Weekly Challenge and Assignment (Week of March 13th)

Hi Carson Ward Family,

Ward Conference Dinner Emergency Preparedness Display: answers to some of your questions about the items:

Many of tonight at the Carson Ward Conference dinner asked me where to get the Emergency Lights that you should have instead of the regular flares. They are called "9.1.1. LED Emergency Beacon" lights by FlareAlert. You can find them on the following website and order them. They are $4.95 each. Go to firstaidandsafetyonline.com You may be able to purchase them at other stores like auto stores, Walmart, etc.

You also asked me about the Seychelle filtration water bottle. You can purchase them from the church store online at store.lds.org for $16.50 with one filter. The bottle with two filters is $22.00. The church distributes these to our missionaries all over the world. They filter out 99.999% of bacteria and germs. One filter will filter about 100-150 gallons of water.

The blue hand squeeze LED flashlight are currently on sale at Self-Reliance.com for less than $3 each. They usually run around $6-$10.

Quote:

"In Matthew, chapter 24, we learn of 'famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,....' (Matt 24:7) The Lord declared that these and other calamities shall occur. These particular prophecies seem not to be conditional. The Lord, with his foreknowledge, knows that they will happen. Some will come about through man's manipulations; others through the forces of nature and nature's God, but that they will come seeks certain. Prophecy is but history in reverse -- a divine disclosure of future events." (Ezra Taft Benson, "Prepare Ye," Ensign, January 1974, page 68)

The past few days of events, and the past year's, testifies of this scripture in Matthew and this quote from President Benson. The devastation in Japan the past few days is upsetting but we need to be aware of the things going on around us to help us prepare what is predicted to happen here in Southern California, a 10.+ earthquake, probably followed by a Tsunami. Are we as prepared as much as we can be in a situation like this?

One news reporter on CNN said, regarding the Japan earthquake and Tsunami, there is loss of life, no electricity (the earthquake and Tsunami hit close to the evening and on into the night), no fresh water, no food in some areas, water and food are contaminated due to the Tsunami water, no public transportation, roads washed out or flooded, the couple of roads that are available are jamp packed with vehicles, buildings floods and/or destroyed, homes and farm lands destroyed, fires, and a Nuclear power plant is leaking toxins and possibility of a melt down. We here in California experienced some of the Tsunami affects as the Tsunami hit the coast line, of course, nothing like in Japan, but it could have been worse. We did have rising water, large waves, docks being torn up and boats destroyed, loss of life, and contaminated water in some areas.

When will the "big one" hit Southern California, as predicted? No one knows when! How prepared are we? Could we evacuate in just a few seconds, minutes if told too? Do we have our 72 Hour Emergency Backpack Kits and 72 Hour Emergency Family Pack ready? Do we have an evacuation plan and have we practiced it with our family? Do we keep gas in our cars? They only had 15-20 minutes before the Tsunami hit the coast of Japan, destroying everything in its powerful path! Do we know where to go? The Tsunami water spread in 6 miles in many directions. Here that would be through Wilmington, way into Carson, Harbor City, Lomita, Torrance. What are we waiting for?

Am I trying to scare you? You bet I am, if that is the only way I can get you to see how important it is to "be prepared". I find it interesting how we become so concerned and say we are going to get prepared when something like this happens, then after time goes by we become complacent again! No more excuses for not getting our 72 Hour Emergency Backpack Kits and 72 Hour Emergency Family Pack completed. Purchasing all the wants in life will not provide for the needs in life. We need to prioritize what is most important to us! Hopefully, it is protecting and providing the necessary "needs" for our loved ones!

Let's all strive to be as "prepared" as we possibly can! This website/blog has all the information you need to be prepared, read it, use it. And there are many more websites that will also help you. I cannot force you to do anything, but I can strive to provide you with as much information as possible to help you accomplish it. I cannot fish for you, but I can teach you how to fish!

Weekly Assignment:

Continue to work on purchasing different ways to cook if you could not cook the regular way in your home. See last week's posting, "Week of March 7th" and the blog posting, "Cooking, Heating and Lighting".

Weekly Challenge:

Quote:

"We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees---plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard." (Spencer W. Kimball, in Conference Report, April 1976, page 1971; or Ensign, May 1976, page 124)

Our Challenge this month is to continue preparing a space or purchase containers (and the potting soil) to plant a vegetable garden, even if it is a small one. If possible and room, plant one fruit tree (one your family will eat the fruit). At the end of this month we will plant our vegetables gardens. See the previous blog postings for ideas and how to plant a garden. Also go to the blog posting "Vegetables Gardens" (listed on right side of blog under "Postings".

Helpfull Hits:

1. Best time to plant a vegetable garden, or any plants, is on a cloudy day or late in the afternoon so as to not shock the plants to much. Give them plenty of water.

2. Next week I will give you information on fertilizing your vegetable garden, what to use for what vegetable, when, how much and how often.

Note: There is a great vegetable garden book I love and use that simplifes gardening. It is called Garden Way's "Joy of Gardening"by Dick Raymond, published in 1982. I found it listed online on several website ranging from $15-$25.

Remember: Post your name and comment, if you wish, in the "comment" section below for our Monthly FREE Giveaway Drawing to be held the last Sunday in March.