Summer Break has come and gone. Makanalani stayed busy as we welcomed 13 different camps that stayed with us! Please join us and hear more about our summer camps, impacts that were made, and testimonies from our Hawaii Leadership Residency session in this summer special Summer 2026 Newsletter!
- Summer 2026 -
Summer 2026 is officially a wrap. It was an incredible season as we welcomed in groups from all ends of Kauai, and even a camp from Big Island! Lives were impacted this summer as each camper was given an unforgettable experience and were invested into by adults who truly care about them. From team games, to exploring the farm, visiting animals, or a slip and slide, unforgettable memories were formed and friendships were made that will last a lifetime.
- Bigger Camps -
Across this summer we had 13 different summer camps, plus a couple of extra young adult nights which snuck into the mix as well! We are truly blessed to be connected to all of these groups who are truly investing and building up our next generation! We estimated well over 300+ students in attendance across all these camps this summer. Lives were impacted during this break, and we want to thank every leader, volunteer, and camper for making this possible!
- The 2nd Annual CCL Hunger Games -
For the second year in a row, Calvary Chapel Lihue Youth faced off in a fierce battle of the hunger games! Each contestant is on their own, with nothing but an egg to protect which must be attached to their head using panty hose! Once your egg breaks, you’re out! Students were only allowed to attack with pool noodles to break the eggs, but they had to search around the farm to find their weapons or other advantages! Beyond that, it was up to each individual to form alliances, find hiding places, or outwit their opponents to be the last person standing. After a long afternoon, the finalists were gathered in the game field for a final showdown, and a new winner was crowned! Incredible memories were made for these students during this game as each leader worked hard to make this the best experience possible for them!
- A Court of Princes and Princesses -
Hear ye, hear ye! A court of young princess and princesses have assembled for a camp at Makanalani! This camp was a roaring success as during the day the princes would go off for the day for fun activities and challenges at the beach such as building rafts, learning to make fire, and other outdoor skills, while the princesses would stay at the Kids House and got to host the loveliest tea parties, learn hula, and make crafts! All of these royals would be taught throughout the day enforcing Biblical truths on their lives of what God says about them in His word, which would lead to an amazing ball each night filled with joy and dancing all together as a united court. It truly was a splendid week!
- Cooling Off with Water Games -
This summer has had three types of weather: hot, rainy, or both! On an especially hot day, Kauai Baptist Youth had the right idea and brought out the water games! Competing in their two main teams of the week, Team Wana vs Team Man o’ War, students faced off in a multitude of challenges which all resulted in cooling off in one way or another! From a hot potato roulette game, to catching flying balloons in baskets, tossing water balloons between teammates, or a relay race down and up the slip and slide! Rain or shine, camps will always find a way for the campers to have the best time!
- Able Ministries Summer Camp 2026 -
What would a summer at Makanalani be without a camp for Able Ministries? It was our joy to welcome Able back for their annual summer camp! Able Ministries is a special needs club hosted through Lihue Missionary Church who host teenagers and adults with special needs from all across Kauai! This year our theme was “God’s Treasure”, so we dawned our pirate attire and prepared for a fun day of treasure hunts, slip and slides, songs, and Bible teaching! To end the day is a dance party as everyone sings and laughs to wrap up a full day of fun. Truly one of the most joyous days of the year as everyone comes together to make this day happen, including all of our Hawaii Leadership Residency group coming to serve!
- A Visit from Big Island -
After 12 long camps, we finally got to slow down a bit and welcome in our 13th and final camp of the summer, which was our only camp visiting from outside of Kauai! YWAM Kona brought in families from their ministry for a week on Kauai to enjoy the last week before school starts, and build up their families with a strong emphasis on Biblical teaching and encouraging strengthening of family values and unity! We had a wonderful time with this camp as they utilized so much of what Makanalani has to offer and finished off Summer 2026 on a high note!
- Did Something Move? -
Something changed on the property… but what is it? It’s our Scavenger Hunt! Introducing the new and improved Makanalani Scavenger Hunt! A team effort was made between our farm staff, kids house staff, and HLR attendees to pluck these statues out of their spots, clean them up and place them anew! With a new route in mind, our goal was to create a more cohesive and fun experience for the kids. HLR came and test ran the new route for us and had a wonderful time, confirming to us that it’s ready for all our future groups who want to run it! A huge thank you to everyone involved who helped us improve our facilities for the kids!
- Hawaii Leadership Residency -
Testimonies from Summer 2026
Summer 2026 brought in a whole new session of Makanalani’s HLR Program! Please join us below as two residents from this summer share about their experience with HLR!
“Aloha! My name is David, and I served this summer with Hawaii Leadership Residency—a discipleship program made for young adults to learn, steward, and worship the Lord Jesus Christ. One of HLR’s core pillars is service which is achieved through farming, production, and youth camps.
Partnered with Makanalani Farms, residents tend to the land by trimming or removing what is overgrown—grass, trees, and the like. They are tasked with corralling and moving the farm’s biblically inspired livestock—sheep and donkeys—as well as picking citrus fruit for the production team. In production, residents are taught to bake sourdough bread and produce a variety of butters and honeys which are taken to market at the end of the week as a way of giving back to the local community. Youth camps are hosted at what is known as the “Kids House” on Makanalani’s property. Although primarily for at risk youth and church camps, the Kids House serves as a haven for guests to experience the love of God. Residents assist this mission by participating in group activities and maintaining the property well.
My experience with HLR has been fantastic. Although Christian teaching is incredibly important, service allows you to practice the teaching you received by participating in a missional lifestyle. Each service sight contributes to you knowing God and making God known to others; it has greatly shaped how I view ministry and made a meaningful impression on the kind of lifestyle I want to promote further into my adulthood. All of this was achieved in the close bond of brothers and sisters in Christ which added to the joy and morale of this experience. Praise God for the work He is doing at Hawaii Leadership Residency!”
– David Holley, HLR Summer 2026
“If I had to describe my experience at Hawaii Leadership Residency in one word, it would be freedom. Not because 20 young residents could roam all over Kauai, nor because we celebrated America’s 250th birthday with sparklers and “Born in the USA.” Rather, I found freedom for my soul. This came through a loving community and hard-yet-beautiful truths—the kind of truths that set you free (John 8:32).
Each week, a new speaker flew in from around the globe to teach us—whether an Oxford professor, a Californian woman immersed in mission work in India, or a South African couple who planted a church in Dubai. Our teachers brought their families and lived, dined, and fellowshipped with us. Through teaching, discussion, prayer, and community, hearts were stirred and minds sharpened for the Lord.
Freedom was not what I was seeking when I came to HLR, but it’s what I found. God revealed lies I had been believing about myself and worldly pretenses I had been operating under. The teachers and community around me freed me from the status quo of the “American dream,” and they instead gave me a vision of an eternally significant life. Through hope in Jesus, I am free from this world and from the chains of sin. I am free from striving and earning, and I am free to be loved as God’s own child. “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)”
– Ava Povich, HLR 2026
