Missing Child Found Unharmed
April 8th, 2008
By MALENA OGLES
Staff Writer—Tyler Morning Telegraph
LINDALE - For 13 long hours, emergency workers scoured thick woods for an 11-year-old girl who disappeared from her home Wednesday evening as family paced between their house and mobile command center, bleary-eyed and praying for a miracle.
It was close to 7:30 p.m. “Super Nanny” was on TV and Rachel Stevens was in the kitchen cooking dinner after giving her niece Celeste Robinson, an autism patient, her evening medication.
At 8 p.m., when the house was too quiet for comfort, Mrs. Stevens went into Celeste’s room -she wasn’t there. Worried, she checked the backyard.
Still, Celeste was nowhere to be found.
“Last week was spring break and she was just getting more and more bored. Autistic children get in manic episodes. She may have decided to take a walk about while I was getting dinner,” Mrs. Stevens said. Becoming increasingly more frantic, with no sign of Celeste’s whereabouts, the little girl’s aunt and legal guardian called more family members to help search.
“She has never gone this far before,” Mrs. Stevens said. On four-wheelers, neighbors and family scoured the 14-acre narrow strip of wooded land that stretched about a half mile behind the Stevens home on County Road 4122.
Flashlights cut through the darkness, the beams bobbing from bushes to inside parked cars and under sheds. Then, almost as suddenly as Celeste had vanished, a neighbor, from atop a four-wheeler, spotted the little girl’s black Mary Jane shoes in a creek bed.
IAA News Update
March 20th, 2008
Deployment News
The aftermath of hurricane Rita in 2005, left damage that will take many years of recovery time. Some of the damage will be irreversible. But, the small town of Vidor, near Beaumont TX, asked for ALERT’s assistance last week with the tearing down of two houses that were damaged by Rita. That was done in short time by some of the fifty- three ALERT men sent from Big Sandy.
While there, our men also hung insulation and sheetrock in a new church where Rita had destroyed the old one. The battalion and officers stayed in the gym at another local church while working for a week in Vidor and were blessed by being able to serve the citizens.
ALERT Training Update
Doors of Greater Service Through a Specialized Team
We are pleased and excited to announce our first Ministry Support Team (MST). This new unit is open to ALERT graduates in good standing. A twelve-week commitment is necessary, but there is no cost to the men. With some characteristics of the previous Mobile Response Team and the Service Response Team, the MST is devoted to serving the needs of the community, service projects, and on-campus projects. As a minimum of one-fourth of their time is planned off campus, they are available for a wide variety of deployments. The unit is devoted to carrying the ALERT message, and embodies the idea of being always ready to serve. High standards, crisp uniforms, and good morale are the marks of the MST. The goal is to have this team specially prepared and ready at a moment’s notice to serve the needs of others and to be a blessing to all. If God is calling you to serve in this way, please call us!
Upcoming Training & Events
Basic Training: March 24-May 23
Just a few days remain to sign up!!!!
“I would like to take a moment and relate my experience in Basic Training and maybe encourage you toward taking the next step and becoming a part of the Air Land Emergency Resource Team!
“When the Lord led me to ALERT in Feb. of 1994, I was like many young men today. I had been given a lot of good skills by virtue of the fact that my father was very handy and had invested a lot of his knowledge into me. I had also been raised by godly parents who lived out their faith in front of me and had led me in a right way. But I was unsure of where to go next. I had just finished high school and was looking for direction when ALERT came along. I jumped at the chance to have some adventure within the context of learning to be a more dedicated follower of Christ! My experience in Basic Training is one I will never forget and that was absolutely life changing. I remember being confronted with questions after we had been awakened in the middle of the night like, “Is salvation by faith or by works?” and struggling to give the answer that should have been automatic. I grew tremendously both physically and spiritually. My faith became my own and I learned the tremendous value of a servant’s heart. I was led beyond the limits of what I thought I could do, experienced the Lord’s presence through the pain and the unknown, and saw God’s faithfulness again and again.
My heart is to see you have the same experience that the Lord allowed me to have - to see you accept the challenge and enjoy the fullness of God’s faithfulness as He leads you to a greater understanding of what it means to be a dynamic man and disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ! I look forward to seeing you in the spring unit that begins on March 24th! If you have any questions or need an application, just call me at 903-636-2000 ext. 2905.” - Capt. Keon Pendergast
Leaders by H.E.A.R.T.: April 18-20, 2008
Join Dr. Lew Sterrett for “Lessons in Leadership from the Language of the Horse.” This short-course is ideal for community leaders, business leaders, educators, and parents. Leaders by H.E.A.R.T. [Human Equine Analogies in Relational Training] promotes the pursuit of excellence for developing healthy and productive relationships. Learn to deal with the angry and dysfunctional person and to address undesirable character issues, understand the means by which the good are challenged to excel, and learn to multiply investments by strengthening morale and giving direction. This unique and entertaining approach to leadership addresses key issues through the use of horse training and interactive dialogue.
