Hello team! And just like that…. it’s 2023!

I trust that you had a wonderful Christmas time and holiday season; getting in some wonderful family fun as well as time to honour Jesus and His birth in Bethlehem. Lorraine and I travelled a bit at Christmas, (adjusted slightly because of winter storms) visited family and also had a few days at home.

Here are a few recent ministry highlights:

During the fall while the weather was still beautiful, I was happy to officiate at a few weddings. One of these was for Keziah, a young lady who has been a long time staff member at our HMI summer camps in BC. It was a wonderful privilege to unite Keziah and her husband Robin in marriage. Another wedding was for Josh, a junior hockey player. (I guess I looked pretty serious walking down the aisle with Josh….! I must have been deep in concentration!)

Not often, but there are times that chaplaincy involves some difficult tasks. One such occasion was when the West Kelowna Warriors club held a memorial night for one of our former players (Parm Dhaliwal) who passed away this summer. The memorial was on a home game night, and I was asked to lead the ceremony at centre ice. It was a very difficult and emotional time for the Dhaliwal family, who came up from Delta, BC for the memorial. Around 80 friends and family made the trip, all wearing Parm’s #22 Warriors jersey. I will never forget that evening. I have included a picture of Andy Dhaliwal, (Parm’s father) as he clasped his hands together and thanked the crowd. As difficult as the evening was, I am thankful to the Lord to be able to have a part at times like this. May the Lord be honoured and lifted up in every situation.

I have been holding regular chapels with a couple of clubs, the Kelowna Chiefs being one of them. (I asked the guys if I could snap a quick shot of some of the gang just before we started chapel.) Chapel times have been the foundation for my HMI ministry for 23 years, as we regularly get together to chat, read scripture, share our lives and finish with prayer. One of the guys at chapel just this week asked for a chapel bible, which I believe is the work of the Spirit.

I have a few other chaplaincy irons in the fire as well. Serving as the chaplain of the West Kelowna Fire Department, I am involved on Remembrance Day at the city cenotaph ceremony. This year, the Warriors players were in attendance, and we got together and had a picture taken of all of us. It is an honour to serve the Lord in my community as chaplain for a number of organizations. One more of these is chapel work with the Okanagan Sun football club. In November the Sun won the Canadian Bowl National Junior Football Championship in Regina, SK with an undefeated season. (I will be getting my second National Championship ring this coming spring, the first coming with the Warriors hockey club in 2016.)

Finally, I include a picture of our Warriors 2022 Christmas Hamper day, when the team packs up groceries in boxes and delivers them to the public school system. The principals have chosen the struggling families in their schools that will receive these hampers. This is all part of being involved in serving Christ and showing up in the community.

Thanks so much for reading my update, I trust that you have been encouraged by it. I am grateful for your prayers, your financial suppport and your encouragement.

Blessings to you all,

Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region

Spending of funds is confined to board approved programs and projects. Each restricted contribution designated towards a board approved program or project will be used as designated, with the understanding that when the need for such a program or project has been met, or cannot be completed for an reason determined by the board, the remaining restricted contributions designated for such program or project will be used where needed most.

Dear teammates,

Thank you! Thank you for allowing me to function in this ministry to the world of hockey in BC. It takes all of us, which I am keenly aware of. I thank the Lord for everyone on this team.

Here are a few summer highlights…

In July, I was blessed to be able to connect with a number of players that were either at home or in the Okanagan for a summer vacation. It was great to connect with the Victoria Royals Teague Patton, whom I baptized last summer. It is so important to chat, pray and encourage young players like Teague.

I also had a wonderful visit with my good friend and ex-Trail Smoke Eater chaplain Bruce Taylor. Bruce is a real All Star and well loved; he has served with his heart and soul as a chaplain for many years. About the same time I had a chance to visit with an old hockey pal and coach,Troy Mick. Troy and I go waaaay back to my original days with the Vernon Vipers. (2000-2006) It was so good to see Troy, who is now coaching in Wenatchee, Washington.

