Dear HMI BC team,

I trust that you all had a wonderful and fulfilling Christmas Season and New Year’s celebration!  Lorraine and I were quite busy over the holidays, travelling to Saskatchewan just before Christmas and then to Victoria on the 27th to be with our family on New Years.  The roads on the mountain passes were not always the best, but we trusted in the Lord and drove carefully!

 hmibc

I have been home a bit more than usual in the last few months, which has been good.  There have been a few occasions when I did need to travel, such as a long drive up to northern BC (about 12 hours on the road!) to speak to a church group in Smithers on a Sunday morning, and also when I spoke at churches in Merritt and in Oliver.

 hmibc

I am glad to see that the chapel program in 100 Mile House has started this fall, with new Chaplain Andrew Giesbrecht.  Please be praying for Andrew as he is in the initial formation of this new ministry.  I would ask you to pray for all the chapel programs that are running across the province, as young people are being exposed to the love and mercy of Jesus.

 hmibc

In early November, I had an opportunity to participate in the Remembrance Day Ceremony as the chaplain of the West Kelowna Fire Department.  This is just one more opportunity to actively be a part of my community as a follower of Christ.  It was very meaningful to stand with other Firefighters and honour those who have fought for Canada in war.

 hmibc

Later in November, a few Hockey Ministries people gathered in Chilliwack to put the finishing touches on a 3 year process of starting a new summer hockey camp.  This will be another camp in addition to the existing summer camp we have had going in Williams Lake.  The Chilliwack meeting was very exciting, and I believe that the Lord will do wonderful things through this new camp.  The committee was very focused on doing whatever it takes to see the camp succeed.

 hmibc

Also, I recently had an opportunity to visit with Summerland Steam chaplain Rick Gay as well as the Merritt Centennials chaplain Dave McCauley.  Rick has done a great job in Summerland with the hockey club there and Dave has served the Centennials in Merritt forever. (almost, not quite…..)  Please be praying for these two as they continue to serve Jesus where they are called.  I also had a chance to have a short visit with two hockey buddies and chapel supporters Kolby Barnstable and Jayson Zilke, and their good friend James Reimer, a goaltender with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.  It was great to meet James, who is a devoted disciple of Jesus.

 hmibc

In December, I was in charge of an annual event around the West Kelowna Warriors hockey club – the 6th Annual Christmas Hamper Drive. WIth the help of the Warriors ownership and fans, we were able to put together 60 Christmas Hampers for needy families in West Kelowna.  It was so good to assemble the hampers with the team, to speak to them and lead them in prayer.  The Christmas Hamper Drive is an outreach of the Chaplaincy Program of the Warriors Hockey Club.  As well, in December I offered a personally digitally engraved copy of the New Testament to both the Kelowna Chiefs and the West Kelowna Warriors.  A good number signed up for them and so in January I will be distributing them.  I am excited about this opportunity to have the Gospel in the hands of these players and coaches.

 hmibc

I am really looking forward with anticipation what the Lord has in store in 2017.  He is faithful, whether the road is level and relaxed or rocky, steep and difficult.

Again, I trust that your Christmas and New Years holiday was as meaningful and wonderful as Lorraine’s and mine was.

• -safe travels through the winter
• -New Testaments to the Warriors and Chiefs
• -new summer hockey camp in Chilliwack
• -new chapel program in 100 Mile House
• -the many chapel programs that are running this season
• -for the families who received Warriors Christmas Hampers

All for Jesus,

Don Richmond

Hockey Ministries International

Pacific Region