IAA News Update
November 29th, 2007
ALERT News
The 2007 Veteran’s Concert and Banquet was a huge success. Brigadier General Mike McClendon delivered the keynote speech to around 450 in attendance including men and women from the Military, Law Officers, Firefighters, Emergency Personnel and members of the community.
In his speech, General McClendon noted that extremist attacks had gained frequency in the years between the Iran hostage crisis of 1979 and the 9/11 attacks. “Since 2001, United States interests have not been attacked on U.S. soil…” he said. “The reason for that is because we’re taking the war to them. The war in Iraq is one of many battles for the hearts and minds of the rest of the world.”
Our focus at ALERT is to train the hearts and minds of young men to follow Christ and to serve our country and community. It is great for our students to meet those who served and are serving our country.
One attending veteran said, “It’s an honor to be here at the Banquet and it’s fantastic.” Other veterans remarked they look forward to this event and it’s the highlight of their year.
Upcoming Events
ICBC Course II — Dec. 3-7, 2007
You likely know others who have been deeply wounded, suffer with addictions or compulsive behaviors, or are troubled with depression, fears, or behavioral disorders. Do you know how to share the Truth in a way that it can be personally appropriated, even “in the trenches” of life?
In this course you will learn the relationship between physical symptoms and spiritual issues, as the false dichotomy in human problems between the physical and spiritual realms is presented.
The confusing and growing trend of blending medical practice and New Age spirituality will be addressed. The role and significance of a believer’s concept of their identity in Christ in providing a basis for dealing with other “non-spiritual” areas of life will be illustrated.
IAA News Update
October 23rd, 2007
ALERT News
ALERT is privileged to host 15 young men from Philippine orphanages at our campus this week. These men are from 17-25 in age. They were chosen by the Philippine Department of Social Welfare & Development to be leaders in their orphanages. At ALERT they will gain Character Training and principles for living with good morals and standards which is so needed among today’s youth. Another area of training this week is basic disaster relief, which will be of advantage in a country where typhoons, tsunami’s and mudslides are commonplace. In February, some of our young men at ALERT will go to the Philippines to further assist in training.
Upcoming Events
Whatever It Takes Conference - Nov. 2-4, 2007
Are you willing to do whatever it takes to love God with all your heart, defeat the enemy, become one in your marriage, and win the hearts of your children? Join us as Paul and Jenny Speed share their life lessons and the work that God has done in building a oneness of spirit in their marriage and family. Whatever it Takes!
ALERT News
July 3rd, 2007
Unit 37 Basic Training- We have just completed Unit 37 basic training, and are praising the Lord for the fruit that he has seen fit to bring in the lives of these men! We began with 39 men and finished with 37, all of whom promoted. The focus as we began the training was to really seek to disciple the men, and I believe we saw more growth and maturity because of that. This unit was also the first one since Unit 29 to have a Big Hike at the end of Basic. We hiked close to 70 miles on the Ouachita trail up in Oklahoma, finishing up at Lake Ouachita. The men also had the opportunity to enjoy sun on the Big Hike next to a beautiful river, which they enjoyed immensely! Just to show you how God was working on that whole trip, when we loaded the buses on Thursday it was raining, and the forecast for the whole weekend was rain. I know I was praying that God would hold off the rain, and several of the families (not to mention the men) were also praying. The long and short of it is that there was not a drop of rain on us all weekend, and it was some of the most beautiful hiking weather that I have ever experienced. God is good! To close this short summary, I am very proud of each of the men of Unit 37. They have accomplished what few men will ever do in their lives, and did it well! I am looking forward to working with the men who return and praise God for each one of them. (Report by Cpt. Keon Pendergast, Basic Training Officer, graduate of ALERT Unit 1)
ALERT News
April 12th, 2007
Things are speeding toward the end of the semester, and the campus is starting to get busy with lots of Camps & Conference events over the next few months, including 3,000+ people here May 1-4 for the ATI conference. Unit 37 Basic Training started on March 19 with 39 men, so please keep the recruits and cadre in your prayers. We have posted the BT Prayer Booklet on the Alumni website to help you in praying for them.
