their home meant more than words could describe.

‍As October ended and November began, I began traveling back to the USA. Approximately 5,800 miles away, Hurricane Melissa was tearing through Jamaica. Less than twelve hours after landing in Washington DC, I was on a plane with a different team to respond to this disaster. The storm had wrecked the western half of the island. Buildings made of concrete had mostly survived, but those made of wood were not so lucky. Vegetation and crops fared even worse. While not all greenery was gone, it reminded me a lot of the brown landscape of the northern US during winter. Roads were blocked by numerous obstacles, and others were submerged or partly washed away. Our team got to work scouting and clearing roads, delivering aid to affected communities, and helping another organization establish long-term operations. In total we spent a week in the country. While it wasn’t very long, God gave us encounters that reminded us why we do what we do. Everywhere we worked, people thanked us not just for our service, but for the fact that we came. To them, we left much to come help them in their time of need. Again our presence was as impactful as our work.

Towards the end of November, I again boarded a plane for a distant land. This time the destination was Nigeria. Located on the coast of West Africa, it is home to 237 million Muslims, Christians, and various other religious peoples. My job on this trip was to scout opportunities for Chazak Rescue to work there in the future. I went expecting to experience the country, learn about possible areas of future work, and not much else. While that did happen, what impacted me the most was something else. During my ten days there, God gave me the opportunity to minister to three different groups. The first, a large group of pastors who have experienced persecution. I didn’t feel qualified to say anything to them given our vast difference in life experience, but God didn’t think so. He spoke through me to them, and I left feeling grateful and blessed to have met them. The second group were drug addicts, current and recovering. We spent time encouraging and instructing them in a life worth living. The third and final group were young adults from a local church. We spoke to them about how our actions speak louder than words, and what we do with our lives for Christ matters.

‍Three different countries, three different climates, and three different problems. Yet all with the same solution: Jesus. We came with the love of God, and they all felt it. Not because we brought tons of aid or saved hundreds of lives. They felt it because we came with intentionality, and sat with them in their hurt. They saw us leave America and travel to their home. We looked them in the eye and said, “you are not alone”. I praise God, because He did the same for us. He saw us in our sin and sent Jesus to tell us “you are not alone”. Let us never forget this act, and seek to live it out in our own lives. To God be the glory, for all that He has done for us and through us.

God Bless!”

-Landon, Chazak Guardian

This piece and more can be found in our newly released Q4/Year-End Field Report. In it, we go into detail about deployments within Q4, as well as take a look back at what your support has made possible in the year of 2025. You can read the report by clicking here.

To wrap up, I also want to share this recap of the year, written by Dan, our Chairman:

As we come to the close of this year, I am reminded that Chazak has never been a single effort or a single mission. It is a family of callings, distinct in function and unified in purpose. This year stretched us geographically, operationally, and personally. It also reinforced why Chazak exists: to bring strength, hope, and preparedness where they are most needed.

This year, Chazak Rescue has served in multiple countries, responding where the need was real and immediate. Our teams regularly encounter difficult and often heartbreaking situations as they deliver practical aid, training, and critical supplies. These moments rarely draw attention, but they matter deeply to the people being served. I am grateful for the humility, courage, and resolve our Guardians bring into these environments.

‍Looking ahead, the establishment of a Forward Operating Base will help us support our teams more effectively and respond with greater consistency in the year to come.

Chazak Academy continues to prepare men and women to serve in war zones and high-risk environments. This year focused on refinement, clarifying our training path and placing Cadets into real field work sooner without lowering standards. Training at Chazak is not only about skills. It is about character, judgment under pressure, and service beyond self. Our instructors and students live that out daily.

Across Rescue and Academy, one thing remains clear: Chazak moves forward because people are willing to carry responsibility faithfully, often quietly and at great personal cost.

‍As we close this year, I am grateful for what has been accomplished, mindful of the work still ahead, and confident in the direction we are moving.

Thank you to everyone who has stood with Chazak this year, whether on the ground, behind the scenes, or through prayer and support.

With sincere appreciation,

-Dan Lapp, Chairman

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