When Killarney native Paul Reimer was diagnosed with leukemia at 2 years old, his parents, Barry and Nancy Reimer, never dreamed that he would eventually be a captain with the Canadian Armed Forces as a chaplain on the high seas off the coast of Halifax. 

Reimer is now 28 and says he still feels some of the effects of the three and a half years of chemo treatment - but it hasn’t stopped him from achieving what God has called him to do. 

"I'm reminded every now and then my back might flare up from some of the spinal taps and bone aspirations that I've got, and that's okay," shares Reimer, "because it's a constant reminder of how grateful I am that I have each day to bring my best to the job that I do.  My faith is a very big part of being a chaplain, trying to make sure that I continue to focus on what's most important in life."

Reimer recently completed his 9 years of training for his chaplaincy with the Canadian military. As well he graduated from an extremely intensive 6-week diving program which will be his secondary duty while onboard a military ship. 

Reimer will soon be leaving on a seven-month deployment aboard the HMCS Montreal, a frigate assigned to the Indo-Pacific Region with Operation PROJECTION.

Reimer says his faith has kept him strong, even amidst the challenges.  He says growing up on the family farm just east of Killarney taught him about the depth of faith one needs in order to trust in the hand of God to provide and sustain.

"Just growing up on a farm there's a lot of faith that we have to have with the weather and everything else that goes into the unpredictability of how the yields of the crops can turn out," he shares. "People put their faith in different things, but our family put our faith in the Lord, and how the year would end up while doing the best that we can with what we're provided with."

When Paul was volunteering at a Bible camp one summer, a chaplain suggested he consider joining the military as a chaplain in training, and the rest is history you might say.  However, as a prairie boy from Manitoba, he never thought he would become a professional diver with the military, or a chaplain on the high seas.

Reimer is a testimony to the adventure God has waiting for us when we put our faith, our life, our future in His hands.  With His help we can overcome all those challenges that try to hold us back from what He's called us to do.

"We're loving what we're doing out here, Lindsay my wife and I, and so this deployment coming up will be pretty great and will solidify all this time and preparation for doing the work that we've been called to do," he adds.

Please listen to more with Capt. Paul Reimer below!

If you're interested in learning more about the chaplaincy program with the Canadian Forces, you can contact Paul Reimer by emailing him at:  paulreimer35@gmail.com

Photos below:  Paul Reimer performing a committal of ashes, and in the diving program.  Also the map of the HMCS Montreal's path over the next 7 months.