Prepare Your Ark

Prepare Your Ark 101

October 1998

President Hinckley said in conference “I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting the time has come to get your houses in order. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed.”

Since that time we have experienced:

• recession
• earthquakes
• drought
• widespread disease
• rising unemployment
• political unrest
• war
• economies collapsing
• fires
• tornadoes
• hurricanes
• horrible storms
• terrorism
• and any multitude of other problems

Seven years later in 2005 President Hinckley said in conference:

“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. What do we do?

Someone has said it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came.

The Lord has said, “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” D&C 38:30

We can so live that we can call upon the Lord for His protection and guidance. This is a first priority. We cannot expect His help if we are unwilling to keep His commandments. We can heed warnings.

Our people for three-quarters of a century have been counselled and encouraged to make such preparation as will assure survival should a calamity come.

We can set aside some water, basic food, medicine, and clothing to keep us warm. We ought to have a little money laid aside in case of a rainy day.

Now what I have said should not occasion a run on the grocery store or anything of that kind. I am saying nothing that has not been said for a very long time.”

We really need to build our own arks to help shelter and protect our families from the storms that the prophets have forseen in our future, just like Noah did in his day.

President Benson said:

“The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.....Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine and earthquake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, r they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they somehow will be set aside because of the righteousness of the saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion. You do not need to go into debt. Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account. Save a little for storage each paycheck. Make your storage a part of your budget. We urge you to do this prayerfully and do it now. When will all these calamities strike? We do not know the exact time, but it appears it may be in the not too distant future. Those who are prepared now have the continuing blessings of early obedience, and they are ready. Noah built his ark before the flood came, and he and his family survived. Those who waited to act until after the flood began were too late.”

That is the WHY should I do it?

I have always believed in food storage. As a child it was a huge part of my life. My parents grew huge gardens and we put everything up in freezers or jars for the winter.

Not everyone is fortunate to have grown up already knowing and having faith in the blessings that come from food storage. I have also had my own witnesses of food storage through our own married life that has only strengthened my testimony of the blessings that come from being obedient.

So HOW do I go about starting?

First of all don't think – the whole big picture – all at once, and then get so overwhelmed that you don't even know where to begin, so you quit, close the book and never look at it again.

Think small chunks that are doable. I have several ways that I have helped people get their food storage off and going. There is a weekly buy plan which I did in first ward a couple of times. Many people followed this guideline and at the end of the 52 weeks felt so much better at the food they had managed to accumulate through the year.

You can plan to store food according to what kinds of things go on sale. Watch the flyers carefully and when you see a really good sale, commit yourself to purchasing several months worth of that item, because then you know you don't have to buy it again until it goes on sale next time. For example: flour was on sale a few weeks back at Co-op for 7.99 for a 10kg bag. That is a really good price, so I went and bought 10 of the bags. Now I know that I don't have to buy flour again for a year or so. When Pasta was on sale last week at WalMart for 1.25 for a 900g bag, that is a really good price, so I bought 25 bags of it and put it on my shelf downstairs.

It may seem like a fairly large purchase at the time for some, but once you have been doing it this way for awhile, you soon have enough of a store in your own home, that you really on buy things that are on sale, or fresh produce, meat and dairy items.

You can do it in baby steps, by first gathering a 72 hr kit, then gather a 3 month supply, and work your way up to a 1 year supply. Don't think you need it all tomorrow, unless you have excess amounts of cash on hand to just run out and buy it, but most of us can not do that.

There are several different kinds of food storage calculators online that you can access for free, if you want to go and plug in the details of your family and find out exactly what it recommends as food storage for your family for one year.

WHERE am I going to store it all?

This is another step that usually stops people in their tracks because they don't have the space to store much food. And definitely there are circumstances that they really don't have the space. However, most people I find who say this to me, are more worried about what people will think if they see a few buckets here and there, and if they have to convert their spare bedroom into a storage space, what will people think. It does cause a bit of clutter, if you don't keep up with it.

