​News from the Vancouver Airport Chapel - Summer 2023

The Chapel's 2023 AGM was held on Saturday, May 6th. Here's my Chaplain's Report:

As I look back on 2022, I see the hand of God on the YVR Chapel ministry in so
many ways. As Covid retreated and passenger traffic and employee numbers
increased, God gave us strength to respond to people coming into the Chapel, even
as our open hours increased from eight hours to 18 hours a day. I am grateful to our six board members and seven associate chaplains who remained faithful all during the year to serve where God had called them. Special thanks goes to Chair Catriona Day, Vice-chair Don Hanberg, Sec/Treas. Rosalind Wee and Co-chaplain David Holliday who led the Chapel Team when I was away. I am also grateful to Drew Pankrath of YVR Airport Authority and Steve Saunders & the Public Safety Officers who made our daily operations possible.

As for memorable events of 2022, there are several:

• We said farewell and “job well done!” to our Chaplain Emeritus Layne Daggett,  who went home to heaven on July 15th. We all miss him immensely, but the foundation he built will stand as long as the Chapel remains! By God's grace, our team worked with YVR to dedicate the new Prayer Room in International Departures to Layne's legacy; he was able to see the beautiful plaque that Roz created before he passed away. Praise God!
• Because of concern for Layne, we did not plan a Summer BBQ, but instead

           enjoyed a wonderful fall gathering of 30 Chapel team members and
           prospective volunteers for a training session with Drew Pankrath. He arranged
           for us to be royally treated in the airport's best meeting room, included a tasty
           lunch, and then presented a cool slide show to bring us up to date with YVR's
           plans for the near future. Bless you Drew!

​Finally, volunteer Lawrence Yuen put on the finishing touches of wall shelving that made the Chapel look gorgeous! We even ended the year with a week of the Christmas Drop-in for cold and weary YVR employees who enjoyed our hot apple cider every year!

November and December witnessed the complete overhaul of our Chapel facility, as Catriona and Roz's vision of 'Refreshing' became reality. Board member Don Hanberg led our efforts to clean out all the furniture, including the murphy beds in the Prayer Room, to prepare for the beautiful paint job and carpet cleaning that Drew arranged for us. Then YVR offered us new furniture items and 'interior designer' Roz envisioned the remaining pieces that we needed, including many live plants. 

I believe that God has been watching over us and has provided enough Chapel team
members and financial support to serve the YVR Community over the past year. I also believe that He will continue to supply all our needs as we strive to live out the calling that He has placed on us to serve Him through the Vancouver Airport Chaplaincy.

Thank you, God, for the opportunity to serve at YVR and to lead this wonderful team
of volunteers.
​
Dennis