ALERT News
Mexico Deployment- Recently, a group of 25 ALERT men had the incredible opportunity to share the love of Christ with over six hundred orphans in Mexico. Over the course of one week, the ALERT staff taught numerous skills, presented the gospel, and built relationships with the senior class at the Villa De Los Ninos orphanage outside of Guadalajara. Additionally, the ALERT team helped clean up a recently purchased IBLP property on Lake Chapala.
Each morning, the ALERT men taught the orphans skills such as river crossing, navigation, first aid, search and rescue, and drill and ceremony. The orphans were excited to learn. Additionally, each orphan had the opportunity to hear the gospel presented clearly. In the afternoons, the ALERT team helped clear land, demolish buildings and clean up a large piece of property IBLP recently purchased. The men enjoyed this hard work and made significant progress in preparing the property for ministry use.
God’s hand of blessing was evident throughout the trip. The travel went smoothly, the work in Mexico was well organized and everyone experienced spiritual growth during the trip. Leaving Mexico, the group knew that they had touched lives with the love of Christ. (Report by Cpl. Samuel Kordik, U33)
Staff help is needed in a few areas here at ALERT. One particularly urgent concern is for an apprentice in our water treatment facility. This is an opportunity for you to get involved in a growing industry, whether in your own hometown, in other regions of the U.S., or in missions areas across the globe. Cpt. Crist has been training ALERT men as certified water treatment specialists for the past 5 years. We currently have openings for two trainees. No tuition, room, or board fees are required, as the trainees provide a vital service to our overall program at the same time that they are learning, studying and testing. This certification can be immediately used to apply for positions in municipal water treatment facilities, as well as processing plants in many factories and industries. A two-year commitment is required and testing fees will be the responsibility of the trainee.
ALERT News
March 16th, 2007
This year started well; this weekend marks the end of ERT (Phase Two), so the men from Unit 36 will begin their Advanced Training on Monday. We have had a number of deployments over the first couple of months with a few highlighted below. I’ll try to have a report on the Mexico deployment next month.
ALERT News
Unit 36 Deployments- Saturday, January 20th, we received a request for assistance from Oklahoma State Representative George Faught. The area that he represents, around Muskogee, OK, had received severe damage from a major ice storm. He met with other local officials to confirm the need and their ability to house and feed the men, then, we notified the men of Unit 36 ERT. The men went to church Sunday morning, then departed at 1:00, arriving in the disaster area in time for supper. The men worked Monday through Saturday, cleaning up trees and limbs for the elderly and those with other special circumstances who were unable to take care of things on their own. 49 men put in a total of over 2900 man-hours in Muskogee and Ft. Gibson.
Besides the actual clean-up work, the men were able to minister to countless lives through singing at each home and at meals. They were invited to sing and give testimony at several Wednesday evening church services, and sang the national anthem at a regional high school basketball tournament on Friday evening. On Sunday, the men split into groups that attended several area churches they had interacted with over the preceding six days of work. Following lunch, they returned to Big Sandy for a night’s rest before starting back into classes the next morning. Local media in the Muscogee area was very impressed with the men: news reports can be viewed here and here. The men of Unit 36 also split in half later and each did week-long service projects in two different locations:
Fort Rock Family Camp in St. Paul, AR- We arrived late on Sunday evening, so we got a late start in the morning. The men were assigned their jobs for the day, ate breakfast, had prayer, and were sent to the job locations. The first couple of days, we had four areas to concentrate on. The first and largest was the stockade fence, this required that we set 10 ft cedar posts into a trench, pull them tightly together, and backfill and tamp gravel all around them, by the end of three days we had completed 300 feet of this fence. The second job was insulating a large dining hall/recreation building. The men had a good response, and did their work cheerfully, and after five days of hard labor, the building was completed.
Each day, two men were assigned to be carpenters, to assist in building the second story deck in front of the hotel. All of the wood used in the construction was milled on property, and has a rough sawn appearance. The hotel, general store, bank, and sheriff’s office, have an old west appeal, and provide a face for the dining hall/recreation building. We cut and hauled firewood for the winter, at one point assisting a widow in the area by filling up her firewood needs, and cleared about two acres of woodland for use as a rifle range/archery range. An excellent deployment, from which we returned with honor, grateful thanks to all who tended the home fires, and stayed behind so that we could take the gospel into all the world.
