I trust that your summer is going well, even with the crazy amount of smoke that is filling BC skies. Whenever I look at these hazy skies, I try to think of the firefighters that are battling hundreds of blazes across the province, and I pray for them. It must be a terribly difficult job to fight fires all summer long.

I want you to know about some of the activities that have been going on this summer. Of course, HMI summer hockey camps are always a highlight of the summer. I was involved in two camps this year, one in Williams Lake (8th year) and the other in Shawnigan Lake (1st year) on Vancouver Island. I am so pleased to let you know that we had 20 young campers pray to give their hearts to the Lord Jesus at our two HMI hockey camps in BC this summer.  Amen!!  At camp, after we go through morning and afternoon ice times of 90 minutes each, we also have a dry land training time and huddle times with campers and counsellors.  Besides all of this, we have three great meals and end with a chapel every night. One of the favourite camp songs in Williams Lake has always been O Happy Day, and believe me, it gets a little crazy when the campers get going!!  Oh how much fun we have!  I want to thank Williams Lake Camp Director Corwin Smid for doing such a wonderful job year after year. (Although last year we had to cancel because of the Williams Lake fires)

We had our first HMI summer hockey camp at Shawnigan Lake, and what a facility we had!  Just look at the dining hall at Shawnigan Lake School!  This is an exclusive private school that we ordinarily could never afford, but God has given us favour and we feel so blessed. I want to thank Camp Director Ted Neustaedter who did an excellent job. Both Corwin and Ted could use help with their respective camps in future years, and I am praying that there will be people to come alongside of them.

I want to write a bit about the April 6th Humboldt tragedy.. Cody Porter is one of my close hockey friends. He has had a successful junior career in Junior A and in Major Junior Hockey. Cody is a serious young man and when Humboldt happened, he flew from Vancouver to Saskatoon to attend the huge vigil service in Humboldt. On the way, Cody had a stop over in Kelowna, and I met him in the airport for a coffee and a prayer. I am so very proud of Cody, who was moved by the Broncos tragedy and just had to get himself to Humboldt. Just the fact that he would want me to meet him at the airport for prayer and support was absolutely amazing. God is close to Cody and I believe that He has a plan for him. Also with Humboldt, I was able to get my hands on a Broncos jersey and so this year I will be wearing it when I sing National Anthems. I believe that it is proper to do that, to honour the memory of those who died, those who are still injured and for all their grieving loved ones.

Also with Humboldt accident, the ripple effects are still being felt. There will be a new chapel program in Port Moody with the Panthers, in Fernie with the Ghostriders, in Nanaimo with the Vancouver Island University Mariners and in Grand Forks with the Border Bruins. Much of this is because of renewed conversations around the subject of chaplaincy. I am humbled and thankful that we are allowed to serve the Lord like this in the wild world of Canadian hockey. It is possible to have good things to come out of horrible tragedies like Humboldt.

Also, I have had the honour of officiating at many weddings again this summer. I consider this as a very meaningful part of hockey ministries. Many of these wedding have close ties to either players or fans. I am glad as the chaplain to serve in this way. I am already starting to book next year as well… I know it seems like a long ways away, but my calendar starts to get full a long way in advance. For example, one of the Warriors past Captains, Max French asked me for coffee and when we met he was with his girlfriend Monique. Over the course of the conversation, he told me that they were planning to be married and asked me to officiate the wedding. You can imagine how wonderful that was!  Of course, I would move heaven and earth to make sure that I am able to do their wedding…

One last thing, and it doesn’t really belong here but I wanted to let you know anyway. I serve at the Chaplain for the West Kelowna Fire Department, which has been another great blessing. There is great ministry happening there on an ongoing basis. I am always asked to say a few words at every function of the Fire Department. I was honoured to be presented with a lovely gift by the Chief and the Assistant Chiefs at their annual awards night. I thought you might like to know about that ‘other’ chaplaincy that I am involved in.

I have just found out that my good friend Rylan Ferster has resigned as Head Coach of the West Kelowna Warriors. I was very sad to hear that, because Rylan is not only a great friend, but with him the door has been wide open for chapels with the Warriors. His brand new assistant coach Geoff Grimwood is now the interim Coach of the team and after coffee and prayer with him, (yes, I took him for J&J already!) he let me know that the door is still wide open!  Thank you Lord!

Finally, (and believe me, this is very difficult)  I am asking you to please pray with me about ministry finances. My account at Hockey Ministries has been slowly sinking over that past year or so, which is starting to hamper me. I am having to decide if I am able to travel to see chaplains, coaches etc., all because of finances. I am asking for you to prayerfully consider the possibility of raising your support slightly or maybe speaking to someone that you know about perhaps joining the HMI BC support team. I am doing my very best to keep going, and I am in need of some help. I absolutely love this ministry and have promised the Lord to go as long as I am able, and I aim to do just that. Please email me back and let me know if you can help further in any way.

Thank you for your love, encouragement, your prayer and your financial support. God bless you all.

All for Jesus,

Don Richmond

Hockey Ministries International

Pacific Region