It has been a very busy week but I have a feeling this week is going to feel like a vacation compared to the next several weeks or months. WHY??
IKE is coming to town....
We are still praying he'll fizzle and just become a rainmaker but if we're needed, we'll be ready.

Mark and several others have been working diligently on getting all the trailers loaded, tires checked and changed when needed. Trucks serviced, phone calls made and received (during a disaster, everyone just describes Mark as "the guy over there in the red shirt with the phone up to his ear") No matter what day or what time of day you see him, he will have a red DRT shirt on and you can pretty much count on the fact that he will be on the phone.

Me??.......Well, part of my work begins before the disaster. I deal with all the logistics as you saw in my last posting. The rest of this week I've been working on the logistics of the relief effort itself: Where it's going to be, which coordinators will be going in immediately, who will be coming later and when, which trailers, equipment and vehicles will be needed and taken immediately, which ones will be coming later, menu planning for the mobile kitchen, shopping list for the mobile kitchen, items needed to be in brought in the 1st response supply trailer, etc. etc.
Then there is all the packing for Mark, Ashley, me, 2 dogs and 1 cat, (can you believe we actually travel with all those pets?? Neither can Mark, bless his heart!!) then there's the laundry and going to see my mom and last but most definitely not least is going to love and hug on my (6) sweet, precious grandbabies! (ok, and maybe cry a little too when it's time to leave) I sure do miss them when we go to work a disaster.
But just maybe someday they too will see what joy it is to give a little to those who have been through a disaster and to be able to share the Love of Jesus with those who have been broken and who need so desperately to know of HIS LOVE just as we all do.

We are heading out to meet up with our 1st Response coordinators and equipment drivers. As I type this Ike is at 100 mph and is expected to be a catagory 3 or 4 at landfall along the Texas coast.