Trenton, FL- From February 11-17 part of the ALERT ERT unit had the privilege of serving the community of Trenton, Florida by providing assistance to the needy in that part of the county. Our hosts, Carl and Geneva Cornwell, graciously and enthusiastically organized the week, lined up work projects, and arranged a campground to lodge in, and wonderful meals throughout our time. Work assignments ranged from basic lawn care and mowing to trimming bushes, power-washing houses, demolition work, painting and some minor household repairs. In addition to the service work the men were able to enjoy several public events that included a luncheon with the Rotary, an evening dinner with the American Legion, Wednesday night church services and finally a Friday night community event in downtown Trenton. A number of the guys had the privilege of sharing about their life at ALERT as well as giving a personal testimony to those present at the Character Council gathering on Saturday evening. The community was extremely grateful and appreciative of our service and we were blessed to be able to serve in this capacity. Special thanks go to Lt. Huggins, Sgt. Wall and Corporal Cahill for their great organizational and supervisory skills, which made the week run most efficiently. You can see news reports here and here
Alumni News
Bruce West (Unit 26) just completed Warrant Officer Candidate School in the U.S. Army, and will be starting a year of flight training to become a helicopter pilot.
ALERT Men in the military- During the past couple of months, I’ve been tracking down all the guys who are in the armed forces. I’ve been able to contact over 80 already, with several more I haven’t gotten in touch with yet. If any of you know how to contact Jacob Davis (U22), Jason Douglas (U24), James Harry (U13), Owen Manor (U3), Marc Moore (U11), Aaron Morsberger (U5), or Charles Stewart (U3), please let me know!
Prayer Requests
If you have a need you’d like to share with the rest of us, please pass it on and I’ll include it in the next update.
New:
We are planning an International Service Deployment for each unit a few weeks before they graduate. This May, Unit 35 men will be going on a project to work with a missionary in Brazil. One of the men is short the necessary funds to be involved in this trip. Our desire from the outset has been that all of these men be able to participate. The time is drawing short on committing him to this vital deployment. This is an opportunity for you to impact not only the life of an ALERT man, but also those whom he will be able to serve in Brazil. If you or someone you know would be able to help with this need, please go directly to our website at www.alertacademy.com, click on the Donate to Our Disaster Relief Fund button, designate as “General ALERT Donation”, then specify “Brazil Trip Sponsor” in the comments field. This is a secure site for protection of personal information. Time is critical for this man’s funds to materialize. In any case, please pray for our men’s ministry in Brazil and their final time together as a unit.
Updates:
Chris Sullivan (Unit 13) and his wife Lindsey’s babies that I mentioned last Update were delivered; Ryan Patrick and Conner Luke both are over two pounds now and are continuing to grow. Their lungs are still underdeveloped, so that is a matter of ongoing prayer need. Ryan is being flown to Oklahoma City for surgery on a vessel near his heart on Monday, so that is an immediate prayer request. Thank you for your prayers!
Aaron Robertson (Unit 18) was released from the hospital in North Carolina, but is still undergoing some other challenges. If any of you would like to give him a call of encouragement, just reply to this email and I’ll get you his phone number.
Continuing:
Chris Scott (Unit 25) is in the Navy, stationed in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He and his wife, Sheyenne, are separated. This trial has really shown him his need to be brought back into right relationship and fellowship with the Lord. Please pray for restoration of his marriage, and also that the Lord would bring a Christian friend to come along side him for encouragement and accountability.
ALERT News
January 26th, 2007
Basic Training Update- With all the glory belonging to God, 59 men completed Unit 36 Basic Training in November 2006. The Lord did mighty works on the hearts of these men, including one man accepting the Lord as his Savior during the first week of training!
The unit had numerous opportunities to serve here on campus. One project involved assisting our maintenance crew with an emergency power issue. With only hand tools of course, one squad dug a 6-foot deep trench 2 feet wide by 30 feet long in a little over an hour!
Unit 36 will be remembered as the unit that braved some very cold Oklahoma nights during the 24 hour Endurance hike. The men arrived at the Ouachita National Forest the night before the hike to camp in 20-degree weather. It warmed up a little during the day, but then back down to the low 20’s during the night portion of the hike. The hikers really appreciated the hot chocolate and campfires during the breaks! Captain Keon Pendergast figured that “at my pace count; each one of my feet hit the ground 48,000 times (no wonder my feet hurt!). We covered the 51.2 miles in 23 hours 20 minutes so we were moving at a pretty good pace.” Again, the Lord graced the men with physical, mental, and spiritual strength to persevere during this climatic event in their Basic Training. Also, most of the men from Unit 36, about 65%, have returned to ALERT for phase 2, Emergency Response Training.
