To all of the half-frozen, winterized saints who make up the HMI Pacific team,

Have you been affected where you live by either the cold? Or dumps of snow? … or both? Wow, we have been hammered by significant amounts of snow!

Oh yes, I must remember to wish a Happy New Year to you all! I am very thankful for a new year; an opportunity to look ahead with faith and courage to what the Lord has in store for all of us and for this ministry! In the beginning of this year, even though there are many things in this old world that we could worry about, as people of faith we will look to the One who is in control. Remember, 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that we walk by faith, not by sight.

Here is a synopsis of the last few months of 2017 in the HMI Pacific world.

In early November, I had a wonderful opportunity to meet up with Dan Hamhuis, who has been a faithful friend and an encouragement to me for many years. Dan has had a long career in the NHL starting in 2003 with the Nashville Predators, then for a number of years with the Vancouver Canucks, and now with the Dallas Stars. As of this newsletter, Dan has logged 990 NHL games and collected 332 points. That’s almost 1,000 NHL games played….that’s not a bad professional hockey career! (Also 2 World Junior appearances for Team Canada, 4 straight World Championships appearances, and a 2014 Olympic Gold for Canadian men’s hockey in Sochi, Russia) Anyway, the Stars had just finished playing in Vancouver and had a few days off before they flew to Winnipeg to play the Jets. The team decided to stop over for a couple days in Kelowna where they could practise at Prospera Place. It was during this time that Dan and I connected for a coffee and prayer. Dan is a solid humble Christian man, and I am proud to call him my friend. God bless you Dan as you play this fabulous game and live strong for Christ Jesus.

In November, I had the privilege of travelling to Vancouver Island to visit with some HMI chaplains. I started out up north in Campbell River where I stopped in to visit with Ryan Davis. Ryan is a youth pastor in Campbell River, and has assumed the chaplaincy of the Storm hockey club from former chaplain Bobby Rau. This was my first meeting with Ryan; what a delight it was to meet him. After Campbell River, I drove down to Port Alberni to meet with the Bulldogs chaplain Michael Kleyn. Michael is another great guy, and we had a good time chatting and praying. After Port Alberni it was off to Parksville to see Chuck McMann. Chuck is a solid Christian man who has had connections with Hockey Ministries for decades. He retired in 2016 after many years as the special teams coach for the BC Lions. Chuck is considering chaplaincy with the Oceanside Generals, a Junior B club in Parksville. Please be praying about this good opportunity for a new chapel program, that the doors would be open.

After Parksville, I drove to meet my good buddy Travis Barbour in Nanaimo. Travis has served the Nanaimo Clippers for a few years now and has done very very well. I am so glad to have Travis on the chaplains team here in BC. From Nanaimo I drove to see my good buddy Norm Sowden in Duncan. Norm had for years served as chaplain for the Cowichan Valley Capitals Junior A club, but last year passed the torch to Chris Clarke. Chris is a perfect fit for the Capitals, and I am very thankful to the Lord for him. After Duncan it was off to Victoria to see Tony Janzen who serves as the chaplain for the Victoria Grizzlies. Tony is a long time buddy; a man who loves Jesus with all his heart. On my way back to the mainland, I met in Sidney with Victoria Royals chaplain Dave Steingard and also with Darren Abrahams. Phew! What a wild and crazy trip…. I am so grateful to be able to take these crazy rides! Thank you for all your help in getting me around the province.

Do you have time for two more highlights? In December I was honoured to coordinate our 7th Annual West Kelowna Warriors Christmas Hamper Drive, an initiative of the Warriors chaplaincy program. When it was all said and done, we collected enough for 50 full food hampers for needy people in West Kelowna. The hampers we made included enough food for a family to have a great Christmas breakfast as well as a full Christmas dinner including a frozen turkey. It was so wonderful to have the Warriors players help fill the hamper boxes, write out the cards and help deliver the hampers to elementary schools for distribution. This is a tremendous ministry and I get excited about it! The entire community supports the chaplaincy program during the Annual Warriors Christmas Hamper Drive; it is a great witness to the love of Christ.

Finally, in mid December Lorraine and I hosted our annual hockey Christmas party. This is for season ticket holders and Warriors staff to come to our home for a Christmas evening. Our house was packed as we gathered together that evening. I gave my annual Christmas toast, welcoming our guests, honouring Jesus’ birth and upholding Lorraine’s and my steadfast faith in Christ. It was a great blessing to have the hockey community including the Warriors head coach in our home. I’m sure that the majority of those present will not have had another Christmas gathering like that where Christ was named and lifted up.