Convert a spare bedroom into a storage room if you have one. Add extra shelving to closets and pantries to make more room for storage. Make use of the space under your beds, behind television sets, in the top parts of closets, in the tops of cupboards that usually fills up with useless stuff anyways. I wish I could find the one quote that I really wanted to find. I think it was by Lorenzo Snow, and he said regarding not having space to store food. “If you could see what I see, you would stack your food in the middle of the living room and walk around it.” Meaning that you would find a place to store it because he knows what lies ahead for us, and he wouldn't be without it.

Now I am not suggesting that you just get into hoarding and stack it in the middle of your floor. I think that we can surely be a little more creative than that. I currently have my family room in the basement right now, converted into my storage room. Someday when my kids mostly move out and I get a free room again, it will go back into a bedroom. But for now I believe that it is important enough that I am willing to give up a room for it.

I have been through some really tough times, when Logan and I were first married, to the point where we literally had no food in our home. I remember crying myself to sleep one night because I didn't know where breakfast and lunch were going to come from the next day. I prayed and had faith, and prayers were answered in miraculous ways for me. I very clearly remember thanking Heavenly Father and committing to myself that never again would I allow my family to be in the situation of no food in our home, because I couldn't bear the thought of telling one of my children, again, or my grandchildren, sorry honey, I have no food to give you, even though I know you are hungry.

So what MOTIVATES you to want to do food storage?

If you don't know why you need it, you won't find the motivation to do it. It is one of those things that is just too easy to push aside and procrastinate. But I assure you, that some day in your life, you will be grateful for being obedient to the commandment to store food.

Water - Repost

I want to do a repost of this water article that I wrote quite some time ago.  It seems that there are so many struggling for fresh clean water today, or any water at all.  There is some good info here.
 
WATER!  WATER!  DO YOU HAVE WATER?

"You are the generation that must be prepared! You live in the midst of economic, political, and spiritual instability. When you see these signs, unmistakable evidences that His coming is nigh, be not troubled, but Stand in Holy Places and be not moved until the day of the Lord comes." - President Ezra Taft Benson

Without water, life would cease to exist.  Yet today, nearly one billion people, approximately 1 in 8, lack access to clean water.  More than twice that many don't have access to a toilet. 

Hopefully, (wishful thinking) we will never find ourselves in a similar situation to some that I will talk about this week.  I have decided to put together some information this week on the water crisis facing our world, in hopes to spur those of us who can prepare, to prepare......so that hopefully we will not find ourselves in a water crisis situation.  Keep checking back for more updates as I find more info throughout the week or so.  The updates will be here at www.todaywhilethesunshines.blogspot.com .  I have also found some great school curriculum to help teach us about water and the water crisis in our world, at http://water.org/learn-about-the-water-crisis/lessonplan/ Check it out if you are looking for ideas to teach your kids, yourself, or great Family Home Evening lessons on the importance of water.

Then take the time to ACT in whatever ways you can.....whether preparing your family......or helping someone else.  There are many charitable organizations out there that help to build wells in underdeveloping countries, and lots of opportunities like that, but even if we look around us, we will find that we have ample opportunities right in our own communities to help out.

A few water statistics (taken from water.org) 

1. Without food a person can live for weeks, but without water you expect to live only a few days. 

2. The daily requirement for sanitation, bathing, and cooking needs, as well as for assuring survival, is about 13.2 gallons per person.

3. More than 3.5 million people die each year from water-related disease; 85 percent are children, ages 0-14.  43% of the water related deaths in all ages, are due to diarrhea, which 90% of these are children under 5 years of age, mostly in developing countries .  Nearly all deaths, 98 percent, occur in the developing world.  Children in poor environments often carry 1000 parasitic worms in their bodies at any time.  1.4 million children die as a result of diarrhea each year.

