Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (Week of October 4th)

Hi Torrance Stake Family, Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Spiritual Preparation

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. ... Be (KJV, don't be unduly concerned about anything) careful (JST, afflicted); but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And let peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your heart and minds through Jesus Christ."  (KJV, Philippians 4: 4, 6-7)

What a wonderful blessing! In these troubled times where many are fearful of the future, and during and after a disaster or difficult situation, don't worry about anything, pray about everything. Ask Heavenly Father for what you need and thank him for everything he has done for you. Then you will feel Heavenly Father's peace, which will exceed anything we can understand.  His peace will guard our heart and minds through Jesus Christ. Do not live in fear, but in the faith and hope in Jesus Christ.  

This weekend is a great time to spiritually prepare by watching The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Semi-Annual General Conference, October 3rd and 4th. It will be broadcast on the BYU channel (check your local cable or satellite channel) and on the computer by going to lds.org or by clicking here to watch the 5 sessions of conference. There are 3 sessions on Saturday at 9am and 1pm (Pacific Standard Time), Priesthood at 5p, (Pacific Standard Time) and 2 sessions on Sunday at 9am and 1pm (Pacific Standard Time). On the Sunday morning session we will learn who are 3 new Apostles will be and have an opportunity to sustain them. I promise you, if you listen to all the sessions of conference you will be spiritually filled, find answers to your prayers and find guidance and peace! Come listen to a prophet's voice!

New October Monthly Assignments

Food Storage: Potatoes

Who doesn't love potatoes? I guess there are some who do not, but they are a little crazy in my estimation. There are so many different types and ways to cook and enjoy them even in  a disaster situation.

This is another inexpensive item to add to your food storage, be it commercially canned, packaged, frozen, home canning and freeze-dried/dehydrated for long term storage. There are all types of potatoes and many ways to purchase and store them.

 


Commercially canned: There are a variety of  commercially canned potatoes to satisfy every one's taste; new potatoes, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, etc. This type can be kept for 2-3 years. Rotate and use before the expiration date. Keep in a cool, dry, dark place.

   

Home canned potatoes: You can can them whole, diced, sliced or shredded. If kept in a cool dry dark place they should last for about 2-3 years. Every 6 months check the lid to make sure the seal in good.


                                           
Packaged potatoes:  They come  in a variety of ways. Check the boxes for their expiration date and rotate and use accordingly.



Frozen potatoes: They come in a variety of ways, french fries, shredded, sliced, and hash browns. They come in a variety of types. Check the expiration dates and rotate and use accordingly. Remember, in a disaster situation without electricity, use these first. Your refrigerator will keep cold for a couple of days if you do not open the door too much. 

 
Long Term Freeze-dried/Dehydrated Potatoes: For long term storage, 20-30 years depending on how you store them. They should be keep at 70 degrees or lower, in a cool, dry, dark place. They come in a variety of ways and types, whole, sliced, diced, shredded, flakes and powdered. I find emergencyessenitals.com and WalMart's Augason Farms has the best prices, especially when on sale. (Scroll down their pages to see a what they both offer,)

How to determine how much to store for your family: Keep track of how many potatoes and varieties your family uses in a month. Multiply that by the number of months for your food storage goal, 1-Month, 2-Months, 3-Months, 6-Months, a years. Only store the types of potatoes your family will eat. Remember, as with all commercially canned, home canned, and long term cans, keep in a cool, dry, dark place and rotate and use before the expiration date.

Emergency Preparedness: 
    Emergency Medical Supplies 
                              and First-Aid/CPR

How many of us have emergency medical supplies on hand? I know we all have first-aid kits, but they will not get you through a major disaster.  First-aid kits are meant for minor injuries and do not have a lot of supplies in them or the other items you might need after a disaster. Each family should have a Family Emergency Medical Kit in their home. You should also have a good first-aid kit in your car with a First-aid book. There should also be a good one in your 72 Hour Emergency Family Bag we discussed last month.

Click here to see the items you should have in your Family Emergency Medical Kit. You may need to adjust according to your family's needs. You may find you have many of these items already. Purchase a large plastic container with a lid or a large backpack and put them together. Add those items needed. Keep it in a cool, dry, dark place. 

