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Prayer and Praise

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Vasya’s Testimony

It is November 27, 2023. The day is cold. A fresh coat of snow blankets the ground. Myself, and the rest of Alpha team, are in Southern Ukraine. We reside mere miles from Russian front lines. Daily we hear the sound of explosions, as shelling harasses the city in which we reside. Even now, as I type, I hear the blare of air-raid sirens.

What is our purpose? Why work in this location? One purpose is the restoration of an old Soviet theatre, which has been procured by a local church. My purpose, as the Photo journalist, is to hear the stories of those whom have been affected by this brutal war. Specifically today, I am listening to Vasya, who is pictured above. He is recounting for me a story, dated back to the end of May, 2022. Setting the scene for his testimony is a Russian occupation.

“During the Russian occupation,” Vasya begins, “weekly inspections are held, in which soldiers rummage through our homes, searching the contents, intent on finding anything that might be liable to scrutiny. Despite this, I hold my own simple routine. Every morning, before the inspection is due, I read my bible, studying the scriptures, seeking what the Lord may have for me."

“One particular morning, I am reading from God’s Word as four soldiers approach. An officer steps onto my front porch. I hand my passport to him. The officer’s eyes catch sight of my Bible, he picks it up, examining its contents. I implore the officer to be gentle. After a moment, the officer lays the Book back in its place. ‘Do you adhere to the church of Moscow?’ probes the officer, looking for the generic answer. In this moment to say anything other than ‘Yes’ could prove to be infuriating. However, I will say nothing but the truth, for I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit upon me. Hence, without fear, I begin to preach far beyond what his question requires—the Gospel—proclaiming that God created the world, and that all humans have been made in His image. I quote Scripture from Genesis, and even proclaim that God has his hand on Ukraine. I end with a direct answer, ‘I worship the one true God, Jesus Christ.’ The officers reaction is far different than I could’ve expected—for it was there, in the same breath that I said, ‘Jesus Christ,’ he commands that the troops stop their search, not only of my house, but of the entire village. They simply leave.”

"That evening, in a town meeting, I recount what happened. My neighbors listen in amazement. They ask questions about my Faith, they try to understand the power of God’s word. God used me in my village. He used me to tell my neighbors about Jesus and His Word. He used that story, that miracle, as an open door for my people to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Praise God!” (translated and paraphrased from Ukrainian to English).

Vasya concludes his testimony with adoration to God—throwing his hands to the heavens, and continually crying “to God be the Glory!” A wonderful reminder for us all. In everything, give thanks.

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Tobi’s Story

While awaiting the arrival of their point of contact during a deployment in Morocco, Class 1 cadetsJaden, Eugene, Landon, and Dawson took a ferry to Spain. While exploring a mountain overlookingthe bay of Gibraltar, they met Tobi. Recently, Tobi had been grappling with questions about Godand the use of drugs in his life. Being from the Czech Republic, Tobi spoke perfect English whichallowed the cadets to engage him in a deep conversation in which they shared the gospel. Tobi’slife was about to change! Before parting, Tobi and Dawson exchanged contact information andafter several months of continued communication between Tobi and Dawson, Tobi expressed hiswholehearted belief in God.

Ten months after meeting Tobi, Dawson, Landon, and Jaden traveled to the Czech Republic tostudy the Bible with Tobi. During this time, Tobi revealed he'd been searching for truth his wholelife and felt he finally found it. The cadets were able to baptize Tobi at his request which wasanswer to prayer. Tobi's journey of coming to faith in Christ through the interaction with theCadets seemed full of ‘coincidences’ and ‘chance’ encounters that the cadets (and now Tobi)know were actually God-orchestrated moments that brought Tobi to His Kingdom.

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Oksana’s Story

It is November 29, 2023, Ukraine. Today I am sipping instant coffee while listening to the story of a school teacher, Oksana. Her village is in ruins—broken windows, collapsed ceilings and walls, entire homes nothing more than a heap of rubble. Why? This town has seen mass amounts of warfare—fallen victim to a years-long war. The stage is set.

“Hello, my name is Oksana,” she begins. “I am the teacher of our village elementary school. My town is beautiful—we have a lovely river bank and lots of wildlife. On the 24th of February, the war began, this is when everything changed. Originally I didn’t know what to expect. However, as time went on, the war came closer and closer, until finally, tanks rolled through our streets, this is when I realized life will never be the same. My family and I packed all we could carry, got in our car, and traveled on a road named The Valley of Death. It was in the Valley that our vehicle came under Russian fire—three rockets landed near the front of our car. Now we call that same road The Valley of Life.”

