November is finally coming to a close. It’s been a crazy month for me with YU’s biennial recep-tion, the Advanced Earn-a-bike fundraiser cohort , credentialing training at Muskoka Woods and tons of other things going on, both in ministry and at home. Semaon, one of our youth leaders, shared at the Reception of Friends. I’ve attached an ex-cerpt from his talk. Also, a copy of the Youth Unlimited North York newsletter is enclosed in which he has written a short article. If you’re interested in a used bike fixed by one of our youth, please check out: www.facebook.com/yuny.revolutions. Proceeds will go to the family of the youth undergoing treat-ment for Leukemia. I hope your Christmas is a blessed time with family and friends.

Blessings,

An excerpt from Semaon’s sharing:

When I began to get involved in Revolution(s), a BMX and mentoring program in my community I learned new things, about my family, my neighbourhood, and myself. First, my family. Being of Eretrian descent, I grew up in a very strict household. I grew up afraid of my parents, and tried really hard not to disobey them. As a kid, their influence on me and my sisters was really strong. I come from the half of Eretria which is Christian. This part of our identity was important to my parents, and important to me, as a kid. Though this never be-came unimportant to me, there were certainly times where I cared a lot less. Growing up, I’m not sure if religion mattered to me because I cared more about dis-appointing my mom or because I cared more about pleasing God. I used to go to church because my mom made me, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying because I only speak English. I used to pray at my mom’s church but I didn’t understand what was being said, so I cared less about religion then. This changed though when some of the other youth in Revolution(s) started going to Spring Garden Church. At first I went as an excuse to not have

Clem’s Revolution(s): Christmas 2013

to go to church with my mom where I wouldn’t understand anyone. I really did want to know what people were saying when they prayed, so, when I started to pray with people in my neighbourhood who spoke English, I paid a little more attention. Really, growing up, my family has always been important to me. When I was younger I wasn’t the slimmest child. When I moved with my family from the Don Mills-Finch area to the Willowdale-Finch area, I became disconnected from many things, including a fitness-focused after school program. And I became fat. I went from being a chubby kid to being obese, in just over a couple years. My diet was bad and I wasn’t exercising. In fact, in grade six, I vis-ited Eretria with my mom and sister. There were these skinny African kids

about my age over there that saw me one day walking on the side of the road. They yelled, “Fatty!” at me! Getting angry I tried to chase them but then due to my lack of speed and endur-ance I threw rocks at them instead. I was pretty unhealthy. It wasn’t until my friends and I started BMX’ing in grade 10 that I began to take my health more seriously. We were riding our bikes all the time at a concrete skate park near Cummer and Leslie. We hadn’t yet heard of the Bayview Bike Park, which, later, I’d spend a lot of time at. That first winter was the first Revolution(s) BMX Earn-A-Bike program, led by Clem Lee. I joined up and quickly learned that I was really good at fixing bikes. It was a great learning expe-rience. I helped lead the two next cohorts, even being appointed a Senior Program Assistant for the 3rd cohort, continuing to serve in that role with the 4th cohort that’s going on right now. My whole life I have been presented with opportunities to fall off-track. These opportuni-ties were often given to me by some of the people in the neighbourhoods where I lived. They weren’t the best of neighbourhoods, but they weren’t the worst either. Actually, I kinda like them! I feel like I belong there. Recently, I wrote about this in YU North York’s newsletter. I talked a bit about the things I’ve learned. Some of those things, which I’ve learned since the first Earn-A-Bike program has been a greater sense of responsibility because I’ve had to learn how to be a good leader and use good communication skills. These things are important in my story. For instance, Roshawn was the first Revolution(s) intern, two summers ago. I was the second intern, serving this past sum-mer. We had lots to do, but our main job, as Jesse put it, was to help foster “a community of young leaders”. I’ve come to appreciate, in new ways, the other young leaders around me. They are good people, a good influence on me. And I hope I am a good influence on them too!

clem@youthunlimitedgta.com // 416-508-7355 // facebook.com/yuny.revolutions // www.yunorthyork.com