Weekly Challenge and Assingment (Week of February 20th)

Hi Carson Ward Family,

Quote:

"Remember the counsel that is given," "...Store up all your grain, and take care of it." "...And I tell you it is almost as necessary to have bread to sustain the body as it is to have food for the spirit; for the one is as necessary as the other to enable us to carry on the work of God upon the earth." Elder Orson Hyde (Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, p. 17)

Several years our daughter Penny and her young family were living in Atascadero, Central California. There was a huge fire in the area and they were told to evacuate. They had 15 minutes to gather their small family, the cat and as many of their personal belongs they could kit into their car. She called us panicked with what they should take. I told her to take all their important documents (which were in different places in the apartment, any computer disks they had important information on, family photos, journals, her wedding dress, things for the girls (clothes, diaper, etc) and other important things they would like to save. They quickly gathered things together, put the 2 small girls in one car with our son-in-law driving, the cat in the other car with Penny driving, and left. They could not communicate with each other, they drove through heavy traffic with others evacuating, through thick smoke making it difficult to see with fire all around them, and down through the mountain pass towards Moral Bay along the coast. After a very frightening experience they made it to the Moral Bay coast. Thankfully, they were alright and together. Thankfully, the fire never reached their apartment and they were able to go home after a few days. Why am I sharing this story with you?

This is why I encourage each family member to have a 72 Hour Emergency Personal Kit for each family member and a 72 Hour Emergency Family Pack. You never know when you might have to evacuate your home, with only a few minutes to do so. You also need to keep family photos, important papers, family heirlooms, etc together or easily to access in a few minutes. The event would still be frightful and stressful, but not as much if you had these things in order. "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

Weekly Assignment:

72 Hour Emergency Family Pack/Bag:

Please add the following:

1) hatchet (emergencyessentials.com has one with a hatchet, crowbar, and hammer for $4.95. Be careful when putting this in your Family Pack, it is very sharp, wrap a wash cloth around the blade for protection.)

2) small tool kit (flat head and Phillip's screw drivers, pliers and wrench. Put them in a large zip lock bag wrapped with a wash cloth around the points. The 99 Cent Store, garage sales, and swap meets may be a good place to purchase these items for a small amount of money if you do not have extra ones at home to put in your Family Pack.)

You should have the following items in your 72 Hour Emergency Family Pack/Bag:

1) duffel bag to put the items in
2) first aid-kit with a First-aid book
3) portable radio or solar radio with extra batteries
4) hand can opener if you have cans that will need opening
5) large waterproof tarp
6) 50 foot nylon rope/cord
7) roll of masking tape
8) heat cell fuel
9) flat fuel folding stove
10) water proof matches
11) 2 Mess kits (if more than 1-2 people in your family)
12) street map of local areas
13) utility knife with multi-functions
14) wet stone to sharpen your knife & hatchet
15) small sewing kit
16) fold up shovel
17) small hand mirror for signally
18) emergency flares and candles
19) hatchet
20) small tool kit (flat head and Phillip's screw drivers, pliers, wrench)

Weekly Challenge:

Continue to work on setting up your vegetable garden or contain vegetable garden. Even if it is a small herb garden in small Tera Cotta pots you can set on your window sill. We will start planting around the middle of March. See last weeks Challenge for instructions.

Remember: Post your name and comment (if you wish) at the end of this posting for our Monthly FREE Giveaway Drawing to be held next Sunday, February 27th.