Who Am I?

Today I wrote an email to a group of volunteers. At the end I signed it off:

-Carmen Rempel

Momentum/Nights Alive Coordinator

I had to pause to think about this for a moment because usually I email these two groups separately. So I would sign off either Momentum Coordinator or Nights Alive Coordinator depending on whom I was communicating to. But because I was emailing both groups I combined the two titles. 

That got me thinking about all the different ways I sign off emails. All the different roles I fill.

-Carmen Rempel

Secretary of YFC Young Leader Advisory Board

or 

-Carmen Rempel

High School Youth Worker

So just for fun I decided to write out all my different roles. You can see the result below.

-Carmen Rempel

Momentum Coordinator, Nights Alive Coordinator, Youth Worker, Young Leaders Advisory Board Secretary, YFC National Board Member, Wedding Officiant, Mentor, Volunteer Coordinator, International Speaker, Lifeteams OnTheRoad worker, Special Needs Elementary School Class Volunteer, Fundraiser, Preteen Youth Ministry Coordinator

Then what about all that other stuff I do?

-Carmen Rempel

Marathon Runner, Church Member, Self-lead Theological/Philosophy Student, Wife, Classical Literature Enthusiast, God parent, Friend, Daughter, Home owner

This would all seem like too much, and at times feels overwhelming. But that’s only when I loose perspective on who I really am. I am not titles. I am not a job description. 

Primarily, above all else, I am the adopted daughter of the Most High King and I am simply on His mission to restore this world to the beautiful place of love and harmony that it once was and one day will be again. 

I know hope for the world that keeps me laughing through life today.

That’s who I am. 

I am "Adopted by hope".

A story of a kind begger who knew some things

I was 65% of the way out of my comfort zone.

Grubby clothes, damp concrete, surrounded by the noises of Main and Hastings in East Vancouver, I sat next to my good friend and classmate and was thankful he was there with me.

We were on a class assignment. Our task was to simply sit and observe. Blend in. Just watch. Then write a paper about life in poverty cycles and addiction. I think we were actually there to learn empathy.  But right then I was just learning about boredom.

"No wonder these people do drugs. I'm so bored." I thought.

We had been sitting on the same damp corner for an hour. No book. No phone. No nothing. Our boredom was interrupted by a haggard looking grey bearded drunk man with a coke bottle filled with vodka. He offered us some. We politely declined.

"You're new here aren't you?" He demanded of us. We nodded. "Go home." He said. "I don't care how terrible it is back home, you don't want to get stuck here. Get on a bus and go back home."

He was kind.

We chatted for a bit and then his kindness continued. He said "Well you are here now so here is what you need to know. Over that way two blocks the nuns give out bread in an hour. Then the best lunch you can get around here is 5 blocks that way but you have to sit through a sermon first. Then at 2pm you can get sandwiches over there, and then for dinner there are three good options….." We listened as this expert in hunger told us exactly where we could get food.

D.T Niles once said "Evangelism is simply one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread."

I like that quote.

Evangelism has such a bad rap. It's seen as manipulating people or trying to push some religion onto them. This is sad. Because true evangelism is portrayed beautifully by this kind drunk homeless man on the streets of East Van. It's one person who is familiar with hunger telling another hungry person where the best lunch is.

There isn't much I love more then sharing my beautiful-powerful-change-your-life-love-like-you've-never-known-before- Jesus with other people who don't know Him yet. I am filled with joy when I can share the good news with the lost and lonely that they have a Father with a home  and a family waiting for them if they want Him.  

Not because I manipulate people. Not because I'm arrogant and think I know more then they do. Not because I think they are wrong or need to change…… just because I'm one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.

Shut up I know this is sappy

Lotion? Did I pack lotion already? Oooh! Sunscreen! The forecast says it will be hot!

I mumble and bumble around my condo packing for my week long trip to Calgary. I'm going over the opening line for my talk…. "Following Jesus is easy...said no one ever." and stressing about this and that.
Honestly I've never been so intimidated for a talk before.

