A Fork in the Road (Literally)

As mentioned before, we are constantly driving around the mission.  We do not mind this for two reasons; 1) we get to visit with all the missionaries, and 2) the drive through the countryside is always amazing.  Two areas we visited this past week were St. Helena (pronounced ha-lee-na and not hell-n-a) in the Napa Valley and Clearlake Oaks near, what else, Clearlake.  In St. Helena we were scouting for a new apartment and in Clearlake Oaks we moved Elders to a new apartment. 

A giant fork...

...at the Culinary Institute of America (the CIA) in Napa

Welcome to beautiful Napa Valley (where the wine is bottled poetry, so we hear)

We see acres and acres of beautiful vineyards all the time

Sister Cawley discovered an amazing French antique shop - lots of copper

Elder Young destroying an old desk

Elders Yacktman and Capell destroying old chairs 

(the missionaries love destroying stuff)

View from the new Clearlake Oaks home

The Clearlake Oaks moving crew - Elders Hanks, Woodruff, Harris, Capell, 

Young and Yacktman with Sisters Remund and Griffin

Attending Zone Conference with the Mission Leaders, President & Sister Quinn

Sisters Wilson and Ritchie announcing the winners of the 

"mystery cleaning" item for the Santa Rosa Zone

Which animal are you?  Elder Cawley = squirrel, Sister Cawley = elephant

The mystery cleaning item is a contest we started.  In between every zone conference we pick a "mystery cleaning" item known only to us and the Senior Missionaries who inspect the apartments for us.  This time it was the microwave oven.  For every apartment who had a clean microwave oven we announced who they were, placed their names in a bowl and then selected one apartment as the winner.  For each zone, each missionary in that apartment receives an extra $15 in their MSF (missionary support fund).  It's fun for both the young and senior missionaries and, hopefully, motivates the missionaries to clean.  We tell them the mystery item is one of four things so we hope they clean all four.  Hope.  😁