Time for an update. OK, this is East Texas, so erase any mental images the title may have created of snowdrifts and serious windchill! However, the morning temperature has dropped markedly in the last week or so such that emerging outside at around 8am it feels quite pleasant (for Brits and Canadians anyway).
Last week we all carried out our BST (and you thought it was called Daylight Saving Time here)! Actually it stands for Basic Safety Training, and comprised firefighting, first aid, and safety/survival at sea. It was a mix of classroom and practical exercises, and was really quite hard work. I enjoyed the firefighting part, where we all had to don the firefighters clothing and Breathing Apparatus in under two minutes, then go and rescue a 140lb dummy and put out a fire inside a large metal container. It was hot, smokey and very dis-orientating (or however that word is spelled). Did it though!!!
Last Sunday afternoon we had a pool party for Elliot, he being 7 now! Patricia did great with the food, as you see she made his cake in the shape of Texas with the icing (that's frosting here, bought in about 30 flavours/colours from any supermarket!) in the Texas flag colours. I'm geting worried, all those 'u' letters are starting to look wrong, American spelling is creeping up on me! Elliot had a great time, and people were very kind with some gifts for him. A special thanks to the Taylors & the Butlers too; your gifts got through the UK postal strikes OK.
In not much over one week we all fly to the Dominican Republic for around 4 weeks. We are going to be involved with outreach events and other practical serving where we can; school building, care of terminally ill folk (sometimes kids I'm told), and other stuff we'll find out about when we're there. We start taking our anti-malerial tablets tomorow, so it's getting very real!!
We'll try and put up another blog update before we fly; until then, thanks for all your love and support!
