Camp: POBox 1529, Honokaa, HI 96727

Office: 808-935-0366

Email: director@mekokiko.com

Web: mekokiko.com

PRESCOTT ARIZONA VIM TEAMIn April we hosted a team of eight people

from the Prescott UMC, in Arizona. Leaders wereEarl and Barbara Bolkan, former members ofthe Hilo UMC, Hilo, Hawaii. It was a great visitwith old friends for the people of the Big Island.New to the camp’s mission were team members:Ginny Row Dave GannRoy Row Kathy SalmonJanette Gann Ron Salmon They are pictured below in this snap takenin the Mekokiko Keifer Chapel.

Earl Bolkan, a former contractor on theBig Island, brought the team especially to pre-pare the foundation for the second bath house.While that was their primary goal, the picturesbelow will show they had time enough in theirnearly three week visit to make building repairs,add pig fencing, clean trails, thoroughly clean thechapel ceiling, painting, chopping down wild

guava and ginger,and eat! Yes eat.They brought withthem Ginny Row,which spent herentire time shop-ping, cooking andcleaning. She gotthe affectionatenickname BettyCrocker for herhomemade bakedgoods as well asgenerous meals.Everyone’s weight gain was due solely to her ^^ The pictures below will tell the story.They are weighted to the Foundation projectbecause that is our primary need right now, andwe can still use your donations to accomplishthat project! Enjoy the show:

Earl BolkanRoy Row….diggingfoundationpads wherethe roof postswill be placedon the slab.

EarlRon SalmonRoy…mixingcementfor thepads.

Dave GannandKathy Salmonpour thepads.

Dave, Roy, Ron, (), Earl setting up “batterboards.”

Earl, Roy, Ron build forms.

Ron man’s the Bob Cat laying gravel.

Earl, Ted, Roy spread the gravel.

Dave, Ron, Earl keep at it!

Almost near the end, ready for the next steps:plumbing, termite treatment, plastic covering,rebar, inspections, then … more cement, lots ofcement :)

The final site as the team left it finished ready forthe sub-contractors:

Barbara Bolkan kept a sketch book andnotebook recording the teams every effort:

Kathy Salmoncutting anddigging outginger along thepig fence.

Dave, Jan Gann, Ron cleaning chapel.

Jan mowing, and showing her skills for the firsttime on a zero turn mower (she used to drive afork lift!)

Alwaystime forloggingfor thelumber-jacks!

Packing rebar up the hill with an impromptu andcreative method!

Earl and Roy repair water damage to theorchard.

Barbara, Kathy, Jan hitch a ride back to theLodge after a painting assignment.

Jan and Dave clear trails.

This is Ron in his favorite pants trimming thetent sites.

Jan working on the pig fencing cutting ginger.

Not to be left out of the fun, Barbara cuts backundergrowth.

Dave, Ron, Roy, Earl down in the gully repairingthe bridge fencing.

Finally, this was THE week of the year when oursignature Yellow Ohia Lehua is in full bloom.Magnificent.

Our serious and most heartfelt thanks tothis Prescott, AZ team, which like all of our guestteams, gave themselves above and beyondreason to promote and propel this ministry everforward.

MEMORIAL PICNIC TABLES The slow, but steady art, of creating instone is evident in the pictures below of the threepicnic tables outside the lodge under construc-tion. Pale Sipinga, of Hilo UMC, is our point man

on all cement work at the camp, and he contin-ues his string of accomplishments (memorial,chapel, foundations) with these tables that arebeing funded in part by memorial gifts made overthe years, and will be marked in the memory ofso many. Guaranteed these will not rot,crumble, fade, need paint, be attacked by ants,or be moved! We are extremely happy with theprogress and design. Here is latest image:

USAGE COMMITTEE As mentioned before we have developed

a new committee to plan and encourage facilityusage. The committee is now complete with fivevolunteers: Natalie Nimmer of Oahu, HI,Tony Takai of Kona, HI, Hugh Stone of PolkCity, Iowa, Dwayne Abbott of Linn,Missouri, and Margaret Johnson of Hilo, HI. Meetings will be on-line using businessvideo conferencing (Go-to-Meeting) and the par-ticipants are being trained this week for their firstmeeting this Saturday. The technology is goodbut still takes some training! This meeting willbe video and chat only, although in the future wemay open it up to voice as well so we can talkover each other! Ha ha ha. It will happen won’tit?

CAMP CARETAKER The volunteer positionof Caretaker is still open. Wehave a job description youmay request. It comes with asmall apartment, business

mileage, a 40 acre private back yard, turkeys,chickens, hawks, pigs, the occasional peacock,and many wonderful Big Island friends. It is purely mission, a sacrifice perhaps, amonastical setting for sure. Its perfect for theright soul(s). Drop us a line if you think thismight be for you?

DONATIONS

We are dependent on your donations tobuild Camp Mekokiko. Please consider joining aselect group of by becoming a monthlydonor to our overhead, or a planned giving donorof $1000 a year that is recognized annually on apermanent engraved plaque in one of our medi-tation patios. Donations to our endowment forfuture maintenance are always kindly received. Donations may be made by check payableto Camp Mekokiko, mailed to: PO Box 1529,Honokaa, HI, 96727, or by PayPal on our web-site: mekokiko.com on the Donations page.

CALENDAR OF TEAMSMay 30 Kona UMC, Kona, HIJuly 5 Kailua UMC, Kailua,HIJuly 15 Virginia Conference UMC, VAJuly 24 Escondido UMC, CASep 24 Mauston UMC, Mauston, WIDec 28 Polk UMC, Polk, IAJuly 16 Grace UMC, Des Moines, IA

MAHALO As always, we thank you for being aFriend of Mekokiko and supporting this Campingand Retreat ministry with your labors of love,fund raising, and personal gifts. Stay with us;together we can get this done in time.

…..Ted LesnettPS Moving; changing email address? Be sure to send us notice so we can get you your newsletter :)

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