In early August I attended our Hockey Ministries camp at Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island. We had a wonderful time there, and 6 young campers prayed to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. That was an eternal moment!

A neat camp moment was when the Coach of the Victoria Grizzlies, Rylan Ferster came one morning as a guest coach, assisting our head coach Ben Walter. Rylan has become a good friend of mine and he ended up coming up to see me and helped out on the ice for a session.

 

 

Ben’s parents, Ryan and Jennifer Walter were also at the camp, which was a tremendous blessing. One of the days at camp, I took a bit of time to travel down to Victoria to see the chaplain of the Grizzlies, Harlan Enns. Harlan is such a great guy, and I look forward to what the Lord will do through him and the chapel program.

 

These months have been busy with a variety of things, including officiating weddings, which they take place in the craziest locations! I have included a picture of where one of these happened. I was literally 2 feet from a drop off down to Lake Okanagan in this shot… (I’m glad it wasn’t breezy or I might have gone over…!)

On a very difficult note, in August we had a terrible tragic death in the West Kelowna Warriors family. One of our assistant captains from a few years ago, Parm Dhaliwal passed away suddenly. Parm was the greatest guy, and honestly I still can’t believe that he is gone. Lorraine and I travelled to Delta for his funeral, where we met some Warriors players who had gathered from near and far. It was very difficult for everyone there; for Parm’s family, for the hockey community and for the young men that played on his teams. I pray for God’s peace and for hope for the Dhaliwal family and for those who were touched by Parm’s life.

I would ask you to pray for the new chaplain of the Langley Rivermen, Luke Vanderhoek. I met Luke early in the summer, where we discussed him coming on as the new Rivermen chaplain. Luke is a great young guy, and I pray for a fruitful ministry time for him in Langley.

A much happier time was when Lorraine and I had an opportunity to spend several days with our family, at a beachside house. The memories we made there will last for the rest of our lives. I have included a picture of us as the sun set over the ocean. These were unbelievably special days, and I’m thankful to the Lord for blessings like this along the way.

These are just some of the wild and wonderful things that have been going on around the HMI world in BC. Thank you for reading my ramblings today.

May the Lord bless and keep you,
Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region

• chapel programs in the upcoming season
• meaningful chapel chats regarding real life issues
• for searching players to find Christ
• Parm Dahliwal’s family
• the new chaplain in Langley
• safe travels throughout the province
• open doors for increased chaplaincy

Spending of funds is confined to board approved programs and projects. Each restricted contribution designated towards a board approved program or project will be used as designated, with the understanding that when the need for such a program or project has been met, or cannot be completed for an reason determined by the board, the remaining restricted contributions designated for such program or project will be used where needed most.

Happy summertime, HMI Pacific teammates!

While it seems as though the hockey world is quiet at this time of year, there is still much going on behind the scenes. And… Hockey Ministries is right there.

Let me fill you in on a few details about the end of the hockey season. I am thankful that I was able to continue chapels with the West Kelowna Warriors into May, as the BCHL playoffs continued. (I’m not sure how I got the chapel picture, but somebody took it at the start of chapel one day. It’s my standard practice to begin chapel with a prayer.) Also, from time to time I am asked to set up a small table or booth at a church on a Sunday morning. This picture was taken on a Missions Sunday, highlighting local mission outreaches.

In late May, I travelled to Estevan, Saskatchewan for the Centennial Cup Canadian Junior A hockey championship tournament. This year was the 11th Jr A championship tournament that I have attended. It was good to catch up with so many people in the greater hockey community.

I was able to have lunch with the Estevan Bruins chaplain Nolan Lacoste and also spend some time with the Bruins head coach Jason Tatarnic. Part of attending tournaments like this and going on the road to different games is because I believe in just showing up: the ‘ministry of presence’ where influence is gained by being seen on a regular basis.

I have a short acronym that I use fairly often in hockey ministries: JSU. (Just Show Up). It was at one of the tournament games that I ran into Kim Barnstable, a good friend from Kelowna who had also travelled to Estevan. It was great to see Kim, who was back in his old stomping grounds in southeast Sask.