“When we left our home, we thought we could return in three days, instead it was eleven months. Finally, when we did return home, our house was destroyed, my car burned, and our possessions robbed. We had to start over. Step by step we rebuilt our house and the school, which had also been desolated. I returned to teaching. Every day I thanked God for life.”

“Today in our village, most everyone has left; however some are returning. My area has lots of beautiful sights, but during the occupation, most were ruined. The war is bad, but life goes on. We try to live again” (translated and paraphrased from Ukrainian to English).

After the interview, I noted how Oksana is making the best of her situation, which is made obvious through the layout of her home. Consisting of only four small rooms, Oksana’s home is tidy. The walls sport dozens of books, most notably being the works of C.S. Lewis. There is a large stack of board games and school supplies. There is even a piano, which I am privileged to hear Oksana’s daughter play. So it is, here amidst a war zone, that I see a genuine appreciation for life, learning, and the pursuit to rise above your circumstances.

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Chazak by the Numbers

4
Years in Operation
23
Deployments
12 Operational, 11 Training
170+
days on deployment
21+
Countries worked in
11
Guardians
7
Cadets
95
Staff members
$
k
Yearly total raised
2.4M
Donations
$
k
Raised
385
Donors
Avg donation
Tuition
$
k
Tuition Collected
19
Cadets paid
Avg tuition paid/cadet
Events
$
k
Raised
122
Donations from events
Avg raised per event donation

The Four Step Process

Funding

In addition to receiving funds from generous partners like you, we utilize the following methods for raising support:

1. Chazak-owned and run businesses (Deadwood Outfitters, and Impact Thrift)
2. Yearly tuition from Cadets
3. Applying for available grants

Planning and Distribution

On a monthly basis, we set aside funds for both operational and training deployments. This helps to ensure that we can continue sending teams to reach the lost. Donors have the option of designating funds towards deplyments, each Cadet class, and other funding campaigns.

Training and Sending Teams

Chazak Academy is structured in a way to bring about significant and positive change for cadets in body, soul and spirit. This is all done through their development as a team so that when the time comes for them to deploy, they will have already understood what serving as a team looks like.

After care

Through training or deployment with Chazak, Cadets and Guardians have the very real possibility of being exposed to traumatic scenes and scenarios. We do not take this lightly. It is our goal to care for each individual even after their time with Chazak may come to an end.

All About Donations

Operation Red Dawn

Ongoing conflict and instability in the Middle East have left minorities facing increasing threats from extremist groups. Refugees remain vulnerable to human trafficking, forced labor, and exploitation, as international aid declines and host countries struggle to provide basic services. At the same time, worsening droughts and resource scarcity have intensified food and water shortages, deepening the humanitarian crisis across the region.

What these funds will cover:

✔ Guardian's flights to the Middle East
✔ Humanitarian aid supplies 
✔ Ground transportation, food, and lodging 

Raised
$
3420
Goal
$
20000
Donate Now
Monthly Giving Amount
Donor Amount Goal
Total Monthly Amount
Current Donor Amount
$10,000
2
$20,000
0
$5,000
5
$25,000
2
$3,000
5
$15,000
2
$1,000
20
$20,000
1
$500
25
$12,500
2
$100
50
$5,000
13
$50
100
$5,000
9
$25
100
$2,500
3
Total
307
$105,000
32
$2,181,964

Education

$902,124

Instructors
College Accreditation

Operations

$691,100

General
Deployment

Public Relations

$320,000

Marketing and Advertisement
Events

Human Resources

$242,125

Supplies & Software

Finance

$23,615

Supplies & Software

Catch up on the latest News

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Shelling at a busy market near Sudan's capital has filled a mortuary with bodies, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says. MSF and the Sudanese authorities said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were responsible for Saturday's attack in the city of Omdurman, which killed and injured more than 100 people - a claim the RSF has denied. The majority of those killed at the market were women and children, the Sudanese Doctors' Union says. The RSF and Sudan's army have been locked in a civil war that, over 22 months, has killed tens of thousands and sparked what the UN describes as one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. A simple guide to what is happening in Sudan In the past few weeks, the army has stepped up its offensive in Omdurman, which lies across the River Nile from capital city, Khartoum, aiming to regain complete control from the RSF. Eyewitnesses told the AFP news agency that Saturday's artillery shelling had come from western Omdurman, where the RSF remains in control. Saturday's explosion caused "utter carnage" at the nearby Al Nao hospital, which was overwhelmed with injured patients, MSF general secretary Chris Lockyear said. The Sudanese Doctors' Union appealed for nearby medics to assist at the hospital, saying there was an "acute shortage of medical staff". Follow link for full story...

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