CASP Report - Levi Baer 6-9-2024

I wish a good afternoon to each of you that are here. I've wondered

before why we saved the report time till afternoon soon after lunch. Maybe it's

because we don't have to put quite as much work into reports and stelf you're

sleeping. It's not such a big deal. Not sure. I don't mean

to minimize the importance of these programs. It's been a blessing to our fellowship,

So report uncast. I've served on the board for CAST for a year

and a half with brother Neil and Kenley. I've just been replaced recently as

we are moving out of the community. I've enjoyed my time there and it's

been a it's been a blessing to work with the brothers in this regard.

So I would just start by asking the question a raise of hands by who

all knows what the term CAST stands for? So I can't hear you anyway

if I would ask to have you clarify it, But you're probably right not

not everyone knows, and I would just like to if there's such a thing

as reintroduction of CASP, I would like to briefly do that. So CASS

stands for Conservative Anabaptist Service Program, so CASP is a CAM based program.

The foremost goal of CAST is to provide alternative places of employment approved by the

SSS or United States Selective Service System, where conscientious objectors could serve their required

time should the government activate a draft. So if you're a father here that

has eighteen year old an eighteen year old son, or close eighteen, or

somewhere between eighteen to twenty two years of age somewhere in there, it's probably

something that you should be aware of. And maybe you're like many of us

and you think that, well, that probably will never happen to us,

and maybe the chances are small, but I would say that it could very

easily happen and something that we should should think about seriously. It's just simply

a way of preparing for a draft in the event of a draft, And

in some ways, I guess you could say it's showing the Selective Service that

you know, we're serious about our CEO status. We already have a program

in place that's in operation. I think that would go a long ways in

convincing the Selective Service System should should a draft ever come to place. So

when we have a CAST project like we did this past March. There's some

short questionnaires that are filled out by the staff and the asw's the young the

young man that participate. And it's interesting when you when you read some of

the reviews. The one the one young person expressed his disappointment that this did

not guarantee that he would be if selected, that it would actually be an

automatic seal status. Granted. I think I say that not to be little

the comment, but just to to recognize that maybe we don't all understand exactly

what cast is is all about, because I know there was a time when,

you know, if we don't have young boys that are close to that

age, we tend to just phase it out. And I think it's important

to know. So, yes, that is true. It doesn't guarantee CEO

status. Just as an example I mentioned earlier that you know, probably will

never happen, but could a draft in America in the United States, but

an example that that brings it closer to home for me to think about.

You know, other countries are experiencing this currently. You think of the war

in Ukraine that's going on, and a few months ago they're so desperate for

bodies in that war against Russia that they up the minimum wage to sixty years

of age, if I'm not mistaken. And so there was a brother in

the one church there, church at Kribashency, and he was fifty nine years

old and he was summoned to report for duty. This was just a few

months ago, a brother in the church there, a member, and so

he went. But he was well prepared, he had his things in order.

But very much a time of you know, putting your faith to the

task, questioning, you know, am I do I have what it takes?

Has my life up to this point, because once we get to the

point of being summoned to duty, doesn't matter. The past is a past

at that point, and that's what will govern what they decide. So many

prayers went up for this brother, and he showed him all his paperwork and

everything in order, went through the questions, and they released him back home

again just to show that God is faithful, but also to think about that

that is not ever a guarantee in this wherever that may be, whatever country,

even though we have all our things in order, you know, it

just may come to a time where we're forced to do that or give up

our life. Just like it would have been in times past. I think

that's something to remember. I thought about the verse in I believe it's in

John eighteen, verse thirty six, where Pilot his little interaction with Jesus there

was he asked him, in my own words, are you not going to

fight for your rights? Are you not going to fight? And Jesus answer

to him was, my kingdom is not of this world. Thinking about kingdoms,

the king's kingdom in these meetings, he says, if my kingdom were

of this world, then would my servants fight, only then they would fight

that he would not be delivered to the Jews. So just something to lead

with you in that regard of being aware, especially as young people of which

kingdom we serve, because when it comes to CEO status, that's where things

become very real. So there's currently twenty church constituencies that are signed up under

CASP program, and CASP coordinates with these constituencies on a pilot projects. We're

service age men. Like we talked about work work as if a draft were

in place. These projects last usually last up to at least four weeks,

so it's not it's not a real short program. And usually they include something

along the lines of forestry work or rebuilding homes in disaster areas, which you

probably heard some of this. So this past March, as you know,

many of you know that there was a project in Monteagle, Tennessee. It's

about an hour from Nashville, and that was a forestry project and Caspas has

been there a few times or maybe one other time right there. I'm not

quite sure. I was able to make it there for a weekend myself and

enjoyed to seeing the boots on the ground there and all the hard work that

went into that I was. I was really impressed. On Sunday afternoon,

some of the boys took me on a walk down through some of these forest

trails in that country in Monteagle, Tennessee is really up and down and it's

steep, and you know, they did some really hard, physically physically demanding

work which kind of impressed me. Wasn't it wasn't easy building trails, chipping

out rock on the side of the hills to build trails, carving out stone

stairways. It it was very interesting to see. So on that project there

this past March, Wilmer Hirsh's would have went Wilmer Hirsch family from Hamilton would

have went as I guess I'm not sure what the term as I couldn't remember

as as house parents. Is that right? Kenley as to oversee there as

house parents. The Dwight Hooley family from Payette was there as cook's along with

Carrie Rot which would be from this community and also one of Wilmer's daughter's Karina.

I believe it was helped in the in the cooking there as well.

Darryl Biler from Pine Grove. He and his wife were therefore ask leader.

So it takes money and bodies of course, to make these projects operate.

Takes to the tune of about twenty to twenty five thousand dollars per project,

which is only going up, it seems like, and I know it's a

big commitment to the young fellows that that go commit to this for four weeks,

you know, leave their jobs and whatever that is. And especially for

married staffers that are willing to go, it's really been I would just say

it this way that I don't know of anyone that's went that hasn't received a

blessing for doing it. And it is a it is a big commitment there's

a lot of blessings to be had there, so I would just maybe ask

briefly that anyone that has served in that regard, would you raise your hands

as far as staffing CASP needs. There's a few yes, thank you.

So who wants to be next to receive a blessing?