First off, they are flying me in to share this message, so I feel like it has to be really quite profound to be worth the expense on their part. Gah! Stress feels like peanut butter in my veins.  (Shut up, it's not the best analogy, but I'm stressed out ok!)
Secondly I'll be speaking to over 400 leaders, pastors, teachers and faithful Jesus followers from all over the world. Representatives from over 26 countries will be there. Three languages. I'll be using three translators.
I haven't used a translator in years.

The last time I used a translator when speaking I was 17 and Elsie Welch had taken me under her wing and brought me with her to Central America. Man those were good times. I learned so much. I was so lucky to go along!

As I continued to pack my bag I thought about all those that have blessed and mentored me. I put in my  10 pairs of socks (gotta bring extra!) and my four pairs of shoes (shut up, that's me leaving 2 behind that I really want to bring.) and I thought about what else I'm bringing with me. I'm packing the experience that Elsie gave me, the opportunity that Danny and Andy gave me when they brought me on staff with YFC when others may have thought I was too young. I'm bringing the wisdom of Iona who has mentored me for years and allowed me a front seat to her work. I'm bringing the affirmation of Michele who saw me and believed in me when I was only 15 and just getting my wings. I'm packing the legacy of my parents and grandparents who brought me up to stand on their shoulders.

I throw in one more pair of shoes and think on all those who pray and support me in my ministry today and how I wouldn't be here doing this without them. Their confidence in God's hand on me gives me the confidence I need to zip this suitcase up and go.

My suitcase is full, and I don't feel as alone anymore. Because it's not just me being flown out there to give this message today…it's all those that I bring with me.

Thank you to everyone who have and continue to walk with me. Pray for me as I share this message tomorrow.

I love you all,

-Carmen

For the Fatherless. For the Motherless.

I wept. This video released tears of grief and hope in me.


My heart continues to break for the Fatherless and the Motherless children around me. For the abandoned and neglected children. Whether they be 13 or 30, 6 or 60 we are all children.

And I know that there is hope for the lonely.

My God calls Himself the Father to the Fatherless. And He is a good Papa.

Psalm 68:5 

"Father of orphans,

    champion of widows,

        is God in his holy house.

God makes homes for the homeless,

    leads prisoners to freedom,

        but leaves rebels to rot in hell."

For the kids with the scars

If you want to get involved give me a shout at carmen@youthunlimited.com or donate at www.youthunlimited.com

I see what you did there

A few weeks ago I started something I'm calling "The Motivation Project". I understand that it being the beginning of a new year my little gym will be flooded with newbies trying hard to get healthy for their new year's resolutions. I am going to help.
My little gym is no more then a treadmill, stationary bike, a TV,  and a bow flex in the common room of my condo complex. But it does have one other accessory. It's a little plastic holder on the wall intended for notices to the residents of the building and the users of the gym. It is where strata puts up warnings about fire alarm testings and complaints about leaves. That sort of thing. Well I have decided to repurpose this paper holder for a more nobel purpose. I will post a new motivational quote up there every week. I chose to put up the quote "The voice inside your head that says you can't do this is a liar. -Your friendly neighbourhood motivator" See?

New story that is probably completely unrelated to The Motivation Project:

I received a mysterious voicemail from the President of ACOP Canada (ACOP is what christian's call a denomination of churches. It's simply a group of churches that all come from the same original root, like a family.) asking me to call him back. I had no idea what this could be about. Well I'm going to save you the long saga of phone tag that followed and just tell you what he wanted. He was inviting me to come and speak at ACOP's international conference in May in Calgary. 400 pastors for 26 different countries. 

I told him I would think about it.

Then I hung up the phone and laughed. Me? Really? Who am I to speak to such a crowd? And what could I possibly talk about that would make sense to 26 different cultures?

I walked to the gym still bewildered. I've only used a translator a few times before, and that was years ago! And with talking to so many different cultures, it's guaranteed that not everyone will get my jokes. Or my references. Or will understand anything I have to say! If I talk about taking a teen out to Starbucks, maybe that's offensive to some countries. Maybe others don't know what Starbucks is! 

I go onto the treadmill, where I do most of my deep thinking, and started to run still turning the challenge around in my mind. 

"I can't do it."

That's what I surmised. 

