- -For our 3rd Annual Faith Night coming up on January 13.
- -For the Annual HMI Staff Conference in Ottawa.
- -For the Annual HMI All Star Breakfast.
- -For those who read the HMI Hockey Players New Testaments.
- -For my winter HMI travels in January and February.
- -For the HMI chapels held across BC.
- -For the marriage preparation sessions I am conducting
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A Happy New Year to all of the HMI Pacific team!
With Emil Fernandes and his wife Wendy. Emil is the Abbotsford Heat chaplain
Chilliwack chaplain Matt Rempel and good friend Larry Krause
I trust that your Christmases were wonderfully merry, and that you had an opportunity to exalt the Name of Jesus in a meaningful way during the Season. Thank you so much for being a part of this ministry. You are so very appreciated for your consistency, your prayer and your commitment. You will notice that I have changed my HMI region name slightly, from HMI BC to HMI Pacific. I feel that it speaks to a larger vision, of which I am asking the Lord for.
Here are some of the encouraging news stories from November/December that you will enjoy. I am certain that as you are informed, you will also pray.
In mid November, I traveled with the Westside Warriors on a road trip to Langley and Chilliwack. While on the trip, I was able to hold a chapel in the hotel, plus get to know the Warriors players and coaches just a little bit better. I was also pleased to present the players and Coaches a copy of the new HMI Hockey Players New Testament. On that trip I was glad to met with my good friends and Abbotsford Heat/Pilots chaplain Emil and Wendy Fernandes, as well as the chaplain of the Langley Rivermen Jr. club, Chris Weins. The road trip moved to Chilliwack where I met with our great new chaplain for the Chilliwack Chiefs, Matt Rempel.
Langley Rivermen chaplain, Chris Weins
Turkeys for the Christmas Hamper Drive
In late November my Westside Warriors club allowed me to host a Chaplains Christmas Turkey Drive at a home game. The people at the game were very open and supportive. At the end of the game, they had pressed $1,090.00 into my pockets to purchase turkeys for almost 100 Christmas hampers, to be made available to the homeless and needy. As you can see, we had a great time at the store, buying every turkey in sight, for a 'door crasher' sale price! The next wonderful part of this story is that the Warriors team came to our local church and helped fill Christmas hampers! Small, but significant steps...... The team owner mentioned to me that he would like it to become an annual event. What wonderful opportunities the Lord gives us!
I have been singing National Anthems often lately; one recent one at a Kelowna Rockets game is actually somewhere on YouTube! Because I love singing, these are pleasurable times for me, yet it also serves to expose the hockey community to chaplaincy ministry and the work of HMI chaplains.
Recently, Lorraine and I were invited to the home of one of the Warriors fans, who are not known as a Christian family. We were pleased to arrive at their home, where their entire family was gathered. I was asked to say a blessing before we enjoyed a great evening of food together. I was also asked to perform the wedding for one of their daughters, which I will do this year. Please pray as we begin marriage preparation sessions.
Warriors filling Christmas Hampers
Display for Chaplain's Christmas Turkey Drive
After enjoying a brief yet wonderful time with family at Christmas, I feel ready to head into the New Year with joy and hope. My motto for this coming year is 'Live Large', and I would like to do that. Coming up in January, we will hold our 3rd Annual Westside Warriors Faith Night. I am once more anticipating the largest home crowd of the season. Please pray as local pastors video their testimonials for that night, as a youth choir practices to sing the National Anthem, as I video interview the Head Coach and the team captain, as well as make my own video presentation. We will have great fun that night, with local pastors playing ball hockey in the intermission.... it should be slightly wild!
Finally, in January I am planning on attending our HMI Staff Conference in Ottawa.
A centerpiece highlight will be our Annual HMI All Star breakfast, held in conjunction with the NHL All Star game, also held in Ottawa. After the breakfast, the entire HMI staff will be together for 3 days. I am so pleased to let you know that this is the first year that I am able to take Lorraine to the conference. What a blessing it will be to have her with me! Again, I am confident that you will pray for us.
11-12 FAITH NIGHT POSTER
God bless you, you are a great team! Let's look forward to our God-sized future. Live large and play an inspired game!
With joy,
Don Richmond
HMI Pacific
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