4. 884 million people, lack access to safe water supplies.  Approximately one in eight people.  Lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing ever four hours.  The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.

5. Lack of sanitation is the world's biggest cause of infection.  At any given time, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water related disease.

6. Millions of women and children spend several hours each day collecting water from distant, often polluted sources.  This is time not spent working at an income-generating job, caring for family members, or attending school. 

5. An American/Canadian taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the typical person living in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.

5. 443 million school days are lost each year due to water related illness.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953379_1953494_1954584,00.html  Post earthquake water crisis in Haiti.  A good article that talks a small bit about the crisis that Haiti faces with water right now.

Water Storage And Purification Author Unknown

In Honduras 9,000 people died in the hurricane. In the 5 weeks following, 35,000 people died from bad water. A good water filter or chlorine to purify water can mean the difference in life or death. Without this, you only have a couple of days. Drinking "bad" water can be fatal and usually is fatal if the Medical system is down. Lack of water will kill in three days... and after 36 hours, your judgment is seriously impaired.

The Church has set guidelines to store one gallon/per person/per day for two weeks. This means you need to store 14 gallons for each member of your family. Folks, this is not enough water to meet the needs of most families in crisis. We use more water than that. The average person uses 72 gallons per day for all their needs including cooking, drinking, and cleaning.

You must also have the ability to purify water after your initial supply has been exhausted. This can be as simple as chlorine and a simple pool testing kit. This is inexpensive and very effective. Be sure to store your water supply in a cool dark area on pieces of wood (not directly on concrete or dirt) [see Issue #13]. Be sure to use the correct storage container. A good water container is airtight, breakage resistant (no glass), and is made of material that won't rust or affect flavor. Bacteria growth will be discouraged if the container is both airtight and opaque, as bacteria needs both air and light to grow. Algae is green, but isn't harmful, just unsightly.

Remember that water weighs approximately 8 lbs. per gallon. Do not store more than 15 gallons of water (about 125 lbs) in any container that is meant to be portable. Rotate water storage every year. The water does not go bad; it just gets flat and tastes bad. It can get green algae, and makes the water a "hard sell" to children and even some husbands. Green Kool-Aid will disguise it.

This storage is of course a band-aid on the big problem. After your storage is used up, you will need to replenish the supply. A good filter or chlorine to purify water can mean the difference in life or death.

Storage methods: 55 gallon plastic barrels are a great way to store water because they store the most water in the least space and require the least effort for rotation. You need a hose or siphon pump to get the water out, and these barrels are great to collect new water such as rainwater from your roof downspout. Use only brand new barrels. Used barrels will continue to leak out the product that was first put into those barrels.

Water purification methods: Clorox Bleach - Please do not use; unless you have nothing else! At best - it will cause diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, and on the worst side, bleeding ulcers. Your great, great grandmother might have had to use this product because it was all they had to make water pure, but this is not true today. The part of Clorox Bleach they sought was Chlorine. That is the part we want. But there are so many other ingredients in this product that hurt and do not heal.

Boiling - minimum of 10 minutes, and up to 20 minutes; so you must have stored a lot of fuel. It requires 20 minutes or more to kill giardia. Water tastes very flat after this kind of boiling. Very effective if done long enough. Needs a huge storage of fuel. Store flavoring for your water: tang, powder drink,etc.

Iodine - bad side effects such as thyroid storm in some women. It has a peculiar odor and taste that some people cannot tolerate. Never use for more than 72 hours at any one time. During a nuclear crisis, iodine may provide the added benefit of preventing the thyroid gland from radioactive disruption.

Purifiers - cost lots of money and are very slow. The filter should be a maximum size of .02 microns or it will be no good for giardia. A Porcelain type is used by the Red Cross to the Green Berets. This will take out types of Radiation (Alpha and Beta).