Practice first-aid skills with your family and CPR often. Take a First-aid and CPR class when possible.

Remember to rotate the medications, sprays, creams and ointments  as needed.  

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

Great way to use your freeze-dried and dehydrated
        food storage . . . 17 Tips for Successful Foil Dinner

Click here to lean how to use your long term freeze-dried and dehydrated food storage to make delicious foil dinners, recipes too. Practice doing this so when a disaster hits you will know how and be ready. Enjoy! Of course, you can do this with canned and frozen foods too.

Comments and Questions: Please share your comments and questions below. We all learn from each others experiences and knowledge. If you are having trouble leaving a comment below, try a different server like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. Thank you for your comments and questions. I will  research and answer your question in the next blog posting. Or you can email me at theark.carsonward@gmail.com. 

Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (Week of September 27th)

Hi Torrance Stake Family, Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

It's a Life Style . . .

Just as diet is a life style, just as exercise is a life style, just as daily prayer and scripture reading is a life style, so should emergency preparedness and food storage be a life style. Making everyday awareness of being prepared should be a part of your life. As we go about our day, and shopping, we should be aware of the things we need for our food storage and emergency preparedness. We should continually be adding and rotating our food storage and adding to our emergency supplies. It is not just a one time thing, but a life time of doing. Doing this brings peace of mind and knowing you are working towards your goals of being prepared. Make it a daily thing, not just a weekly, monthly or yearly thing. 

Bi-Stake Emergency Preparedness Fair
 (Torrance North Stake and Torrance Stake)

Saturday, October 24, 2015

9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

2000 W. Artesia Blvd., Torrance, California USA

(Near the 110 Freeway and the 91 Freeway)

40+ booths on emergency preparedness, food storage, water storage and purification, 72 Hour Pack, emergency cooking, emergency lighting and heating, financial preparedness, first-aid, sanitation, sheltering in place, cooking with wheat and bread making, child emergency ID cards and finger printing, camping skills, spiritual preparedness, health and fitness preparedness, utility emergencies, earthquake preparedness, emergency pet care, food gardening, insurance preparedness, home safety and security, communications, community agencies, activities for children and the whole family and much much more. 

You do not want to miss this event! 

September Monthly Assignments

Last week! 

 

Food Storage: Drinks 

This month we are focusing on adding all types of drinks to our 

short storage and long storage food storage. 

Drinks: Fruit juices (bottles, canned, cartons, dehydrated/freeze-dried), lemonade mix, milk (dehydrated/freeze-dried), hot chocolate mix, apple cider mix, etc.. What ever type of drinks your family will drink. Do not store something they will not drink, a waste of your money. Fruit juices in bottles, cans and cartons do not usually last as long, about a year. Make sure you keep on top of the expiration dates and rotate before they expire. Box powdered milk from the grocery store usually only last about 6 months. Rotate them as needed. Use the milk so your family will be accustomed to drinking it, use while cooking and where milk is call for in recipes. There are long term storage dehydrated/freeze-dried milks that are whole milk, watch the expiration dates on these, they may not store 20+ years, it may only be 7-10 years.

How much to store: Determine how much your family drinks, each variety, in a month, multiply that by the number of months you have set your food storage goal. Each time you go grocery shopping or find the types of drinks you are storing on sale purchase them and add them to your food storage. Always be on the look out and aware of sales throughout the year.

Where to store: In a cool, dry, dark place like your pantry or a closet. Never in the garage, to hot!

Remember: Rotation, Rotation, Rotation is the success of any food storage. 

Emergency Supplies: 
             72 Hour Emergency Family Bag

You can use a sports bag or a backpack

  

 The 72 Hour Emergency Family Bag is an important part of your 

72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks. 

This bag contains items you might need during the emergency that you cannot get into your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks. Click here to see what items to add to this bag. You can also review this list on the right side of this blog under "Postings". Some items can get purchased at discount stores (99 Cent Store, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, etc.), some online and some at department and sporting goods stores, some you may have around the house.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

Free Water . . . 

How do I get free water? 

