Happy summertime to the HMI BC faithful!

I trust that you are all doing well as we get into the heat of the summer. With school now ended, the holiday season is in full swing…. in Kelowna that means packed roads, full beaches and busy tourists. I love this season, even though it is so busy here. Without tourism, the economy of the Okanagan would be devastated… so bring on the summer craziness!

I want to let you know some of the goings on here at HMI BC….
On the ceremony officiating front, I have been fairly busy with a hockey related funeral and also a number of hockey related weddings. It is a wonderful honour to officiate at these defining moments in people’s lives, especially when there is a good long history of relationship and trust. One of these was the wedding of Richard Vanderhoek who played for the West Kelowna Warriors in 2011.

I early May, I was excited to participate in my 9th Annual Royal Bank Cup (RBC) Jr. A Canadian Championship, held at the Prospera Centre in Chilliwack. It is typically at times like this that I get to meet with different team chaplains, like Vancouver Giants chaplain Danny Stebeck, and Coquitlam Express chaplain Colin Chornohus. These tournaments also give me an opportunity to meet up with many in the hockey community, even former players. I had the pleasure of connecting with ex Warriors and RBC champions Kylar Hope and Brett Mennear at this year’s Royal Bank Cup.

During the tournament I was able to connect with Don Myers, the chaplain of the Wenatchee Wild (Wenatchee, Wa, USA) and also with their Coach Bliss Littler. Chaplain Myers is a fabulous Christian man, and Coach Littler is very supportive of the chapel program.

One of the differences for me in this year’s RBC was that I volunteered to serve down in the dressing rooms and with food services, and one evening I even dressed up in the RBC mascot suit for the game! I also served working the security desk at the players entrance, and had a picture taken with my most serious face!! That was waaay too much fun!

This summer I am working on developing new chapel programs with a few hockey clubs. Many of these opportunities have come because of the ripple effect of the horrific Humboldt Broncos bus crash. There have been a number of teams in BC that have expressed interest, and I am now working on these open doors. In late May, I was invited to come and have dinner in Maple Ridge, BC where I met with some of the leadership of the Port Moody Panthers, the Maple Ridge Flames and Aldergrove Kodiaks. I am pleased to let you know that it looks like we will be starting a new chapel program in Aldergrove and Port Moody. I am also pleased to have found a new chaplain in Port Alberni, (Dave Knudsen) and also to have Rick Gay back as chaplain in Summerland. I would ask you to pray about new chapel programs in Nanaimo with the Vancouver Island University Mariners, Grand Forks with the Bruins and Dawson Creek with the Jr. Canucks. None of these last three is finalized as of yet, so please be praying.

As well, I was invited to address the BCHL Coaches meetings in Richmond in early June. I was given 20 minutes to explain Hockey Ministries chapels and to meet all 17 coaches. I treasure these times, just showing up in a secular world and representing Christ Jesus. I firmly believe that it is in these kinds of meetings where relationships are formed and effectiveness can increase.

I am looking forward to two HMI camps in July, one in Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island and the other in Williams Lake up in the Cariboo. Shawnigan Lake is in it’s first year, and Williams Lake in it’s ninth. Please remember us as we look to sharpen young lives, on and off of the ice.

Thanks so very much for reading this update; I trust that you are encouraged by what is going on with Hockey Ministries in our province.

 

All for Jesus,
Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region

Prayer Points:

• New chaplain in Port Alberni
• New chapel program in Port Moody
• New chapel program in Aldergrove
• Possible chapel program in Dawson Creek
• Possible chapel program in Grand Forks
• Possible chapel program with Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo
• Hockey camps in Shawnigan Lake and Williams Lake
• For the Humboldt Bronco families