Chlorine - this is the way almost all cities do it - very cheap and it works - available at any spa & pool store. In the "Joint Chief of Staff Anti-Terrorism report of October 2002", put out at the start of the war, February 2003; this is what they report works and is what they recommend. You must buy a measuring kit as well. It is very slow acting, so time is needed to allow it to work. It needs about 24 hours to work and repeated if there is no measurable free-floating chlorine. To remove the chlorine taste, cover loosely, and let stand for another 24 hours and the chlorine evaporates. Be sure to measure the chlorine before you allow it to evaporate. If there is no measurable chlorine, there may still be bacteria in the water. Store flavoring for your water: tang, powdered drink, powdered milk, Kool-Aid --- Something!

Colloidal Silver - The Micro Silver Bullet of the past AND the future. History: In the milking industry they often use a silver milk pail on a warm day; the milk will not spoil quickly. Plagues in Europe: Wealthy families gave their children silver spoons to eat with and they did not catch the "Black Death". Pioneers used to put silver dollars in canteens and water containers. Pioneers used to suck on silver dollars when they felt ill. Proven that it works with water purification, as well and against many diseases.

Parable of Two Princesses

This story came to me in my inbox one day.  It is a great parable, one which we might all learn from.  Thanks Linda for the new way to look at Preparedness. 

The Parable of Two Princesses
By Linda Davis
Once there was a king that had two beautiful daughters. He loved them very much. He wanted to give
them a special gift. He called them both to him and told them that he had a gift for them, but in order to obtain this wonderful gift they had to complete several tasks that he would give to them. They would have to leave his kingdom going their separate ways in order to complete their tasks. Part of the requirements was that they had to go in disguise so no one would know they were actually princesses. They would have an allotted time to complete their tasks, although the amount of time was known only to the king. When the time was finished he would send the Crown Prince, their elder brother, to bring them home. He
told them that they could call him any time and that he would anxiously await their return. They were both very excited because they knew that the gift would be of great worth.

Princess Faithanna started out on her journey to the west and Princess Fearella went to the east, wishing each other well and a speedy return. As Princess Faithanna traveled she came to a kingdom called the Kingdom of Prepared. It was a beautiful place with lovely well-kept cottages and beautiful fields of golden grain. It seemed that every cottage had a lovely vegetable garden. She saw orchards with fruit trees of every kind. The people all seemed so happy. She decided this was a good place for her to work on her assigned tasks. She found a comfortable room in a boarding house that was reasonably priced. Father had given her a small amount of money for her journey. She began looking for work and found a job as an assistant in the nearby library. This was the ideal job. It would give her a chance to meet many of the people in the kingdom and learn about them and what was important in their lives.

In the library she found many wonderful books that taught her many useful skills. She also found a very
special book that taught many important things about life and how to be happy and safe. She realized that many of the people around her loved this special book. She met many people and made lots of friends. She began to see that the people had many good qualities in common. She made a list of the things that seemed to be important to them in their lives.

Meanwhile, Princess Fearella traveled until she came to the Kingdom of Unprepared. It was a lovely place with big expensive houses with perfectly manicured lawns and beautiful flower gardens, many with swimming pools and tennis courts. There were huge shopping malls where you could buy anything if you had enough money. She saw many expensively dressed people rushing here and there. They all seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere. She smiled at some as she passed, but no one seemed to smile back.
She thought, “they are just busy and too deep in thought to notice me.” Princess Fearella decided she would stay in this place to do her assigned tasks. She had difficulty finding a place to stay that was
in her budget. She finally decided on an apartment. It was quite a bit more that she could afford with the money Father had given her, but it was so lovely and had the best of everything just like at home. She knew it was extravagant but she would get a job and she would be able to pay for it. Besides she had a whole month before she had to make the next payment.

Princess Fearella was able to find a job at a very classy clothing store in the nearby shopping mall. She
thought this would be a great place to get to know the people and learn what was important to them. She met many people and made friends and began to see things that were important in their lives. She made a list of the qualities that many of the people seemed to share.