Each year we have a rainy season. Each year water flows off our house and garage roof tops. Why not capture the water in rain barrels? It's free!  If you have rain gutters all you need to do is redirect the down drain into a water barrel. If you do not have rain gutters you might consider adding them or find another way to capture the water running off your roof. This water can be filtered through your Seycehelle water filtration pumps and/or bottles, or another type of water filtration system, and stored in large water barrels for future use. It can be used for things like watering in dry times, watering your vegetable and flower gardens, washing your closes in a disaster or so many other way.
 
Note: To treat the water in  water barrels, not the trash can rain barrels, for long storage, add 1/4 cup of bleach to a 50-55 gallon water barrel. Cover with an extra large black trash bag and then wrap the water barrels in a large plastic tarp. This will keep the water for several years. Keeping the heat off the water barrels insures less like for the water to get algae or become contaminated sooner.

To see more about storing water, filtering water and to watch a video on making a rain barrel click here. Or go to the posting on the right of this blog under "Postings" and click on the posting titled "Water Storage and Water Barrels".   

  Comments and Questions: Please share your comments and questions, they are most appreciated. We all learn from each others experiences and knowledge. Please share them below or email me at theark.carsonward@gmail.com. I will answer your questions on my next blog posting. Thank you for your comments and questions. Note: If you are having a hard time leaving a comment try another server like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. 

Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (Week of September 20th)

Hi Torrance Stake Family, Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Focus on what you have done! But at the same time continue to be better prepared!

Many times we become overwhelmed with what we have not accomplished and do not recognize the many things we have already completed. We become focused on the past when we should be focused on the now and the future. So many of us when we become overwhelmed just stop dead in our tracks and do not move forward. The same goes for emergency preparedness. Even if you have just a few commercially canned and packages of extra food, and water, on hand it is better than nothing. Just continue to build on what you already have and before you know it yow will have 1-3 months of food storage and other emergency supplies. Do not worry about the long term food storage until you have at least 3 months of canned and packaged foods your family will eat. I know in some countries you cannot store move than allowed, store what you can. We are so blessing living in the United States that we are not limited to our food storage.

I hear many are concerned about all the news we are hearing about the world is going to face a financial crises and other major situations in the next few days, months. There is a lot of fear. Stay focused on what you are doing by being as prepared as you can with extra food, water and emergency supplies and staying close to the Spirit (Holy Ghost) for guidance and you will be alright. Yes, you may face some difficult trials and challenges ahead, but staying close to the Spirit will bring guidance, peace and comfort in the difficult days ahead, what ever they be. By reading your scriptures daily and praying daily the Spirit will guide you and protect you.



Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said (paraphrased) "we should not go to extreme preparedness in our emergency preparations". We should never go into debt.  Add to you food storage and emergency supplies gradually and as you can afford them.

Elder M. Russell Ballard, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, also stated, "Today, more so than in the past, I am asked about the signs of the times and if I think the end of the world is near. My answer is the same one that Jesus gave some two thousand years ago, 'But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Farther.'" (1992 conference)

Elder Boyd K. Packer, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, stated, "It is a marvelous time to be alive. The world is not going to come to an end anytime soon. You are going to have time to stand, as I stand now, talking about your children, your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. You decide!" (2011 conference)

So while it is good to prepared, there is still some time for us to improve and plan for the future. But do not procrastinate your preparation. As we have seen many many times on the news, life can change in an instant, disaster can happen at anytime. Be prepared before they happen!

September Monthly Assignments

 

Food Storage: Drinks 

This month we are focusing on adding all types of drinks to our 

short storage and long storage food storage. 

Drinks: Fruit juices (bottles, canned, cartons, dehydrated/freeze-dried), lemonade mix, milk (dehydrated/freeze-dried), hot chocolate mix, apple cider mix, etc.. What ever type of drinks your family will drink. Do not store something they will not drink, a waste of your money. Fruit juices in bottles, cans and cartons do not usually last as long, about a year. Make sure you keep on top of the expiration dates and rotate before they expire. Box powdered milk from the grocery store usually only last about 6 months. Rotate them as needed. Use the milk so your family will be accustomed to drinking it, use while cooking and where milk is call for in recipes. There are long term storage dehydrated/freeze-dried milks that are whole milk, watch the expiration dates on these, they may not store 20+ years, it may only be 7-10 years.

How much to store: Determine how much your family drinks, each variety, in a month, multiply that by the number of months you have set your food storage goal. Each time you go grocery shopping or find the types of drinks you are storing on sale purchase them and add them to your food storage. Always be on the look out and aware of sales throughout the year.