Well, I think that’s a wrap for this edition. May God bless you all as 2018 unfolds, and remember that we walk by faith and not by sight.

Prayer Points
-for chaplains facing transition
-Colton Conrad, Kamloops chaplain
-Kyle Reddemon, Salmon Arm chaplain
-Chuck McMann in Parksville
-for safety on the road as I travel
-for me at speaking engagements
-for opportunities for deep conversations
-for this summer’s camps

Don Richmond
Hockey ministries International
Pacific Region

To my Hockey Ministries teammates,

‘I thank the Lord for you and pray for you every time I think of you.’ Philippians 1:3 And I do…..

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…! Okay, I realize that hockey season is definitely not what Andy Williams’ Christmas song is referring to, but to me the fall is pretty fabulous, in that it offers awesome opportunities for ministry. After a busy summer of hockey camps (I’ve included a picture from the Chilliwack camp when I was telling my traditional Wolf Story) and multiple weddings, it’s great to be back in the rink.

In the last six to eight weeks, all of the Hockey Ministries chapel programs in BC have begun. I am privileged to lead two of them; in Rutland with the Kelowna Chiefs Jr. B club and in West Kelowna with the Jr. A Warriors. We’ve held a number of chapels already, which always thrills my heart.

In September, besides starting the chapels, I was able to travel to the BC Hockey League annual Showcase in Chilliwack. It is here that I am able to connect with a few chaplains as well as some of the hockey personnel around the province. I met a few of these chaplains and HMI people over lunch; Larry Wendel from our Hockey Camp in Chilliwack, Danny Stebeck with the Vancouver Giants, Emil Fernandes with the Abbotsford Pilots, and my youngest son Lane.

Also, I’m including a picture of meeting up with chaplain Graham McMahon with the Chilliwack Chiefs.

I had a chance to make a trip up north, where I was encouraged to connect with Prince George chaplains Jim Brown Jr. (Spruce Kings) and Elliott Harder (Cougars). Elliott is brand new at the Cougars chaplaincy, so please lift him up in prayer. I am also including a few pictures of two other chaplains around the province: Kevin Ewaskow in Cranbrook, Harry Haberstock in Creston. Kevin is the Pastor at First Baptist in Cranbrook and Harry is the Pastor at Christ Church Anglican in Creston.

Occasionally I have the privilege of meeting up with players who have been traded to another club and then return as part of the visiting team. One of these was Tanner Marshall, who attended my chapels when he was a goaltender with the Kelowna Chiefs. Tanner was picked up by the Trail Smoke Eaters, and was part of their club when they came to play the Warriors in West Kelowna. I have a close relationship with Tanner and his family, so after the game I went to the Smoke Eaters bus to meet him. Here I am in my Warriors jacket with my arm around a Smoke Eater player!! This is a good example of how that off-ice relationships far exceed on-ice competition!!

A memorable highlight for me was our Annual Hockey Ministries Conference, which was held this fall in Charlotte, North Carolina. While I was there I had an opportunity to tour the well-known Billy Graham Library. The tour was very moving and memorable in realizing just how that God has used Billy Graham in spreading the message of the gospel around the globe. At the conference it was so encouraging to meet up with other HMI staff members, to pray together, to strategize and to enjoy great times of fellowship and fun. Also, during my stay in Charlotte, I was thrilled to be given a ticket to the Carolina Panthers/New Orleans Saints NFL game, which was a fabulous time! I went to the game with my HMI friend Wayne Land and fellow HMI staff member Steven Burch.

In conclusion, I ask you to pray for new chaplains serving in Kamloops and Campbell River, as well as Elliott Harder in Prince George. Also, it would be wonderful if you could remember me in prayer as I travel to many communities in BC in the next three months. As well, please remember to pray for and uplift the HMI Ministry Centre leadership in Montreal. Don Liesemer Sr. is a wonderful Christian man who serves as the President of Hockey Ministries International. (Don founded the ministry back in 1977) I feel that it would be encouraging to take time to pray for Don and the entire staff in Montreal.

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter, and may God bless you as you shine your lights for Christ Jesus.

Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region

Prayer Points
-my winter trips
-new chaplain in Kamloops
-new chaplain in Campbell River
-new chaplain in Prince George
-the chapel programs in BC
-HMI leadership in Montreal
-continued support of the ministry

Happy summertime to you all!
I trust that this newsletter finds you all well. And… I pray that you will find time in the next few summer months to enjoy a bit of warm Canadian sunshine and sit in a lawn chair somewhere by a pristine body of water and relax just a little!
HMIBC

Ministry is running quite well here at HMI Pacific; there never seems to be a dull moment, even in early summer. I am now in the middle of a stretch of officiating 8 weddings, with all but one being hockey related. What a blessing to be able to shine the light of Christ in situations like that! Also, 2 HMI Christian hockey camps in BC (Williams Lake, our 8th year and Chilliwack, our 1st year) are making the summer fun and exciting. Week long hockey camps with ice times, buses, chapels, dry land training, dorms, counsellors, tuck, meals, etc, are a huge task. I am so thankful for the many dedicated people who work incredibly hard at these camps. Please pray for them and for all of our young campers as they attend Christian Hockey Camp.
HMIBC

May and June have seen some real great opportunities for HMI ministry here in BC. In the first week of May, I was pleased to be at the Western Canada Cup Jr. A tournament in Penticton. This tournament is for the final 5 remaining teams from Manitoba to BC, with the top 2 clubs heading on to the Royal Bank Cup Canadian Championships. It is always great to connect with different league commissioners and various chaplains who attend events like this. At the tournament I was asked to sing our Canadian anthem, which I love to do. Some of the chaplains I met up with were Dave Funk, Penticton Vees; Harry Funk, Portage Terriers, Graham McMahon, Chilliwack Chiefs and Tim Wiebe, our HMI Alberta rep. It’s so wonderful to be able to meet chaplains for lunch and pray together about things concerning our teams and players.
HMIBC

I was honoured to make a chapel program presentation to the Kootenay International Hockey League in early May. This presentation was to the league coaches and GMs in Revelstoke. Then in June, I was able to also make a similar presentation to the British Columbia Hockey League AGM in Richmond. These are special opportunities to make the chapel program visible, to encourage participation and to simply connect with various coaches, GMs and league officials. I’ve always believed that ‘showing up’ at these kinds of events is a very significant part of this ministry.
HMIBC

Later in May, Lorraine and I drove up to Smithers, in Northwest BC to spend a few days with family. Smithers is an incredibly beautiful little northern town with a great skiing, (Hudson Bay Mountain looms over the town) and a thriving arts and culture community. While we were there, I had a chance to connect with Pastor Dave Murphy, who pastors Mountain View Assembly. (I served as the Pastor of Mountain View for 11 years, from 1989 to 2000) It was good to say a few words of encouragement to the church on Sunday morning, worshipping the Lord with faithful people who have supported Hockey Ministries for over a decade now.
HMIBC

As June rolls around, I am able to have a few ‘J & J’ sessions with junior hockey players. As you may already know, ‘J & J’ is my moniker that stands for Java and Jesus. My habit for all my coffee sessions is to finish off the Java part with a prayer… which is the Jesus part. Keep in mind that a the majority of this hockey culture never, (yes I said never) prays. So to have a prayer after our coffee time is quite a unique experience for them. I firmly believe that the Lord will take those prayers and at the proper time, bring them back to mind for His glory. I have included a picture of a ‘J & J’ time I had with BCHL All Star defenceman Tyler Anderson. Tyler won a Canadian Championship with West Kelowna in 2016, and was traded to Prince George this past season. He is a wonderful Christian guy from Niverville, MB. Also, just recently I had an opportunity to connect with Kelowna Rockets chaplain, Tim Schroeder. Tim and I have been friends for many years, and I value the times that we share ministry experiences and finish off with prayer… (another J & J !!)
HMIBC

Also this June I had a certain sense of pride as the West Kelowna Warriors chaplain, to see one of our Warriors, Justin Schultz win the Stanley Cup for the 2nd consecutive year. Keep in mind that the vast majority of hockey players never get a chance to play in the NHL at all, let alone play in the Stanley Cup Final even once, let alone become Stanley Cup Champions….. back to back! That’s just crazy! I will be having lunch with Justin this summer, so we’ll have an opportunity to chat and have that second ‘J’ together.
HMIBC
Please be in prayer as I have consented to coordinate all the Warriors home game anthems this season, that it will go very smoothly. I believe that the Lord is in this, so I will serve to the best of my ability. Finally, I am praying that there will be a few more chapel programs beginning this next season, would you join me in that prayer?
HMIBC
Phew! I think that is about it…! Thanks so very much for reading, supporting and praying,

Prayer Points

• summer hockey weddings
• HMI summer hockey camps
• Warriors anthem responsibilities
• summer ‘J & J’ times
• new chapels for next season
• continued support of HMI BC
  HMIBC
  Don Richmond
  Hockey Ministries International
  Pacific Region