Week 148 - Camp Li-Wa Fairbanks, Alaska - 06-14-2009

Aksutik

(hello) from

Camp Li-Wa, Fairbanks, Alaska,

Many of the names in Alaska are Indian or Eskimo names. Camp Li-Wa may appear to be one of these, but actually stands for Camp Living Water. Camp Li-Wa was started in 1959 operated by Denali Bible Church in Fairbanks for 25 years and is now a part of Victory Ministries which also operates Victory Bible Camp near Anchorage. Li-Wa offers eight weeks of summer camps for kids, winter retreats for local churches and has a newly completed heated horse riding arena for the local community.

The camp has a variety of terrain with dense forest, lakes, wetlands and open grass fields.

1) Canoeing on the lake. 2) A climbing wall.

Momma duck out for a stroll with her family.

Camp Li-Wa has a very nice stable, many horses, and a petting zoo.

1) Our leaders: Ted from Camp Li-Wa and Jay from our SOWERS team. 2) Ahhhh, the Alaska Bridge to Nowhere does exist!

Another picture puzzle cover by Ellen.

So what do SOWERS do? We commit to three weeks of work in exchange for RV hookups for up to four weeks. You can stay the fourth week to visit the local area. We work six hours a day, with mandatory breaks, four days a week for the three weeks. We start the day with devotions at 7:30 am and are through working by 3:30 pm. If you are interested in the SOWERS, link to http://www.sowerministry.org/.

1) The SOWER ladies did cleaning, sewing and painting. 2) Permafrost has given the current kitchen some interesting angles.

1) The men are heading home for break. 2) We caught Stephanie with her paints down!

Projects included completing the boys bathhouse. New wall covering, water and sewer plumbing and electrical.

Both the boys and girls bathhouses were transformed from flat to peaked roofs.

Our accommodations varied. Two in the meadow and two "in the jungle, the mighty jungle the RV sleeps tonight . . ."

This moose was right in Fairbanks. We stopped to get the photo and he did the typical moose thing. Looked, ran, hid and said "you can't see me!"

1) On the weekend we left the jungle for open space along the Chena River. 2) Our neighbors at the RV park.

Nights are shorter in Fairbanks than in the lower 48. Here are views of the Chena River out of our motorhome for 12 hours. There is plenty of light at one and two a.m. to do anything you want outside.

Well, we need to get to bed. Now, where's . . .that . . .nighttime?

Love, Pete and Ellen

Photos from Jun 2009