2 weeks of Camp Li-Wa, Fairbanks, AK - June 2016

Camp Li-Wa, Fairbanks, Alaska is everything we have dreamed about for the last 18 months and more.  Just when I thought a camp could not be anymore needy, God says look at this one.  Never have we been to a camp where the building that contains the dining hall and kitchen has been officially condemned because the the permafrost heaves in the ground cause the building to constantly be in motion.  They no longer serve meals in the dining hall instead the kids eat in a huge multipurpose pavilion with a white tent that can serve as a dining hall, chapel and meeting room.

The condemned dining/kitchen

building to be replaced by 

next summer.

The new building that will replace the above.
This is the building that Wayne & Roy
are now working on for June & July.

Artist rendition of finished building.

Roy & Wayne have completed a renovation of the climbing wall, and it has already been used.  Then they repaired the large sliding rear doors to the barn.  It originally took 3 people to open one door, now one person can do it with one hand!  Now they are working on the construction of the new dining/kitchen hall to hopefully be completed by camp season next year.

New floor added to climbing wall.
After the wall was repaired the leader
group gave Wayne & Roy a group hug!

Inside the climbing wall.

Discussion about building plans for
the new dining/kitchen hall.

A floating floor to have several feet of

insulation with steel beams bearing the weight

about 20 ft. underground.  If not permafrost

would cause the building to sway and be 

uneven.

The rear barn door now repaired.





Gail & Sue have been working independently during the day but during registration times for camp we get to work together.  Sue primarily has been working on camp registration forms during the week.  Gail makes sure the vegetable garden and greenhouse stays watered along with flowering plants.  Because the daylight hours are long, plants need to be watered several times per day unless it rains, which it rained almost everyday the 2nd week.

Above:  Sue working on registration forms in "her office".
Right:  Daylight at 1:00 a.m., never to be any darker than this!
















The first weekend we took in 4 museums.  The Mushing Museum (came out feeling like a whip), the Mining Museum (came out wanting a gold nugget), the Air Museum at Pioneer Park (came out feeling like my commercial flights in a Boeing was too prissy) and the Fairbanks Info Center Museum (came out feeling like a few inches of snow in NC was nothing to talk about)!  After church we visited the Farmer's Market and everyone ate at a different booth.  By the time we leave, we have been told that there will be 100 lb. cabbages being sold at the market.

Right:  Riverboat Nenana at Pioneer Park

Below:  Viewing the Alaskan Pipeline close
to Camp Li-Wa

Yes, the guys have done a little panning, no avail!  Our bank account has not grown neither have our pockets!  But, they were very happy the day we went to the Antique Auto Museum.  We each pick out our favorite cars and decided to reinvest our house proceeds for an antique to pull behind the RV!

Left:  Me and Wayne tootling along,
red hat and all.

Below:  The Anderson's in the same get up!

Left:  The girls have picked out their favorite.

Below:  The guys theirs!

Now, off to North Pole to Santa's house and Pagoda restaurant for lunch.

Santa works non-stop 24/7, and 365/365!

Of course we have been good (so far) this year.

So we each have our favorite
stuffed animals at Santa's House.
These are tame, friendly, soft and
huggable.  Those on the side of
the road are not so!













Then, on to the Large Animal Research Center of UAF - we were able to view moscox, reindeer.  Never new moscox even existed.  A little too far south for these guys but they wanted to accommodate us foreigners!

New babies at Camp Li-Wa 

barn this spring.

Baa-baa black sheep.

Horses for trail rides too.

Lastly this weekend we took in ivory carvings at the Rare Coin Shop and furs at the traders outfit.  Walrus ivory is only allowed to be carved by natives.  Amazing work.  A final lunch at KFC (wonder if it is Alaskan chickens they use) and then Roy and Sue drop us off at the airport for a quick trip to see the Schroeder's in Florida.

Left and below:  Each cabin had a short
presentation for their parents at the end of
the first week of camp.  They (leaders
included) left tired and fulfilled.

Our sweet sister and sister-in-law, Wanda, is battling the effects of cancer treatments and its prognosis.  Wayne and I are in Florida spending some time and making lasting memories with her.  Such a trooper.  

It's a crazy journey.  We are trying to experience everything that Alaska has to offer while working at Camp Li-Wa.  It's a different world........till next week...................we too are crazy!