I’m glad to be able to send you another quick update on the things that are going on in the HMI Pacific ministry world. The first two month of 2016 have had some great adventures! Here is a quick read of the latest……
In late January, a Hockey Ministries supporter chatted with me and offered his Phoenix, AZ home to Lorraine and I, rent-free for 10 days! What a wonderfully generous offer that was! Well, it didn’t take a whole lot of convincing us, so on January 20 we flew to Phoenix. We had such a great time, touring not only the Phoenix area but up north to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. I was able to visit a former Warriors player who regularly came to chapel, and who now plays for the Arizona State Sun Devils hockey club. I attended his game and was able to have a good chat with him afterwards.
Lorraine and I connected with some good friends in Surprise AZ, who kindly took us to an Arizona Coyotes NHL game in Glendale. One morning we had great brunch with Brent and Carly Gough and their little boy Greysin. Brent is a former Assistant Coach of the West Kelowna Warriors who now runs a hockey program in Scottsdale. We came home very refreshed, with fabulous memories of wonderful friends, beautiful desert walks, breathtaking mountains and much more.
I serve as the Chaplain of the Kelowna Chiefs Junior hockey club as well as the West Kelowna Warriors. When I arrived home from Phoenix, I was able to go on a short road trip with the team when they played the 100 Mile House Wranglers. I love hockey road trips! They are such an opportunity to connect with coaches, staff and players. I am thankful to Chiefs Coaches Jason Tansem and Lenny Rampone for allowing me to be a part of that trip.
In early February, Lorraine and I planned and hosted a Warriors Coaches & leadership dinner at a local restaurant. The event was well attended that night, attended by the team owner and his wife, the head coach and his girlfriend, the assistant coach and his wife, the director of business operations and his wife, the athletic therapist and his wife, the team photographer, and more. We had a fabulous evening that night! I truly feel that these are the kinds of things that I am called to do, to be an integral part of my hockey people’s real lives; to do far more than showing up at the arena for chapel time and then disappearing. A huge part of chaplaincy is to build trusted relationships with people that we are showing Christ’s love to.
On February 19 in West Kelowna, we held our 7th Annual Warriors Faith Night. This home game night is a perfect time to celebrate the chapel program, as well as honour the Lord and the local Christian community. The arena was filled with Christian people from around the area and the atmosphere that evening was absolutely electric. Pastors from around the area were on the ice for a short game of boot hockey, three pastors sang the National Anthem, and then later we tossed prizes out into the crowd from the back of a pick-up truck! This year’s Faith Night was one of the best ever! That night carried with it the ‘aroma of Christ’. (2 Corinthians 2:15)
Late in February we held our annual Warriors Post -Game Awards Ceremony, where I was asked to present 2 Awards, the Humanitarian and the Chapel Program Award. OF course, this is a huge honour to be included in such a meaningful post-game ceremony.
Finally, I am including a few pictures as I visit some of the HMI chaplains around BC as well as faithful people who consistently help me out along the way. In one picture you’ll see our Langley chaplain Jordan Bateman with UBC Thunderbirds chaplain Simon Gau and in another, the Trail chaplain Bruce Taylor with the Smoke Eaters Goaltender Bailey MacBurnie. Also I am including a picture of long time friends and HMI Pacific supporters Mike and Sheila Davis from Trail.