September 30, 2022

Hello Alumni,  

I hope this letter finds you well! Things are busy here, but God is good to us. Unit 67 began three weeks ago with 50 men beginning the forging process of ALERT Training. Feel free to follow them through photos on our Flickr page, and please keep these guys in your prayers. Please also pray for all of the front-line leaders. God often uses them to make a significant impact in the lives of the students, but we are also aware that we can easily hurt our students if we are not vigilant in evaluating ourselves and leading with humility. If you would like to pray for the students and leaders by name, you can access the Unit 67 Prayer Booklet here. 

If you’re like me, you remember the feeling of culture shock during the first few weeks of Basic Training. Over the past few years, I have seen a shift in how much of an adjustment Basic Training is for young men. For example, when I came to Basic Training fourteen years ago, having to give up my cell phone for nine weeks was not a big deal. However, most of the guys coming through now haven't known much of life without their phones, so the culture shock is much greater.

On the Battalion side of things, we're looking at trying to get our Missions Unit on an international trip next month. Please be in prayer for God to orchestrate details for a trip where they can be a blessing and also have a great learning experience.

Alumni often ask me, "what do you guys need right now?" and I would boil it down to three things:

1. Prayer! Pray for wisdom and direction as we seek to lead well.

2. Share! If you think this training is worthwhile, let other young men know about its impact on your life.

3. Support! We would love to be able to give a scholarship to every young man that comes through. One of the number one reasons guys don't come is finances. If you feel led to give to ALERT, the scholarship fund is a great way to support the mission of forging men. Thanks to our donors, we have been able to give out around $29,000 in scholarships in 2022, and we’d love to double that next year.

If you were unaware, we lost one of our own a few weeks ago. Joshua Thomas from Unit 10 passed away from a six-month battle with cancer, leaving his wife and 10 children behind (with one on the way). Please be in prayer for the family as they grieve the loss of their husband and father. 

One last thing is a reminder that the ALERT Reunion 2023 is just four months away! Mark your calendars for January 27-29, 2023, and watch for more details to come. We would love to see you guys there!

Thank you again for all the sacrifices you have made to make this program possible over the years.