From 46F in Alaska to 103F in less than 24 hours!
Sand Castle on the beach in La Paz, Mexico
Hacienda Del Sol - Our home, just outside the city of La Paz
Our private swimming pool
Baylano
One of many ice cream breaks!
Our Morning Counseling Sessions in our little Hacienda
A Cruise in La Paz Bay to go snorkeling and swim with the Seals
As soon as we jumped off the boat, the seals slipped off the rocks to swim with us!
Mango on a Stick - 20 pesos
Down town La Paz boardwalk and beach
Junior High boys at the archery range, not caring that it's a cold, wet day.
Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church VBS donated money for new playground equipment. We have added four new swings, and a trapeze bar with rings. A slide is ordered, but has not arrived yet. Thank you FHPC Kids!
This group of young men from California came a week before camp to help finish the pavilion that was started last summer. They got the sides up and the screens built to enclose the building that houses the swimming pool, ping pong table and foose ball. Now they are serving as camp counselors, activity directors, dish washers, and wherever else they are needed. They have developed a way to heat the pool by building a fire in a wood burner outside the pavilion and circulating the pool water through a water jacket. They have actually raised the water temperature from 36F to 61F! The kids would swim regardless, but how much more fun to have it warm! (relatively)
Now the kids can play and swim in the pavilion relatively bug free!
Carolyn and Margo serving a little cheer and TLC to hungry Elementary Campers during the first week.
Tie dying T-Shirts in the Craft Barn. The kids enjoy the process almost as much as the end product!
Henry and his mother, Virginia came to Family Camp for the first time.
Tata, Anna and their boys, and one more on the way!
It's ok Brother, the lady only wants to take our picture!
Kevin, MaryAnn and baby Kyra, having dinner with us before they left Kako for Fish Camp
An unprovoked bear attack on Gary's snow machine led to a couple of all night vigils, waiting for the culprit to show up again.
The thing continued to terrorize the neighborhood for two more nights, dumping out bags of aluminum cans and prowling around the chicken coop. The third night, Gary was determined to shoot it.
We waited up with the window open so we could hear the thing. Around 12:30 pm we heard something thump against our cache door. We looked out the window and there he was standing on his hind feet, with his front paws pushing on the cache door. Gary had his rifle ready and when it got back on all fours, he shot him. One shot in the head was all it took. Our neighbors, Mike and Sheldon came to help gut it and hang it in the airplane hangar.
The young male black bear measured about 6ft. and weighed around 300 lbs. Gary skinned it out the next day. He hopes to tan the hide and make a bear skin rug for our living room
He said his back was getting tired by the time he got to the head! We cut and wrapped it the next day and had bear steaks for supper. It doesn't replace the almost new snow machine seat, but revenge never tasted so good!
"This is your pilot, Alissa. We will be departing for Grayling Alaska momentarily. Please fasten your seat belts and enjoy your flight." Actually, Alissa's daddy, Mike Boettcher was our pilot and she and her mommy, Cayla came along with us on this trip.
The little mission church in Grayling is temporarily without a missionary pastor. They have invited Kako to come alongside to help them. Gary agreed to preach at the church on the weekend of April 18. As it turned out, the village was mourning the death of a three year old little boy and needed a pastor to minister to the family and conduct the funeral service on Tuesday. Monday we were able to fly to two neighboring villages to make contacts with local schools and community agencies to distribute Kako brochures, inviting folks to our upcoming counseling and training sessions as well as our summer kids camping program.
The custom of this Athabaskan Indian village is to conduct a community vigil for three days, supporting the family with meals and time spent viewing the body. The village gathered several times a day for meals and in the evening for gospel singing. We were privileged to be invited to participate in these events as well as the potlatch held the night before the funeral This beautiful spruce wood sled was made by family members to transport the casket three miles from the funeral to the graveside.
Pray with us for this precious young mother who has lost her toddler as she raises his little sister.
We spent a cultural weekend in Bethel, celebrating Gary's birthday in March. There were dance groups from villages around the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Each group includes drummers, singers, female dancers, standing, and male dancers, kneeling.
We were surprised that we knew some of the performers from village schools in the area. Every dance group included children. To view video footage click Cama'i Dance Festival on our links and click on 2008 Group Index. You might enjoy hearing the Yupi'k language spoken and sung.
Gary, leading a Bible Study at our Easter Weekend Teacher's Retreat. We flew in public school teachers from villages in the area to join us for a weekend of Rest and Relaxation and Fellowship.
Easter Week also brought a group of students from Colorado Christian University in Denver to Kako. Besides doing tons of work projects for us, they helped with Kids Club and put on a Youth Snow Retreat for local teenagers. What a blessing they were to all of us. Here are some of them decorating Easter Eggs with our Kako Kids.
Easter Sunrise Service on Kako Mountain. We were shuttled via snow machine and sled to this early morning service. He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