I have a wonderful miracle story from my trip. On my way to Estevan, I heard a distinct rattling sound under the front end of my Honda. There are miles of lonely highway in Sask, and I was not really comfortable as to what to do. The rattling continued for a number of hours between Medicine Hat, to Swift Current and eastward. As I approached Moose Jaw, I knew that I had to do something, and I asked the Lord for His help. (That’s always a good thing to do!!) I looked for a Honda dealership but saw nothing. I decided to take a random exit and see what would show up. BAM! There it was, within 300 metres, Knight Honda in Moose Jaw! I pulled in and talked to the service manager. Obviously, I didn’t have an appointment, but that didn’t matter to him. He took my keys and pulled the car into the shop. In 25 minutes he gave me the keys and said, “it’s all fixed up, have a good trip, no charge!” I was blown away by the kindness and help that I received, and was immediately reminded that I had talked with the Lord before getting to Moose Jaw, asking for His help. Amen! Providence over coincidence….

I am thankful for opportunities to connect with people who have been in chapels in the past, or that I have worked with in some capacity. One such meeting was with former Warrior Adam Plant. Adam is a great young man, and it was wonderful to run into him in Peachland.

I also ran into former Warriors Liam Blackburn and Wyatt Head. These are very special meetings, just because I believe that the Lord is always there in the middle of our talks. I was also pleased to have a good chat with former Warrior and Penticton Vees play by play announcer Trevor Miller. (I worked with Trevor as his colour commentary sidekick on many occasions.)

As I look forward to the summer, I ask you to please pray for the hockey camp that I will be helping with at Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island. As well as the camp, I am scheduled to officiate at a number of weddings, (mostly hockey related) and I am grateful for your prayers.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter today, and thank you for your encouraging support in so many, many ways.

Have a wonderful summer!

Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region

• For the Shawnigan Lake camp
• For chaplains as they take a break
• For new ministry opportunities
• For continued support
• Summer hockey weddings

Spending of funds is confined to board approved programs and projects. Each restricted contribution designated towards a board approved program or project will be used as designated, with the understanding that when the need for such a program or project has been met, or cannot be completed for an reason determined by the board, the remaining restricted contributions designated for such program or project will be used where needed most.

Hello out there!!

I am glad to type this email newsletter! With Covid restrictions lifted, it is so wonderful to have full access to arenas, for not only chapels, but for games. I am very thankful that things are coming back to normal… it might be a new normal, but at least it still has a ‘normal’ feel to it. Now, let me get right to it….

 

Two quick stories…. in a recent chapel, I asked if anyone had ever had a big turning point in their lives… One player raised his hand and said, “Last year I got baptized, and I felt that the Lord Jesus washed all my sins away. That’s my turning point.” I nearly did a happy dance right there! How fabulous is that? Also, on a road trip to Wenatchee, Washington, I held a chapel in the hotel. One player stayed to chat, and said that he was looking for God, but didn’t know what question to ask me. I let him know that he needed to know peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5) As we talked, I asked him if he wanted to acknowledge Christ and ask Jesus to be his Saviour. He said, “Yes, that is what I need to do.” Right there, I was honoured to lead that young hockey player to a saving faith in Jesus. I was smiling and jumping for days and days,,! I still meet with this young man, to chat and pray.

 

Coffee times are a staple of this ministry. These are times when relationships deepen and conversations become very meaningful. Here are a few pictures of coffee times: one with hockey friends, and the other with my good HMI pal, Larry Krause. Larry met me at the pier in West Kelowna for a morning coffee. We had a fabulous time by the lake, sharing Christ and encouraging each other!