Where to store: In a cool, dry, dark place like your pantry or a closet. Never in the garage, to hot!

Remember: Rotation, Rotation, Rotation is the success of any food storage.

Emergency Supplies: 
             72 Hour Emergency Family Bag

 

You can use a sports bag or a backpack

  

 The 72 Hour Emergency Family Bag is an important part of your 

72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks. 

This bag contains items you might need during the emergency that you cannot get into your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks. Click here to see what items to add to this bag. You can also review this list on the right side of this blog under "Postings". Some items can get purchased at discount stores (99 Cent Store, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, etc.), some online and some at department and sporting goods stores, some you may have around the house. 

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

Dehydrated and Freeze Dried Long Term Food Storage . . .

Many of us have dehydrated and freeze-dried long term food storage (in 2.5 cans, #10 cans, super pails, Mylar bags, etc.) along with our commercially canned and packaged food storage. But do you know how to cook with it?

If you store long term food storage it is a good idea to get some of it out and experiment with it; learn how to
re-hydrate it and now to cook with it. If I order some type of dehydrated or freeze-dried foods I have not used before I like to order the smaller 2.5 cans, not the #10 cans, to see if I like it, if my family likes  and how to cook with it. Emergency Essentials is the only company that I know of that has the 2.5 cans.




Once you open a can you need to use it up within a month. If you live alone the 2.5 cans may be best for you. In some things I ordering the 2.5 cans, like seasonings, peanut butter, powdered butter, baking ingredients, etc. because I may not use they up as quickly.



  

Emergency Essentials has a several great website with recipes and demonstrations on how to use your long term dehydrated and freeze-dried products. Click here to see them. 

Remember: If you store dehydrated or freeze-dried foods, you need to store extra water to re-hydrate the food.

Comments and Questions: Please share your comments and questions, they are most appreciated. We all learn from each others experiences and knowledge. Please share them below or email me at theark.carsonward@gmail.com. I will answer your questions on my next blog posting. Thank you for your comments and questions. Note: If you are having a hard time leaving a comment try another server like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.

Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (Week of September 13th)

Hi Torrance Stake Family, Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

September

National Preparedness Month 

 

Bi-Stake Emergency Preparedness Fair
 (Torrance North Stake and Torrance Stake)

Saturday, October 24, 2015

9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

2000 W. Artesia Blvd., Torrance, California USA

(Near the 110 Freeway and the 91 Freeway)

40+ booths on emergency preparedness, food storage, water storage and purification, 72 Hour Pack, emergency cooking, emergency lighting and heating, financial preparedness, first-aid, sanitation, sheltering in place, cooking with wheat and bread making, child emergency ID cards and finger printing, camping skills, spiritual preparedness, health and fitness preparedness, utility emergencies, earthquake preparedness, emergency pet care, food gardening, insurance preparedness, home safety and security, communications, community agencies, activities for children and the whole family and much much more. 

You do not want to miss this event!  

 

 

What's in your area?

 

 

We all need to be aware of the types of natural disasters that can happen in the area where we live, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, flooding, tsunamis, volcanoes, droughts, wild fires, ice storms, blizzards, etc., and non-natural disasters, chemical spills, water contamination, sheltering in place, terrorism, pandemics, civil unrest, electromagnetic pulse discharges, etc. 

I just do not get it! Why do people who live in certain areas where they face natural disasters, and even the possibility of non-natural disaster, do not prepare ahead of time? Why not always have the types of supplies on hand that you may need? We all see on the news people running to stores for supplies like flashlights, extra batteries, water, canned foods, boards to board up windows, nails, hammers, tools, generators, etc. 

 

 

Assignment: List the types of natural and non-natural disaster you could possibly face in your area and list the items you would need. in the emergency. Check out your local government websites for ideas and help. Keep them on hand and not need to run to the stores and find the shelves empty. When you use up the supplies replenish them immediately, do not wait for the next disaster. Be prepared ahead of the disaster!

 

New September Monthly Assignments

 

Food Storage: Drinks 

This month we are focusing on adding all types of drinks to our 

short storage and long storage food storage. 

