Kako Expedition: The Daily Logs
Here is the complete collection of our daily updates from our trip to Kako Retreat Center. Follow our day-by-day adventures as we tackled deep cleaning and other preparations for the camp.
Tuesday (May 19th)
Today, we are headed to Kako as a family to help prepare for their kids' camps. Originally, Kako was going to have a family camp. But the facility isn’t ready to host that many people, so we’re going out there to help them prepare for the rest of the summer instead.
Additionally, this time we’re flying commercially to Bethel. The Cherokee’s engine overhaul wasn’t finished in time for Kako. In Bethel, we’ll be picked up and flown to Camp. Please pray that the Cherokee’s engine will be ready for Kokrine’s work camps.
We’re also excited to be bringing a local friend along with us to Kako. Having an extra set of hands will be a huge blessing!
While we’re at Kako, you can be praying for safe travels, good weather, and God’s blessing on our work.
“Fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.”
1 Samuel 12:24
Wednesday
We have begun our cleaning expedition at Kako. During the winter, the diesel boiler in the lodge expelled a ton of smoke throughout the building, coating everything in black soot. Every item that was inside now needs to be cleaned off.
We started in the meeting room, wiping books, instruments, and mopping the walls. Remarkably, we were able to clean almost everything in there. Next, we'll need to sweep the floors.
Then we moved on to the lodge bathroom. The bathroom was in a part of the building closer to the boiler, so its walls had a much thicker coating of soot. We'll be continuing to work in there today.
Jeff got in a practice flight in Kako's Cherokee 6. Because the engine was recently overhauled, it has to be kept at full power basically all of the time, making for an interesting ride. He'll be flying in Kako's food supply over the next few days.
"The joy of the Lord is your strength."
Nehemiah 8:10
Thursday
On Thursday, we wiped down the toy room, the long hallways, and most of the bathrooms in the lodge. Johnathan windexed the windows, Lael scrubbed down all of the toilets, and Ellesha cleaned off children’s books.
Up in the meeting room, LeeAnn and Elliana shampooed all of the area rugs, a ton of carpet wall tiles, and had almost finished the steps. Molly helped Lael clean the toys.
Jeff worked on the Cherokee’s tight rudder with Jonathan Penz and Adrian. They jacked it up, did some swing tests, and lubricated all of the rudder controls. The plane this past winter got an engine overhaul, so the rudder controls got a little stiff from lack of use.
Please pray that the lodge septic line will be fixed soon so we can start washing the giant pile of soot-covered laundry.
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”
2 Thessalonians 3:3
Friday
On Friday, we continued cleaning toys and basically finished wiping the bathroom down. The windows and chairs in the downstairs of the lodge were cleaned, and we are still working on shampooing the carpeting.
After the oven in the lodge was fixed, LeeAnn, Elliana, and Molly decided to make a special cream cheese frosting, chocolate and vanilla cake, along with some cinnamon challah bread. It tasted amazing!
Caleb and Camden, two guys who were out here helping with various projects (they left this morning), kayaked out to the runaway fuel tanks to secure them. The river rose a lot yesterday, flooding the runway in the nearby village of Russian Mission and Kako’s fuel tanks.
This morning, it started snowing out here! It didn’t stick, but this spring has definitely been really weird.
Please pray that Kako’s food order will arrive in Bethel asap, so Jeff can help fly it in.
“God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. For he says to the snow, “Fall to the earth,” and the torrential rains, his mighty torrential rains, serve as his sign to all mankind, so that all men may know his work.”
Job 37:5-7
Saturday
Saturday was a little slower than the previous days. But we continued to do a lot of shampooing, and finished everything in the bathrooms except for the showers (because the water drainage still wasn’t working).
In the evening, we had a short jam session, and we were excited to hear that the food order had arrived in Bethel! Although they weren’t able to bring any of the food in because the airline closed at 5pm.
“Out of the north comes golden splendor; God is clothed with awesome majesty. The Almighty—we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.”
Job 37:22-23 ESV
Sunday
On Sunday, we did a devotional in the morning. Then LeeAnn, Elliana, and Johnathan rewrote Garden in Manhattan by Josiah Queen to make it more Alaskan after they realized that a ‘warm breeze in July’ would be more welcome here than a “cool breeze in July.”
Some awesome things happened on Sunday: the drain for the lodge was repaired, along with several laundry machines! We were able to get a bunch of laundry loads started.
We did even more shampooing, and with the drainage system working, we began washing all of the dishes in the lodge. Kako has a lot of dishes; they were covered with soot as well. And we worked on cleaning the walls and other surfaces in the kitchen.
In the evening, we decided to go on a hike up the mountain. Even though it had rained fairly hard in the middle of the day, the rain had cleared up, so we had a beautiful and sunny experience. After the hike, we had a big jam session in the lodge with Adrian, Jeanne, and Sharon. It was great to hear worship in the lodge once again.
Jeff and Jonathan Penz were able to finish putting the Cherokee back together, so the plane was ready to fly in the food order today.
Today, we’re continuing on the dishes, and the food order is being flown in. Please pray we’ll get a lot done, as this is our last day at Kako.
“He saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
Titus 3:5
Monday
On Monday, we went out with a bang. With the Cherokee 6 repaired and the food order in Bethel, Jeff and Adrian flew back and forth all day transporting cargo.
Thankfully, God kept the weather clear enough to get everything in. The pilots were able to transfer all of the food except for one pallet that still hasn’t been shipped from Anchorage.
In camp, there was the fun of unboxing the food and organizing it in the pantry. The shelves went from very empty to very full!
Other than dealing with the order, we also washed half of the camp's dishes, finished shampooing the wall carpet tiles, scrubbed down the showers, and washed ten loads of laundry. We wanted to get a lot done because it was our last day.
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26
Tuesday, The End
Our time in Kako this spring is now over. Adrian and Jonathan flew us to Bethel in the morning, where we got on an Alaska Airlines flight back to Anchorage. In the Bethel terminal, we got to reconnect with a lady who attended Berry Camp at Kako two years ago.
We’re thankful for what we were able to get done, and for the faithfulness and determination of our fellow coworkers in Christ: Jonathan, Sharon, Adrian, Jeanne, Bonnie, Camden, and Caleb.
We helped prepare for camp; now, please join us in praying that God will provide the rest of the staff for Kids Camp. They still have roles that need to be filled. And for those still at Kako, pray that they would have the strength to complete the final tasks before camp.
“For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.”
Philemon 1:7
