Day 4

Today was our last day at Bishop's Ranch. We spent the morning packing, throwing away all 24 empty La Croix cans, and loading the van with our bags and obscene amount of junk food. For those wondering, we did manage to eat all 5 pounds of gummi bears in the first 3 days. Then the group headed to breakfast, where we feasted on pancakes and sausage. After breakfast, we headed to St. George's, the chapel at Bishop's Ranch for the 9:30 service. The chapel itself has beautiful stained glass, and Ryan and I recognized some of the opening hymns from our time in Arkansas last year. The service was intimate and enjoyable, my favorite part was the reflection after the Gospel because it allowed all of the people to express their thoughts. After the service we hit the road, saying goodbye to the beautiful Bishop's Ranch. We drove into the town of Guerneville, made our third visit to the Safeway sandwich counter, and continued to drive up to the Armstrong Redwood Forest. Mike pointed out how all of the trees were all really big as we parked the van in the parking lot. We picniced surrounded by the beautiful trees, and then went on a hike through the forest itself. After leaving, we drove through the small town of Villa Grande, and visited Mike's grandma's cabin that has been in the Stafford family since 1920. It was really interesting listening to Mike talk about the history of all of the small towns in Sonoma County. We then drove down to the coast, and played on the beach, Bo found a "dope bug", and Camilla did headstands. After leaving the beach we began to drive to Sonoma State, listening to ABBA. And then.... We made our entrance. We slowly creeped around the corner of the parking lot, the sweet melodies of the classic song "Everytime We Touch" by Cascada caressing the ears of other people in the parking lot. As the beat dropped, we all fist pumped and jumped, shaking the van and successfully establishing dominance. We met Mike's cousin Anne, we graciously welcomed us to Pathways. Kevin, one of the Young Adult Leaders, showed us to our spacious apartments. After settling in, our group walked very far to the Niagra room, where we met all of the other Pathways participants and adults. We ate dinner in our small groups, consisting of around 10 kids and 2 adults. The good at Sonoma State is amazing: they have a pizza station, a salad bar, and..... A soft serve machine. We then went on a short walk around the campus. My favorite part was learning about the Holocaust memorial, dedicated to those who were wrongful victims of genocide. The group ended  the night with worship and prayers about our intentions for the week, and then walked back to our apartments. 

I have enjoyed my first night at Pathways, and the community here is very welcoming and committed to the program. I'm excited to get to know all of the other Pathways participnts, as well as the other Youth on the mission trip. 

Lizzy