Drinks: Fruit juices (bottles, canned, cartons, dehydrated/freeze-dried), lemonade mix, milk (dehydrated/freeze-dried), hot chocolate mix, apple cider mix, etc.. What ever type of drinks your family will drink. Do not store something they will not drink, a waste of your money. Fruit juices in bottles, cans and cartons do not usually last as long, about a year. Make sure you keep on top of the expiration dates and rotate before they expire. Box powdered milk from the grocery store usually only last about 6 months. Rotate them as needed. Use the milk so your family will be accustomed to drinking it, use while cooking and where milk is call for in recipes. There are long term storage dehydrated/freeze-dried milks that are whole milk, watch the expiration dates on these, they may not store 20+ years, it may only be 7-10 years.

How much to store: Determine how much your family drinks, each variety, in a month, multiply that by the number of months you have set your food storage goal. Each time you go grocery shopping or find the types of drinks you are storing on sale purchase them and add them to your food storage. Always be on the look out and aware of sales throughout the year.

Where to store: In a cool, dry, dark place like your pantry or a closet. Never in the garage, to hot!

Remember: Rotation, Rotation, Rotation is the success of any food storage.

Emergency Supplies: 
             72 Hour Emergency Family Bag

 

You can use a sports bag or a backpack

  

 The 72 Hour Emergency Family Bag is an important part of your 

72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks. 

This bag contains items you might need during the emergency that you cannot get into your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks. Click here to see what items to add to this bag. You can also review this list on the right side of this blog under "Postings". Some items can get purchased at discount stores (99 Cent Store, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, etc.), some online and some at department and sporting goods stores, some you may have around the house. 

Emergency Preparedness Ideas 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep practicing your first-aid and CPR. 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep having drills in your home, fire, earthquake, hurricane, tornadoes, evacuations, etc on a regular basis. 

 

 

 

 

 Keep your family safe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments and Questions: Please share your comments and questions, they are most appreciated. We all learn from each others experiences and knowledge. Please share them below or email me at theark.carsonward@gmail.com. I will answer your questions on my next blog posting. Thank you for your comments and questions. 

Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (Week of September 13th)

Hi Torrance Stake Family, Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

September

National Preparedness Month

For Many Years . . . 
 

For over 5 years I have been warning others to be prepared, my family, my church members, my friends, my neighbors and co-workers. Why? 

Because I care! 

One reason, our church leaders have been admonishing and warning us for years to be prepared, temporally and spiritually.

Another reason, I received inspiration from the Holy Ghost I needed to be better prepared and warn my family and others. I want you each to have peace of mind knowing you are prepared for when a natural disaster happens to you, when and if an economical disaster happens to you, when health issues happen and you cannot work, when any situation happens that causes you to need the things you have prepared. 

I would rather have what I need and not need it than need it and not have it! 

When the disaster is upon you, it is to late to prepare! 

This is National Preparedness Month, a great time to start preparing if you have not so far and a great time to assess what you have and do not have and become better prepared. 

Please, if you are not prepared, start now! Do not procrastinate another day and regret later you were not prepared!

A great event that will help you become prepared and be better prepared . . . 

Bi-Stake Emergency Preparedness Fair
 (Torrance North Stake and Torrance Stake)

Saturday, October 24, 2015

9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

2000 W. Artesia Blvd., Torrance, California USA

(Near the 110 Freeway and the 91 Freeway)

40+ booths on emergency preparedness, food storage, water storage and purification, 72 Hour Pack, emergency cooking, emergency lighting and heating, financial preparedness, first-aid, sanitation, sheltering in place, cooking with wheat and bread making, child emergency ID cards and finger printing, camping skills, spiritual preparedness, health and fitness preparedness, utility emergencies, earthquake preparedness, emergency pet care, food gardening, insurance preparedness, home safety and security, communications, community agencies, activities for children and the whole family and much much more. 

You do not want to miss this event! 

New September Monthly Assignments

Food Storage: Drinks 

This month we are focusing on adding all types of drinks to our 

short storage and long storage food storage. 

