A New Leg of My Journey Begins

Hello everyone that may happen across my blog.

I know my blog isn't very popular and I haven't written much in it since I've started, but over this summer I plan to use it much more for a particular purpose. Sharing with everyone the ups and downs, wins and losses, successes and failures of my new project. Hitch-hiking ministry.

I plan to spend the next month hitch-hiking with a friend to Vancouver and back. Before any of you ask any of the questions that I very well know you are thinking right now, (Why are you hitch-hiking when you should be working to make money to pay for Bible College? Hitch-hiking is dangerous, why risk your life? That sounds dumb, hitchiking to Vancouver, why would you waste your time and money?), let me explain to you the vision that I believe God has given me:

I have been hitch-hiking before. Two years ago I travelled from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Charlottetown, PEI and back, a normally eight hour drive, with a friend named Micah Church. We slept on a picnic table one night and the majority of the trip's budget was spent on a hotel room in Charlottetown another night because I chickened out on the idea of spending the night in the street. A decision that I've regretted.

During my travels I've realized that the biggest reason that someone will pick up a hitch-hiker is to have someone to talk to on long drives. This is the biggest reason any truck driver will pick up a hitch-hiker and I believe the majority of people that actually do pick hitch-hikers up, pick hitch-hikers up for this reason. Even if this is not the case, most people are willing to strike up conversation on almost any subject with a hitch-hiker, long drives alone can become very boring.

Hitch-hiking is a relatively cheap method of travel. If you are willing to spend the occasional night sleeping outside, camping, or staying with a friend the only real expense is food, and even that can be done cheaply.

Putting these two things together, it makes for a relatively cheap ministry for two young college students to participate in. I believe that this is a particular ministry that God has put in my heart. I have always had a love for traveling and a love for traveling as cheaply as possible and I believe God has given me these passions for particular reasons. I also believe that this summer ministry is one of those reasons.

Of course, there really can be no formulaic method of discussing God when I will be picked up by such a wide variety of people. I also don't want to scare anyone off or offend anyone that is kind enough to offer me a ride, but as it is written in Matthew 10:7, "As you go, preach this message".

As I said, I plan to spend the first month of summer on this project but I also plan to spend the rest of the summer working at Christian Horizons Conference Centre. I'll be able to make some money during my time at CHCC but I will still be relying on student loans and more importantly, God, to provide the rest of my tuition.

I would not have decided to pursue this project if I didn't feel it would benefit God's kingdom. After plenty of prayer, I feel that this particular ministry is God's call on my life at this moment. I still would like to ask anyone that happens across my blog to pray for me and my friend and fellow journeyman, Jeremy McDougal. Jeremy was one of my roommates through my first year at Steinbach Bible College and he will be traveling with me. I would ask that you ask God to protect us and provide the things that we will need on this journey and after this journey.


We begin our journey with a ride from Winnipeg to Calgary from a friend early tomorrow morning.

God Bless
Matthew Peter Rempel

On the Mount of the Lord, He Will Provide!

Today I decided to try wearing the hiking boots I picked up at the MCC for $4. Since I am planning to do alot of walking today on my journey, I decided I should try them out and go for a walk. They were awful, they did not fit and they were starting to hurt my toes. That's when I decided I needed to buy a pair of new hiking boots.

I recently worked in the kitchen and the library here at SBC and had about 60$. Perfect, I thought, I can get a nice pair of shoes that will treat my feet right. The shoes I buy at MCC are great, but they start to hurt my feet if I have to walk long distances. So me and two friends started walking to the Superstore to see if we could find a pair of cheap shoes. I wasn't too excited about getting shoes from the Superstore, but I desperately needed new shoes. Just as we were leaving the parking lot of the school, my friend Audrey spotted a Mark's Work Wear House gift card.

I was not expecting there to be any money whatsoever left on that card, it looked as if it had been sitting in that parking lot all year. It was covered in mud and caked in dirt. I still decided to investigate Mark's because I could not find any men's shoes at superstore except for a few pairs of white skate shoes that were hardly suitable for walking any distance. Why you would want a pair of shoes that have absolutely no support, water resistance, or durability is beyond me and so I continued on to Mark's.

The lady at the till informed me I had $16 left on the card. This $16 dollars came in mighty handy because adding 10 more dollars to my budget increased my selection from a pair of thin hiking boots or a pair of crocs to about six or seven different pairs of nice hiking boots.



On the mount of the Lord, He will provide!

I was able to find a gorgeous pair of durable, comfortable, and waterproof hiking boots. Exactly what I need for the days to come.