 

We are now into playoff time, and as of this email, the Warriors are one of four BCHL teams still playing. One of the ways I get involved in these games is to sing the National Anthem, which is a joy for me. The other way is to get up in the broadcast booth and assist with colour commentary on the game broadcast. As you can see, these are fun, fun times..! (Even the fun times are ministry times…)

 

Because the season has been extended through a few playoff series wins, I am pleased to hold extra team chapels. The last time I went to the rink for chapel, the schedule on the electronic sign included a spot for Warriors chapel. It was such an honour to have the chapel listed by the city staff on the arena schedule.

 

I was asked at the end of the regular season to present the Warriors chaplaincy program award, which I did with joy. It went to our assistant captain, Chase Dafoe.. (His dad Byron was an NHL goaltender for the Boston Bruins.)

This summer I am very busy with weddings, almost all of them hockey related weddings…. I have included a wedding picture; just one of the joys of chaplaincy in the warmer weather….

 

Last, I wanted to end on a very somber note: a call for prayer for Ukraine. The horrors that are occurring daily are unspeakable, and I ask for prayer for an end to this madness. I have included a picture of the Zamboni in West Kelowna, which has been flying the flag of Ukraine since the Russian invasion began.

 

Be encouraged, the Lord is our Rock and Strength!

Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region
Spending of funds is confined to board approved programs and projects. Each restricted contribution designated towards a board approved program or project will be used as designated, with the understanding that when the need for such a program or project has been met, or cannot be completed for any reason determined by the board, the remaining restricted contributions designated for such program or project will be used where needed most.

Hello there team!!

We can be encouraged to know and be confident in this: that the Lord is Faithful, in every situation. I am confident that He will bring us through, because He that is within us is greater than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4

Okay everyone, here are a few ministry highlights from the past months. It was an honour to be asked to be a part of the West Kelowna Warriors 21-22 team picture, which I count as very special. I am thankful to the Lord to have been given an open door to every coach and player on the team. I pray that the seeds that are planted result in eternal fruit.

11th Annual Christmas Hamper Drive Christmas was an active time in the HMI Pacific world… Even with Covid restrictions, we were able to assemble 90 Christmas hampers for needy families in West Kelowna. It’s rewarding to lead this effort as a ministry of the team chapel program. I also took a bit of time having some Christmas fun with the Kelowna Chiefs club, and as you can see, we enjoyed ourselves! (I think it helps if chaplains are fun people!)

Chapel sessions have been very well attended, with real good discussion times around biblical topics. Most of the players join in at varying times during the chapels, contributing their ideas and thoughts. We always end with a prayer circle and our chapel motto. I have included a few pictures of chapel prayer circles, with both the Chiefs and the Warriors. My tradition is to stand at the door at the end of chapel and fist bump every player… and give them a ‘God loves you’ or a ‘God bless you’. It’s very common for them to respond as they leave, “Thank you, love you Donnie”. In fact, just recently, I had a player connect with me over a coffee, and pour out his heart about things that were going on in his life. Of course, I directed him to the Lord Jesus by praying with him.

Also, I am already filling up my summer schedule with hockey weddings… it’s become a wonderful summer tradition; with great spiritual opportunities. Speaking of weddings, just before Christmas I was asked to officiate a wedding during the first intermission at a Warriors game. It was such a blessing, that I can hardly express what it was really like. I have included a few pictures of the wedding here for you. To lead the entire arena in prayer to the Lord, in a prayer of blessing and gratitude, was completely overwhelming. May God be praised!

In late January, we held our 12th Annual Warriors Faith Night. Even with Covid restrictions, we had a fabulous night! I have attached the game introductory video that was played on the screen that night. I trust that you will be encouraged by it.

Thank you for your prayers and your tremendous support. Honestly, it is so good to be a bit more free to minister these days. While it still isn’t completely the old ‘normal’, it has improved significantly. And for that, I am thankful. So, thank you again. You are such a faithful team.

Still working hard in the corners,
Don Richmond
Hockey Ministries International
Pacific Region

Prayer Points:

-safety on road trips
-Godly influence at playoff tournaments
-distribution of players New Testaments
-for my many ‘J&J’ coffee meetings
-for the HMI 40 chaplains across BC
-for continued open doors for the Gospel