Drinks: Fruit juices (bottles, canned, cartons, dehydrated/freeze-dried), lemonade mix, milk (dehydrated/freeze-dried), hot chocolate mix, apple cider mix, etc.. What ever type of drinks your family will drink. Do not store something they will not drink, a waste of your money. Fruit juices in bottles, cans and cartons do not usually last as long, about a year. Make sure you keep on top of the expiration dates and rotate before they expire. Box powdered milk from the grocery store usually only last about 6 months. Rotate them as needed. Use the milk so your family will be accustomed to drinking it, use while cooking and where milk is call for in recipes. There are long term storage dehydrated/freeze-dried milks that are whole milk, watch the expiration dates on these, they may not store 20+ years, it may only be 7-10 years.

How much to store: Determine how much your family drinks, each variety, in a month, multiply that by the number of months you have set your food storage goal. Each time you go grocery shopping or find the types of drinks you are storing on sale purchase them and add them to your food storage. Always be on the look out and aware of sales throughout the year.

Where to store: In a cool, dry, dark place like your pantry or a closet. Never in the garage, to hot!

Remember: Rotation, Rotation, Rotation is the success of any food storage.

Emergency Supplies: 
             72 Hour Emergency Family Bag

You can use a sports bag or a backpack

  

 The 72 Hour Emergency Family Bag is an important part of your 

72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks. 

This bag contains items you might need during the emergency that you cannot get into your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks. Click here to see what items to add to this bag. You can also review this list on the right side of this blog under "Postings". Some items can get purchased at discount stores (99 Cent Store, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, etc.), some online and some at department and sporting goods stores, some you may have around the house. 

Emergency Preparedness Ideas 

Love this idea . . .

Take a large clay pot, spray paint it gray or black (holds in the heat), and an old tire and put them together as shown in the picture above. Add potting soil and plant your vegetables. The heat from the painted clay pot and tire will help your vegetables grow. Water as needed. A great way to have a vegetable garden on a patio, balcony or where you do not have ground space. Awesome!

Ready to Eat . . .

In the beginning of a disaster you will need foods that are ready to eat, that do not need heating or cooking, food you can eat cold if needed. Ready to eat foods would include canned and some packaged foods like tuna and other canned meats, soups, chili, stews, vegetables, granola bars, hard candy, juices, etc. You will be to busy checking on those injured, addressing medical issues and helping those in need, rescuing family members and others (if safe to do so), your property for safety issues and securing shelter. You will probably be without electricity, heat, gas, water and other utilities. Long term food storage is more for when you have established a shelter and way to cook, when the disaster goes on for weeks, months.

Yes, they will be cold if you have no way to heat them, but you will have canned and packaged foods on hand so you can easily feed your family and others. Try to keep these types of foods stored together and pretty easy to access. Remember, food brings comfort in stressful situations, especially for children. 

Comments and Questions: Please share your comments and questions, they are most appreciated. We all learn from each others experiences and knowledge. Please share them below or email me at theark.carsonward@gmail.com. I will answer your questions on my next blog posting. Thank you for your comments and questions.

Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (Week of August 30th)

Hi Torrance Stake Family, Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

September

National Preparedness Month

What a great month to start preparing!

"It wasn't raining when Noah 

                 built the ark." Brigham Young

This quote has been the theme of my blog, "The Ark", for the last 5 years. 

What did Noah do to prepare his home for the coming storm?

First, he made a plan according to God's instructions, then he built the ark. It did not take just a few days, weeks or months, it took Noah about 100 years. He made sure the ark was sound and built well. People laughed at him as he built and prepared the ark. He warned them and warned them to be prepared but they continued to ignore him. 

Next he gathered in supplies, bedding, clothing, food, water, lighting, and all the supplies they would need for one year, and of course, all the animals and living creatures two by two on the earth. He taught his family the gospel of Jesus Christ, to keep the commandments and to have a strong testimony, to stand strong and not let others influence them. They were not only temporally prepared but spiritually prepared too!

Each of us needs to build OUR "ark"! Each "ark" will not be the same. Each family needs to build their "ark" according to their family's needs, likes and dislikes. Each of us needs to make our "ark" sound and strong from the storms both temporally and spiritually. Each of us needs to gather in our supplies of food, water, medical supplies and emergency equipment and supplies we might need. Each of us needs to listen to the warnings, and admonish them, of our living prophet, prophets of the past, our general church leaders and in the scriptures. Each of us needs to warn our family, our neighbors, our co-workers to be prepared for the coming storms.

