The vision to start a Christian camp on the beach was ignited in 1966. Juan and Liz Isais were long term LAMUSA missionaries to Mexico. 

Nearly 30 years later, in 1995, the opportunity arose to buy a small plot of beachfront property on the Gulf Coast near the city of Tuxpan. The property was expanded with an additional purchase in 1997 and was officially named Camp Kikomar.

Mirna Sotomayor, a missionary initially with LAMUSA and now UWM and Diana Garrett, a Missionary with Christ for the City International, first came to the Kikomar site in 1995. At that time, any group that wanted to come stayed in tents as there were no structures. Diana & Mirna camped there regularly for many years and were concerned about the lack of vision and direction of the camp board after Juan died. The Lord put the future of the camp in their hearts, and eventually they moved there in 2007.

In 2005, the LAM Canada published an article about Allan Holt and the work teams that he took out to various places. Liz Isais saw the article and wrote to Allan wondering if he would come and help. After much correspondence, Allan Holt agreed to lead a team down to Kikomar to work. That was in March 2006.

Seeing there were no accommodation facilities on site, the team stayed at a small hotel about six kilometers from the site and commuted daily. The first project was building two small cabins on the ocean front. After two weeks of digging footings in the sand, pouring the footings and the base slab, erecting block walls, time was up. When the LAM Canada team returned in 2008, the roof was on and they carried on with finishing work. By 2010 the camp was able to house small work teams, visitors and volunteers.

Other structures followed such as, the bamboo kitchen in 2008, the staff area washroom in 2009, staff area cabins in 2010, the first four Jungle cabins in 2011 to 2014, the large multi-purpose/Dining building in 2015 and 2016, more staff cabins in 2018, two more Jungle cabins in 2019 & 2020. In parallel with this building came a significant  expansion of electrical supply and distribution and enlarging and automating of the water system.

In a typical year, usage of camp is between 1000 and 2000 campers. Churches rent the premises to do their activities. About half come from cities three or more hours away, and the other half are local Tuxpan churches or from small nearby towns. A great emphasis is given to serving indigenous tribal groups from the Huasteca mountains. The camp does not organize their own programs as they do not have enough staff. Activities include Kids camps, Church/mens/women retreats, Baptisms, day groups etc.

Before the pandemic, two thirds of operating costs were covered by the campers fees and one third through donors, mainly the El Camino Community Church where Ariel Miranda, president of the Kikomar board and son-in-law to the late Juan Isais, is the pastor. 

LAM Canada has been the main source of funds and work teams for camp development and expansion since 2006. Allan Holt helped to bail it out during the 2020-2021 crisis. In 2022, a little over half of basic expenses were generated by campers, with El Camino, LAM Canada and individual donors pitching in when needed.

The midterm plan, together with Allan Holt and LAM Canada, is to upgrade and amplify current structures to adequately receive 120 campers at a time. For the long term, the camp board would like to build a comfortable guesthouse with inside plumbing, air-conditioning, and other amenities, to be rented out for profit, to make the association more self sustaining. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing post pandemic crisis, these plans are on hold. 

Over a quarter century, campers from different locations and all walks of life have been coming to Kikomar, drawn by the beauty of the tropical jungle and the ocean. By far the comment that prevails is, “Peace and the presence of God are so tangible here!” This is our reason for being.