Red Deer motivational speaker returns from trip to Kenya where he inspired local youth

Motivational speaker returns from trip to Kenya A Red Deer motivational speaker has returned from a trip to Kenya.

A Red Deer motivational speaker is back from his trip to Kenya, where he spread his message of hope to try and inspire young children in impoverished parts of the country.

The speaker, a former resident of Fort McMurray, is sharing his experience and opening up about how the wildfires that burned through the city helped him get to where he is today.

Brian Walrond spent ten days in Kenya. The ordained minister was invited to lead multiple inspiring talks, including at a youth conference. “That was pretty awesome just to connect with them, and for them to embrace me.”

Brian says he’s always wanted to travel to Kenya to speak, but the timing was never right. However a chance meeting with two people from the country while doing a motivational talk in Hobbema last summer helped him gain the overseas experience.

“I wasn’t really thinking that we’d meet anyone from Kenya there.”

Brian says he made a small connection with those people, and in January was asked to come talk at the Youth Conference. Brian says despite some last minute planning and a lack of finances, made the trip work.

He admits at first he didn’t even really know what he had to offer.

“I didn’t completely know what my purpose would be… I just thought this was an opportunity for us to go outside our culture… and effect people in a different area.”

Brian went on behalf of his organization RS1 Motivational Media. He decided his purpose would be to encourage children to not let their circumstances affect their future.

“They don’t have many resources, they have incredible gifts, incredible talent, incredible passion, but a lot of them don’t feel that it can go anywhere,” he explained.

Brian and his wife Dianalee founded the organization seven years ago, and use their faith to inspire people and help them unleash their potential.

“We believe it’s important for people to see the gifts and the callings that they have, and the purpose that they have on their lives. And people need somebody to come alongside of them as mentors, just to pull out those gifts and see their significance,” said Dianalee.

The couple made RS1 a fulltime project last year, while they were living in Fort McMurray. The couple says they made the decision only two days before the wildfires forced the evacuation of residents.

The day after making their big decision, the couple left Fort McMurray for a trip to Grande Prairie, while there were ‘hot-spots’ around the city. Not knowing the devastation that would follow, they left their children behind to stay with Grandma.

The couple said their family made it out of the city safely, and their house wasn’t damaged. But Brian says the devastation had a great impact on them. “41 or 42 of our congregants lost their house… you could just see the pain and the lost-ness.”

Brian used his talents of spoken word poetry and hip-hop to connect with residents, and made two music videos about the wildfires. One called ‘When Thank You Is Not Enough’ and the other ‘I Remember that Day.’

The couple said the pain they could see in other people inspired them to speed up the process of running RS1 full time. So they set up shop in Red Deer last August, and say it’s helped them spread their message, now worldwide.

“Wherever we can go, wherever we can serve, we want to help people take practical steps to help them fulfill their destiny.”

A few other motivational projects are on the go for the pair.

Dianalee is currently writing a book about her life, more specifically her painful childhood. “I had a really tough background, and so writing this book really is to just speak to people, especially if they’ve come out of abusive situations. There’s healing.”

Dianalee says she’s hoping her book will be a blessing to people. “We can either let those situations that we deal with define us and hold us back, or we can allow God to heal and transform us so that we can move forward.”

She expects the book to be complete by next year.

A little bit sooner on the list for the Walronds is their ‘Awaken Life Tour’ which starts at the end of May. They’ll travel through four provinces, 12 states and over 10,000 km.

More details on the Walronds can be found on their Facebook page.