President Gordon B. Hinckley in an October 2005 address, "If Ye are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear", stated . . .

"If anyone has doubt concerning the terrible things that can and will afflict mankind, let him read the 24th Chapter of Matthew. Among other things the Lord says, 'Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars.' ... For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. ... For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.' He went on to describe many disasters including: the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, the Black Plague that killed millions, the Chicago Fire, Pompeii, and the Tsunami in Southeast Asia. Then he said, 'What we have experienced in the past was all foretold, and the end is not yet. Just as there have been calamities in the past, we expect more in the future.' Occasions such as 9/11 pull us up sharply to a realization that 'Life is fragile, peace is fragile, civilization itself is fragile. The economy is particularly vulnerable. We have been counseled again and again concerning self-reliance. We cannot provide against every contingency. But we can provide against many contingencies." 

What are some of the contingency we have been forewarned would come our way? Famine, drought, pestilences, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, tsunamis, terrorism and war, and economies failing. How many of these are we seeing these in our day? 

Let's build our "ark" and be prepared for the storms! Let's start right now and not procrastinate as we go along, but stay focused and determined to be prepared! Noah did not build the ark overnight, he built it one board at a time. We to can build our "ark" one thing as a time. 

New September Monthly Assignments

Food Storage: Drinks 

This month we are focusing on adding all types of drinks to our 

short storage and long storage food storage. 

Drinks: Fruit juices (bottles, canned, cartons, dehydrated/freeze-dried), lemonade mix, milk (dehydrated/freeze-dried), hot chocolate mix, apple cider mix, etc.. What ever type of drinks your family will drink. Do not store something they will not drink, a waste of your money. Fruit juices in bottles, cans and cartons do not usually last as long, about a year. Make sure you keep on top of the expiration dates and rotate before they expire. Box powdered milk from the grocery store usually only last about 6 months. Rotate them as needed. Use the milk so your family will be accustomed to drinking it, use while cooking and where milk is call for in recipes. There are long term storage dehydrated/freeze-dried milks that are whole milk, watch the expiration dates on these, they may not store 20+ years, it may only be 7-10 years.

How much to store: Determine how much your family drinks, each variety, in a month, multiply that by the number of months you have set your food storage goal. Each time you go grocery shopping or find the types of drinks you are storing on sale purchase them and add them to your food storage. Always be on the look out and aware of sales throughout the year.

Where to store: In a cool, dry, dark place like your pantry or a closet. Never in the garage, to hot!

Remember: Rotation, Rotation, Rotation is the success of any food storage.

Emergency Supplies: 
             72 Hour Emergency Family Bag

You can use a sports bag or a backpack

  

 The 72 Hour Emergency Family Bag is an important part of your 

72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks. 

This bag contains items you might need during the emergency that you cannot get into your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks. Click here to see what items to add to this bag. You can also review this list on the right side of this blog under "Postings". Some items can get purchased at discount stores (99 Cent Store, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, etc.), some online and some at department and sporting goods stores, some you may have around the house. 

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

New discovery . . . 

Did you know that WalMart now carries Auguson Farms long term food storage on their website?  You can order online and then arrange to pick it up at your local WalMart or for a prices have them shipped to you. You may also be able to purchase them in the store. They also carry some Mountain House products.


I have not used the Auguson long term food storage brand but I understand it is good. There prices are really good.

Click here to review the products they sell. I am quite impressed with the variety they sell. Scroll through the 5 pages. Jim Bakker also sells these on his website but you will pay a lot more and his shipping is expensive and can take up to 6 weeks for delivery.


Learning Knot Tying and Lashing . . . 

What? I need to learn how to tie knots and lashing too? 

Yes, you never know when you might need to secure something, like a tarp or tent or build a shelter, by using knots and lashing. Different types are used for different things. If you do not know how, invite a Boy Scout, if you know one, to come to your home and teach you. Have a Family Home Evening on this subject. It can be great fun, make a contest out of it.Continue to practice your know tying so you do not forget.

Comments and Questions:  We love hearing from you. Please leave you comments or questions below. We all learn from each others experiences and knowledge. If you have a question please leave it below, I will do some research and answer it in my next blog posting. Thank you for sharing your comments and questions.