ALERT News
July 27th, 2006
This spring was very busy here at ALERT, even though the year has started out rather slow deployment-wise, with no requests for disaster relief. I guess the Lord knew we needed a break after all the craziness last fall. Much of the spring semester was spent concentrating on catching up with classes, planning, and projects around campus that were pushed back by all the Disaster Relief from the hurricanes.
ALERT News
Deployments: As mentioned above, we haven’t had any disaster deployments, but the men from Unit 34, during their Emergency Response Training, were able to do some service projects to fulfill their scheduled deployment time. One week we had 42 men in three locations. 20 men went to Fork Rock Family Camp in NW Arkansas, and built a 27′x27′, two-story log cabin in 4 BD days. A second group, 11 men, went to Skiatook, OK to clear brush, put up fences, and other projects at the Training Center there. Finally, a group of 11 men helped a local ALERT man’s family clear some land at their new home about 2 hours from here.
Local Responses:
We continue to do quite a bit of local responses for Search and Rescue, both land and underwater. Unit 34 was able to search a large section of land during their SAR training as part of an investigation in a major criminal case. Our divers spent several days searching for a young boy that drowned in a lake about two hours south of here, and also recovered a drowning victim here in Big Sandy. Unit 34 also did one week of deployment providing yard cleanup and sawyer work to widows and hospice patients in our area.
Lakefront Project:
Following the completion of the new Rappelling Tower, the next major campus project has been the lakefront. The docks were in terrible shape, and we really wanted to have a nicer area down there. Last fall, the old docks were torn out, and in December, work began on creating the new recreation area. Chris Jensen (Unit 18) and Lt. Col. Moulton used heavy equipment to re-grade the entire area, taking advantage of the fact that the lake was about 5′ below “normal” levels. The new docks were built, and a couple work projects with the battalion built a 5′ high, 165′ long retaining wall to create an area for lap swimming. This is a great improvement for both training and recreational purposes.
Basic Training:
Our staff from the last few Basic Trainings is changing around a little. Cpt. Rowe, who has been BT Commander, is moving back to full-time flight instruction, and Lt. Keon Pendergast (Unit 1) who has been the Logistics officer, will be replacing him as Basic Training OIC. 2Lt. Bruce Covey will be stepping in as the new BT Logistics Officer. We’re excited to see our first Basic Training OIC who has actually worked his way up through the ranks!
Quest:
The first edition of the new Quest summer camp for young men ages 14-17 is going very well, with 83 men here for the month going through great teaching times and outdoor activities.
Alumni News
ALERT Alumni Retreat 2006: A first-time ALERT Retreat will be held August 25-27 at the Northwoods. More information is available here. It will be a great time to get together with old friends and meet new ones from other phases of ALERT’s history. We will have plenty of activities, or you can just hang out and talk, whichever you prefer. It’s a great opportunity to see what God has done and is doing in and through both the ALERT program and the individual lives it has impacted. If you have any ideas of ingredients you’d like to see in the plans, please pass those along to Cpt. David Herring at 903.636.2000 ext. 2275.
Recent marriages, births, etc.:
Jonathan Knight (U25) got married on Dec. 31, 2005; Rhett Prichard (U1) in April; Jonathan Hocking (U23) in May, and Ryan Thomas (U15) married Kristi Armour (sister of Will [U19] and Dan [U22]) on June 24. Within our current staff, Joel Talley (U20) married Angie Hicks (sister of Will [U5]) in May, Joel Pierce (U30) married Laura Yoder (staff family) in June, and Cpt. Rowe got married in June as well. We’ve also had several new babies join the staff: Micah Dankers last June, Toby Herring in August, Silas Yoder in October, Colby Huggins in May, and Connor Pendergast and Jack Tanner a week apart in June. Cpt. Chris Overby is getting married in September, and his assistant, 2Lt. Brian Cahill (U16), is courting.
ALERT Men in the military: It’s been a while since I’ve gotten an update on most of these guys. If anyone has information (unit, location, contact info, etc.) on any of the men currently serving, please let me know. I’d like to get an updated list made and distributed to the rest of the alumni, so we can know better how to pray for them.
Information update:
Please use the “Update your contact info with ALERT” link on the left side of the Alumni homepage so that I can update our records, as well as do a better job of facilitating communication between guys who want to get in touch with their old buddies!