Princess Faithanna’s List                          Princess Fearella’s List
Frugality                                                             Indulgence
Diligence                                                           Procrastination
Prayerfulness                                                    Pride
Modesty                                                             Vanity
Patience                                                             Instant Gratification
Obedience                                                          Slothfulness
Serving                                                               Self-centered
Prioritizing                                                        Too Busy
Hard Working                                                    Leisure Loving
Self-reliant                                                        Dependant

As Princess Faithanna studied the list she had made, she understood why the people were so happy. She knew that she wanted to develop all of these wonderful qualities and worked hard to become a part of the people in the Kingdom of Prepared.

Princess Faithanna called her Father often to tell him what she was learning and to ask his advice. The King could tell she was happy.

As Princess Fearella studied the list she had made, she realized that it might be good for her to find another place to complete her tasks and she would, tomorrow. Princess Fearella called home only occasionally because she was so busy as she explained to her Father. The King was concerned about his daughter but she always said, “don’t worry Father, all is well in the Kingdom of Unprepared; all is prosperous.”

Princess Fearella spent much of her money buying the beautiful, expensive clothing sold in the store where she worked. She also loved spending her spare time with her friends at the spa being pampered. She even had some plastic surgery and other beauty enhancing procedures. They were expensive but so worth it.

As the allotted time was drawing to an end, the king sent one of his servants to his daughters to tell them the Crown Prince would soon be coming. Princess Faithanna was excited. She felt such love for her father and elder brother. She could hardly wait to see them again. Princess Fearellla had a feeling of fear come over her at the servant’s message. She wasn’t ready yet. But then she realized that she still had time. “Soon” could be a long ways off. Tomorrow she really intended to leave this kingdom and make some changes.

Tomorrow came and Princess Faithanna saw the Crown Prince afar off and joyfully ran to meet him. He embraced her and put her royal robes upon her shoulders and her crown upon her head. What joy and love was felt that day.

Princess Fearella saw the Crown Prince afar off and was seized by an awful fear. She wasn’t ready. She thought she had more time. She had intended to leave the Kingdom of Unprepared, but now it was too late. With sorrow she realized that she had become just like the people of the Kingdom of Unprepared. In shame she hid from the presence of her Elder Brother.

“If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear”, (D&C 38:30).

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of those miracle wonder, cure all, heal all kind of foods.  I think we are only just starting to scratch the surface of the amazing benefits of this wonder food.  It is being shown to be one of the most heart healthy foods that we can eat.  For quite a long time, coconut oil got a bad rap and was considered an unhealthy oil.  Some still say it is just a fad.   However, the proof is there.  The research is there, and the testimonies of users are there.  Here are just some of the many things that this wonder food is shown to do:

• energy boost - eat a spoonful - boost thyroid function and restore normal function
• help stabilize blood sugar levels
• helps absorb fat soluable vitamins
• helps increase healthy cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol
• as a base for many home made scrubs and salves
• to treat wooden tools
• as a conditioner on your hair
•  actually shown to help reduce weight by eating 1 - 2 tbsp per day before meals
• powerful antioxidant - add to a protein shake or other smoothies
• replace baby oil
• kills candida
• as a hair straightener - just rub a little onto your hands and into your hair lightly to calm down fuzzy hair
• use as a skin moisturizer
• use it for oil pulling
• use for a natural deodorant for under arms
• use instead of shaving cream
• use as a makeup remover
• use as a nutritional supplement
• use for a massage oil
• baby diaper rash cream
• reduce the scaring of stretch marks
• home made toothpaste
• for nursing moms as a soothing cream
• apply to bee stings or bug bites
• a spoonful with each meal will help with digestion
• inside of nostrils to help prevent nose bleeds
• soothe hemorrhoids
• help reduce or eliminate migranes
• base for home made vapor rub
• base for insect repellent
• mixed with baking soda for goo gone
• detox during cleansing fasts
• metal polish
• leather moisturizer
• season your cast iron pans
• grease baking pans and sheets
• takes gum out of hair
• instead of WD-40
• helps heartburn and acid reflux
• natural sunscreen
• mixed with lemon oil as a furniture polish
• melt with butter over popcorn
• use on rough cracked heels
• base for home made candy
• boost immune function
• strengthens nails and cuticles
• massage into aching muscles
• mix with tea tree oil and use on athlete's foot / fungus
• helpful for colitis
• makeup brush cleaner
• useful for acne
• use on toast instead of butter
• helpful to Alzheimers and Parkinsons
• on damp cloth to clean shower, then wipe clean with vinegar
• treat head lice
• prevent stretch marks
• in cooking instead of margarine and butter
• carrier oil for baby wipes
• warts and moles
• as a base in lotions and creams
• as a hair treatment
• soothe burns
• on cuts to help with healing
• help reduce eczema and psoriasis
• dogs dry skin
• add to dog food to help with arthritis
• flea treatment
• a spoonful before a meal to help curb appetite
• treat thrush
• treat bladder infections
• smooth wrinkles and shrink pores
• helps with yeast infections
• use to clean brushes after using oil based paints
• treat ringworm
• treat ADD and autism
• make home made soap
• home made lip balm
• soothe sore throats
• as a treatment for ear infections
• with oil of oregano to treat cold sores
• with lavender to treat other ailments
• to clean inside of dogs ears
• treat styes
• to get lipstick of a rug
• help with menopausal dryness
• plants leaves instead of leaf shine chemicals
• on a canker sore
• help heal ulcers
• add to soups for nutrition
• add to baked goods for flavor
• mix with blended peanuts for peanut butter
• use in home made baby formula

Motivation

Motivation To Be Prepared
What are some of the things that we can do to help motivate us, or others, to become more self reliant?  

1. Set realistic goals. Successful people are successful because they know where they are going / where they want to go.  Set your goals for your 72 hour kits, 3 month supply and longer term supply.  Set three realistic goals in each area and post them on your fridge where they are in your face all the time.  Review them regularly and revise them as needed.
   

2. Create a team of like minded people.  Teamwork will help us reach our goals sooner rather than later.  Meet together regularly, buy things in bulk, build on each others strengths; teamwork can take us far.
   

3. Plan carefully.  Lack of planning can usually be our worst disaster.  Plan, plan, and plan, then go and prepare.  Research and know what you want, and how much.  Planning will promote focus and will also reveal possible roadblocks that might lie ahead.
   

4. Get enthused.  Without enthusiasm, we will do nothing.  Enthusiasm will bring success.  Teamwork will help keep us enthused.
   

5. Stay focused.  Keep your goals in sight.  Change the way you think.  Start thinking in everything and every place...........what would happen if.........?
   

6. Create your habit.  A habit will change your perspective and drive you to action.  Create the habit of preparedness...........again, change the way you think.
   

7. Do more than is expected.  Know your city's emergency plan, share online your knowledge with others, use www.providentliving.org for help, keep small cash on hand (at least $500 in small bills), learn to date every food item that comes into your house, keep your preparedness organized...........well you get the idea, do more than just what you HAVE to do.
   
   
8. Discipline yourself.  Change your habits, your buying habits and your thinking.  In an emergency there are no second chances.  We get one shot to get it right, so discipline yourself right now so that when the time comes for us to use what we know, we will be prepared.
   
   
9. Family communication.  Set a good example for your family and communicate to them the importance of preparedness.  Do you have a family emergency calling tree, a family budget, a family utilities shut off plan?  Do you have all of your vital family information in one book?  Do you have pictures of your home, and serial numbers of big items?  Think of things like this and make a family plan so they all know.
   
   
10. Faith!  Strengthen your faith through prayer and preparedness.  Faith combats fear.  The truth is the truth whether or not you believe it, so prepare and then have faith that you will be okay.  Don't be scared, just be prepared.