Then I looked up. There on the wall was an innocent piece of paper, put there by an ignorant foolish girl. It read "The voice in your head that says you can't do this is a liar. -Your friendly neighbourhood motivator" And I started to laugh. And laugh hard. 

I had to stop the treadmill. Laughing and running are hazardous to my ankles. 

Ok God. I see what you did there.

Funny how God (aka- your friendly neighbourhood motivator) chooses to speak to us sometimes eh? 

So on that note, I'm happy to announce that I will be speaking on "Discipling the next generation" at the ACOP international conference in Calgary in May.

It's going to be fun.

ps- God you spelled "liar" wrong.

The Saga

The crowd cheered and I felt the nervous excitement of months of planning, sacrifice, and hard work come to a head in this moment.
The Victoria Good Life Fitness Marathon. My first marathon ever.
I started to run and felt like my legs were extra heavy. Great. A dead leg day. These happen every once in a while. I just told myself the same thing I always tell myself "It's OK Carmen. How many times did you think you couldn't do it, and you did? You will do this today." By kilometre 5 it wasn't any better. "I should be warmed up by now." I thought. Around that point is where I saw my family.
All of them. (Minus Corey)
Seriously. I had a flock of fans cheering me on. More fans then any other runner by a land slide. I would need them that day.
Here is when I spotted them for the first time.

"Hey! That's me!" I shouted when I saw the big Youth Unlimited sign my father in-law was holding.

The second time I saw them I had to choke back tears. The show of love and support had me very emotional. 

The next 10km were not easy ones. Something was off. The next time I saw my family was at Kilometer 18 and they asked how it was going, I gave the thumbs down.

By kilometre 20 I was limping.

By kilometre 24 I was hobbling.

My back was out. This hasn't happened to me in over a year (since I started running regularly) and was an unhappy surprise to me. No. I'll be more honest then that.... 

It was devastating. 

I called my sister/athletic therapist on the phone and told her that I was broken and wouldn't be finishing the race today. "It's not the kind of pain you push through Kim. It's bad pain." 

She caught up to me after the turn around point and laid me out on the grass on the side of the road and started practicing various forms of torture on me. 

 People are streaming past me. Slow people. While I'm being pummelled on the side of the road in what looks like a strange mugging, I see the cop car go by. This car signals the end of the race. The roads open up again after he passes. I resigned myself to not finishing. We were making plans for a mock-race when I got home. Maybe get some youth to hold up kilometer marker signs, take some photos, and make a medal out of a crushed coke can at the end. I promised my supporters that I would run 42.2km. So I had to do it. Then we heard it...

"Thunk!" I heard it. Kim heard it. I think the whole island heard it. The sound of my hip popping back into place. I got up. Tested it. Looked at my family (who had all caught up and were with us now) and said "I think I can run." My mom says to me "You will regret it forever if you don't try." So I take off. I can see the end of the race car just under a kilometre away. I catch up. As I run past him he says "So you caught up eh?" "Yup!" I yell as I blast past him. They have shut down the water stations already, so I thank God for my camel pack. I decided to just keep running until my hip comes out again, or until they kick me off the course.

I get to Kilometre 31 and I think "I'm going to make it!" They only allow 5:30hrs to complete the marathon before they shut it down. I check my watch. I have just over an hour to do 11km. It's going to be tight. I'm slow on a regular day.

For encouragement my Mom and Dad start running beside me when they see me.

Then mom (like a sane person) peels off.

Dad doesn't.

He just keeps running with me. Eventually he hands his sweater off to the family as they drive by in the truck. He's in jeans and work boots. What a guy. We are chatting as we run and he tells me he has never run more then 5km before.

We start passing people. We get far enough ahead that the roads are no longer closed. I can start running on the road instead of the side walk again! This is encouraging.
The last 11km running with my dad were the easiest and most enjoyable of the entire marathon.

 We crossed the finish line holding hands.

 They say that the person who starts the marathon, and the person who finishes the marathon are two different people. I can testify to the truth of that statement.

Today I am more grateful for these people then I was last week. I know that a race run with others is better then a race run alone. I blubbered like a baby at Thanksgiving dinner when I tried to articulate my love and gratitude for the family God has given me. 

Thank you family for being amazing. I couldn't have finished that race without you. Looking back now, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I love you all.