Since we purchased our land in 2017, God has provided through His people to build our missions base. In Phases One – Six (2017 – 2022), we cleared land, built our Cookshack, Bunkhouse, Waterhouse, Lumber Shed as well as started renovating the old house that came with the property.
This is where all of our teams spend their first night in Alaska after flying in from the lower 48. After getting a good night’s sleep, they often travel hundreds of miles to their team’s assignment. Our base provides tools (buildings, vehicles, trailers and hand tools) that are vital in serving a network of churches, Bible camps and ministries that we have developed since 1995. Our “Values Statement” says:
Our missionary emphasis is defined by prayerful direction from the Holy Spirit, a commitment to excellence in accomplishing every task, the attention to detail and integrity in communication with others, the careful stewarding of the tools and resources entrusted to us, and the faithful pursuit of building lifelong partnerships to keep the Body of Christ strong.
Thank you to all of you who have given your time and financial support to put these tools in place. Many of you have joined our team. There is much more to do. Alaska is an incredibly large place with deep spiritual needs. What has been provided so far is very encouraging.
To date, all of these developments have been accomplished without debt. We thank and praise the LORD for this and each of you who gave for your obedience to His call. We give you our word that we will continue to be faithful and accountable to Him.
2023
The goal of “Phase Seven” is to complete a whole list of tasks that were not completed in 2022. Bunkhouse – This list will include installing decorative stone around the bottom three feet of the Bunkhouse (see photo below windows) as well as continued work inside. The stone also serves to protect the building from snow laying up against it all winter. Decorative stone will also be installed on our Waterhouse which houses our water system.
Base Director’s Home Renovation – This photo (below) was taken in February of 2022 and showed the condition of this house. Since the purchase of the property in 2017, we have been renting it in order to generate income to help with our increased operational expenses. But in 2022, we decided to renovate it. When it is finished, it will become our Base Director’s House. Our Base Director will be our first full time position for LightShine Alaska. More on that position soon!
This old house needs a lot of work! Work began in August 2022 by adding a new addition. Soon this old house will become a usable home. The following video explained a matching fund that was offered and met at the end of 2022. We left it here to watch so you can see how the old house is changing.
Winter 2022/2023 – Work inside the house continues – installing new electrical, plumbing and heating system – as well as insulation, new downstairs bathroom and kitchen, and drywall. Here is a short slide show that shows the work that is happening right now (added April 2, 2023).
Here is a projected cost analysis for 2023:
Insulation – $9,800
Drywall – $2,500
Bathroom – $10,572
Wood Stove & Stainless Steel Chimney – $6,500
Heating & Hot Water – $23,000
Kitchen & Appliances – $10,500
Flooring – $3,500
Paint (interior/exterior) – $2,095
House Siding – $27,000
North Side Addition (includes framing, roofing, widows and doors) – $15,050
Labor (contracted over the winter) – $15,000
Propane Tank – $8,600
Total Estimate for 2023 – $134,117
Thank you for considering building this ministry with us. It is a privilege to serve our Lord Jesus Christ together. These tools make it possible to run this missions base and move workers from the lower 48 in and out of Alaska. If you have any questions for our Board Chairman and financial administrator, please contact Carl Ginder who is our Financial Administrator at: ceginder@gmail.com or (717) 826-1947
Future Goals
2024 – “Phase Eight” – We will continue to work on our Base Director’s home which will also house our ministry office. We also need to build a much needed garage for that home. Our goal is to get a full time base director to manage the property and oversee the workings of our missions base year round. More information will be released on this vision in the near future.
Snow Removal – Another significant need is to purchase a Tractor/Skid Loader (for snow removal and year round use). Tools for moving snow is a major need. We’ve learned that a plow is only a temporary solution in Alaska because eventually, you run out of places to push the snow. A loader or a front end snow blower on a skid loader is what we need. Of course, we would use a skid loader for other projects as well.
This past winter was really hard on us and we had to get a neighbor to help us. We learned a lot about having to daily remove the snow from in front of our garage area of the bunkhouse. If we didn’t keep up with it, it would continue to slide off our metal roof and build up in front of our doors. Our driveway is also long and needed to be kept clear.
If you could help with these costs for purchasing building materials and equipment, please contact Carl Ginder who is our Financial Administrator at: ceginder@gmail.com or (717) 826-1947
Every year our goal is to raise the needed capital to complete the work with cash in hand – no debt. That is the purpose of our Capital Campaign. CLICK HERE to read more about that or click on the “EMPOWERING Generation to Generation” logo.
Would you consider giving towards the need of this coming year? Click on the logo above for more information. All financial gifts are tax deductible. It is all for His Glory!
Thank you so much!
Tom Denlinger – Ministry Founder