This isn't a regular church meetinghouse chapel project, though, because property is tight in this landlocked village and cannot be purchased or leased long-term. It also isn't an official LDS chapel, constructed through the church's building department. Because of liability/insurance issues, the Kingman Stake is still working to obtain a formal chapel status for the building. Angle is confident that will happen.

Official chapel status would probably also mean a steeple and official church sign could be added.

"It was a miracle to find a spot for a meetinghouse," Angle said. The property is also where some LDS Church missionaries resided back in 1973.

On Sept. 23-25, Prescott stake members traveled to Supai to construct a raised wooden floor and do additional site work. Then, on Oct. 7-9, Kingman stake volunteers worked on the framing, siding, plumbing, electrical, dry wall and roofing.

This weekend, volunteers are hoping to complete the drywall and siding work. Then, between Christmas and New Year's, all the garbage and debris from the former structure on the site will be hauled and flown out of the canyon.

Angle said 80 volunteers, including a few Utah residents who were visiting Supai, have helped on the project.

Even unfinished, the small building has been used for sacrament meetings each Sunday since mid-October.

The building includes a large meeting room and a bedroom for missionaries, whom the stake hopes to have there again.

Supai is considered an extension of the Peach Springs Branch.

"Church activity here is just getting started," Angle said. "It's such a cool place."

Already one Supai resident has been ordained a priest, and once he is advanced to elder it will mean above-the-rim church leaders won't have to be in town every Sunday, or if the weather's bad.

Stake president Charon said since so many hikers and tourists visit the area each year, the chapel could provide them with Sunday services.

"Supai is just very interesting to me," Charon said. "The people live in such a remote area."

He said LDS Church President Harold B. Lee visited Supai, probably in the early 1970s.

The Kingman Stake has already been sending down priesthood leaders, one of them a high councilor, two times a month for meetings since summer. While most of the high councilors go in by helicopter, one reportedly looks for any excuse to ride horses and has gladly galloped into Supai.

Since the helicopters aren't always available on time, the "11 a.m." church services don't always begin some Sundays until 11:30 or even noon.

An outdoor Labor Day weekend sacrament meeting attracted 55 people because a wedding was also held in the area that day. Most services since have had a dozen or so people attending — usually only half of them members.

There's already one other small Christian church at the other end of town, the Havasupai Bible Church, located at the north end of Supai. However, the Christian presence is still small, with most American Indians holding to their traditional spiritual beliefs.

For more information on the Havasupai Tribe, go online to www.havasupaitribe.com.

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E-mail: lynn@desnews.com