START OF WEEK THREE

We have now been on exchange for just over two weeks with just under two weeks to go.

Following our last post we spent an incredible five days and four nights with the Burkburnett Rotary Club.

After arriving way up north on Wednesday night, some of us had our first home cooked meal of the trip with our new host families.
On Thursday morning we visited the Wichita Falls museum where we learned about the history of the region including the oil boom.  This was followed by a Wichita Rotary Club noon meeting.  The afternoon was spent exploring the Wichita Courthouse where we "visited with" the County judge, District judge, Commissioners and four County mayors.  We completed our tour with a no holds barred visit to the Wichita prison which houses over 500 inmates some of whom we were "lucky enough" to see up close and personal.  They were relatively well behaved with only a couple of inappropriate comments like "hey ladies, you know where to find us, we'll be here all year".  Needless to say we haven't yet taken them up on the offer.  On Thursday night we dined at a Mexican buffet restaurant with the Burkburnett Rotary Club members.
Friday was actually Good Friday, but due to Texas having so much bad weather over winter which resulted in school and business closure, it was a normal school day for the students of Burkburnett High School with whom we spent the day after attending a Wichita morning Rotary meeting.  We surprised a number of classes with impromptu visits where we observed their lessons and asked questions.  We even joined a special needs PE class on the basketball court.  All members of the team also enjoyed our first ever school cafeteria lunch which was surprisingly really good.  After lunch we visited the school's sports facilities - they have two gym's, a softball field, baseball field, tennis courts, athletics track, and football stadium.  We also stocked up on Burk High Bulldogs tshirts and can now consider ourselves official fans - go the dogs!!  After the school visit we toured a Muscle Car Museum and Len even got to go for a ride in one of the classic cars.  We had a fantastic team dinner party with the Burkburnett Rotary Club at Deana and Robert's house who were also Sarah and Sarah's host family.  The mayor proclaimed us honorary citizens of Burkburnett which apparently provides us with one get out of trouble with the police pass each.  On Saturday we did some "out of district touring" but since what happens in Oaklahoma stays in Oaklahoma we can't elaborate any further than to say the Wichita mountains have the best burgers we have ever tasted.  We wrapped up the day with dinner out at a local Burk Itallian restaurant.
On Easter Sunday we all attended various local church services with our host families which was followed by a Easter lunch again at Deana and Robert's.  After lunch we packed up our ever-expanding suitcases and headed back south towards the metroplex in a limo.  The three hour drive provided plenty of time for team planning and new song practice in preparation for the District 5790 Conference.
So that's where we are up to.
We will spend the next six days with the Fort Worth Rotary Clubs and then head to Arlington on Sunday where we will stay until District Conference starts on Friday the 6th.
Flying Kiwis over and out!