By: Grace Rajballie | November 4, 2019
With Remembrance Day just around the corner, it is important to recognize the various individuals who contribute to the safety and well-being of our country. When we think about the honourable men and women who serve our country, our mind often goes to those who served in World War I, World War II, and Afghanistan. However, we often forget about those who are currently serving in the Canadian Army Reserves, some of whom are our very own Redeemer students!
The Canadian Army Reserve (ARes) is an integrated part of the Canadian Army (CA) that contributes to the success of military operations at home and abroad. When needed, ARes assists provincial governments with natural disasters like floods or fires as well as other in events where the army helps out, like in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics (Government of Canada).
When searching for a part time job or a group to get involved with, students do not immediately think of ARes. For fourth year Redeemer student Bennet Soenen, joining ARes was a way to engage with a new community, explaining that, “I joined the reserves for a lot of reasons, but mostly for a change of pace. Beyond working construction in the summer, all I had ever really done was school. More specifically, the insular Christian schooling of home-schooling, Gillespie, and Redeemer. I wanted to get out of that bubble and be a part of a different culture”.
As Christians, we may wonder, what is the connection between serving in the reserves and living out our faith. Second year student Gerrit May highlights the connection between Christianity and Ares, “Serving others before yourself is a huge part of Christianity as well as serving in the Armed Forces”. His fellow reservist and third year student Estela Kasaba comments, “I am looking for new ways to experience God and challenge my faith, and I knew that joining the reserves would accomplish that. God is going to challenge my faith differently since it is broadly a secular world. I’m really convinced that through this, many Christian prejudices will be broken, which is exactly what I want”.
For those students who may be interested in joining ARes, third year Redeemer Student Daniel Neven gives this advice, “While the reserves can be challenging, if you have the proper attitude and are willing to work hard, it will be an incredibly exciting and rewarding experience”.
References
Government of Canada (2019, August 23). Canadian Army Reserve. Retrieved from http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/reserve/index.page.