Wading Out the Rain By Brittany Karford, Church Magazines All missionaries, members, and facilities belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California are reported safe after more than 10 days of storms, mudslides, and severe flooding. The string of storms claimed two lives, caused damages topping $200 million and left 7 counties in California in a state of emergency, with 16 more declared as disaster areas yesterday. And it' s still raining. At least, that' s the report from Cammon Arrington, president of the California Santa Rosa Mission. President Arrington confirmed the safety of the missionaries in all affected mission areas and added that they are prepared to serve their respective areas in any capacity their ward and stake leaders see fit. Yet the missionaries were there in the thick of it, too. President Arrington spoke of two elders in particular, Elder Smith, originally from Prosser, Washington, and Elder Welling, from Ogden, Utah, who were key in saving the Monte Rio Theatre in Monte Rio, California. “They needed as much help as they could get right then, as fast as they could get it,” Elder Smith said. "I' ve never been involved in an emergency situation like that before.” Getting to the theater alone was daunting. After several attempts to enter the flooded area were blocked, they finally found an open bridge they could cross, where the water that usually ran 20 feet below them was now 5 feet from the top of the bridge. The Russian River would eventually rise to 41 feet-9 feet above flood stage. Elder Smith and Elder Welling, currently serving in the Peterson Lane, California, area, were beckoned to the theater by the Massies, a family living across the street. Members of the Sebastopol Ward, the Massies have endured three years of flooding in Monte Rio. Each time, the missionaries have offered help. This time, the Massies sustained just two feet of standing water-not bad, according to Dean Massie. So they immediately sent the elders across the street to the theater. “When they see the missionaries coming, they' re all smiles,” Brother Massie said. “The guy that owns the theater loves the elders.” Elder Smith and Elder Welling's arrival at the theater was announced with a welcoming, “Hey, the missionaries are here!” “They'd definitely been helped before,” Elder Smith said. Brother Massie said 10 elders came out Tuesday to help the disheveled community recover. The movie theater is even scheduled to reopen Wednesday. The theater is just one of hundreds of devastated businesses and homes across scattered communities in Northern California. Napa County was one of the hardest hit, with an estimated 600 homes and 150 businesses suffering major damages. None of the Church-owned orchards or property in Napa or surrounding areas sustained damage, said Paul Genho, president of the Church's Farm Management Company.