Karen Zerby
ML #3609‚ Post-it GN 24
See also The Y2K Personal Survival Guide book summary, available on the MO site.
1. (Dad:) AFTER SEEING THAT PICTURE LAST NIGHT ("TOWERING INFERNO") I thought, "We ought to have some kind of preparation in case we had an emergency in our Home. We should all have an escape case packed—a 'flee bag'"! What if there was a sudden emergency and you suddenly had to just grab a few things—what would you take?
2. Our first thought was the IRREPLACEABLES: Number One‚ your passports, birth certificates‚ bank books—anything that would be difficult to replace and which you might need right away, especially if you were fleeing from one country to another.
3. Second are the barest essential necessities: A little battery-operated shortwave radio so you can get the news, and some kind of clock with alarm. A tape recorder is also one of the almost indispensable items, for necessity and amusement.
4. There are also certain BOOKS which are absolutely vitally essential. For most people all you'd need is a Bible, your MO Letters, a map book‚ and a dictionary of the local language. A small concordance and a home medical book would also be handy.
5. YOU SHOULD ALSO ALWAYS HAVE ON HAND A LITTLE NEGOTIABLE MONEY of some kind—if possible enough to transport every member of your Home out of the country, and some landing money for when you get there. Your flee fund can be in the cash of your local country, but it's a good idea to have your landing money in dollars, traveler's checks, etc.
6. So what you want is just a little flee fund and a landing fund, or at least sufficient funds to survive on where you are for a few days, weeks or even months, just in case some kind of emergency arose where you would be cut off from your support.
7. BESIDES THIS MOST IMPORTANT BRIEFCASE, you can easily carry another case of the most essential clothing: Fresh socks, underwear, shirts, pants—some things that will keep you looking halfway decent and respectable where you land! You could go for months with just three changes, or even two!—and it's very important to carry drip-dry clothes that you don't have to iron.
8. So pack your flee bag! And the thing you have to think of is not‚ "Well now, what might I need?"—But, "What can I not do without?"—That should be your rule when you're packing your flee bag—only things you cannot do without!
9. It might also be a good idea to have a secondary flee bag packed or prepared to pack if you had a little more time, that either you could carry with you or have somebody send to you afterward. If you keep a list of what needs to go in that, you can just glance at it at the last moment and pile everything in!
10. FIRES, EARTHQUAKES, WARS AND OTHER DISASTERS ARE THINGS WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR!—So to have some kind of an escape practice is good for almost any type of disaster. The first thing you should do is grab your flee bag and throw it out the window.—Then run throw the electrical switch, cut off the lights, shut off the gas and water, then run for the yard or garden or open fields, taking your flee bag with you!
11. (Maria: You can also sometimes have some things assigned to each one that belong to the group as a whole—one person can be responsible for getting one thing and another person another‚ like band instruments, office equipment, etc.) Yes, and we ought to have some kind of a food survival kit fixed up that we could live on.—Be prepared with food and your flee bag!
12. A CITY is the most DANGEROUS place to be in ANY kind of a disaster, including war! So the thing to do is flee to the mountains! You'd be very thankful if you had your little flee bag packed then, wouldn't you?—And some survival food! You would be wise to explore some routes nearby, the country roads, and foot trails heading for the hills!
13. THANK THE LORD NONE OF THESE THINGS HAVE EVER HAPPENED TO US, but I think it's certainly better to have this preparation and not need it‚ than to need it and not have it!
14. So I believe it pays to think about these things and be prepared—not to worry about them or think too much about them, but just be prepared so that if the time should come, you're ready!
15. The Lord knows what's best and we know that "except the Lord keep the house, the watchman watcheth but in vain"! (Ps.127:1) So Lord, it's only You that can take care of us and keep us. But we know that in many cases in Your Word Thy servants escaped by various ruses and by being prepared to go quickly.
16. So You expect us to use WISDOM and to do our best to give You all the cooperation we can to escape by using whatever means necessary—and to be prepared for it!—Is your flee bag ready?
1. (Dad:) I REMEMBER MY MOTHER TELLING A STORY ABOUT THE SQUIRRELS IN THE BOSTON COMMON. It's a good lesson on saving reserves and stocking survival food. Squirrels, you know, are very smart about that: They will stock up nuts in summer and store them inside a tree or inside of their burrow for food during the winter. They believe in survival foods. They stock up sufficient nuts and other things to eat like acorns and various common tree nuts, and they don't gather just enough to eat during the summer, but they stock enough to last them all winter.—Normally they do.
2. BUT THE SQUIRRELS ON THE BOSTON COMMON, WHICH IS LIKE THE CENTRAL PARK OF BOSTON, GOT ACCUSTOMED TO BEING FED ALL WINTER long by people wandering through the park, you know, like people feed the pigeons. People were feeding the squirrels every day in the park and even all through the winter. Even when it was snowy, people liked to walk through the park and throw things to the squirrels and watch the squirrels come out and eat'm.
3. WELL, THAT WORKED ALL VERY WELL AND GOOD FOR A WHILE, except for the fact that the squirrels literally got out of the habit of storing food for the winter because people were feeding them all winter long. Until one particularly severe winter when the snow was two or three feet deep on the Common and it was very bitter cold—way below zero for about a week or two, and nobody went to the Common. It was too cold‚ the snow was too deep, and the squirrels died!
4. THEY STARVED TO DEATH WHEN THERE WAS NOBODY THERE TO FEED THEM, BECAUSE THEY HAD GOTTEN TOO USED TO THE EASY LIFE of there always being somebody there to feed them and them not having to work for it, not having to gather and not having to store, not having to plan ahead, not having to think of survival. They had gotten softened and spoiled with the daily welfare dole that they didn't have to work for, and they didn't have to store because they got it every day free, until the hard times came and the bad bitter winter came and there was nobody there to feed them and they died by the hundreds!—A famous thing that happened on the Boston Common and a real lesson on survival and saving and reserves and planning ahead and preparation!
5. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE BUT YOU SHOULD CERTAINLY PLAN FOR IT and save for it and prepare for it and stock survival food and supplies. So that's a good little lesson on survival. The trouble is that the Western civilization and industrial nations have become so accustomed to being able to just go down to the corner grocery store daily for anything they need or have forgotten, go there more or less for an easy handout because it's always there.
6. THE DAY IS COMING, HOWEVER, WHEN IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THERE, the grocery shelves are going to be empty because of runs on the groceries due to shortages and scarcities and emergencies‚ disasters, catastrophes, war, riots, civil war, mob rule, whatever. ... It just won't be there, and if people don't have it stored in their basements or storerooms or somewhere protected where they can survive for a few weeks until the emergency is over, they're just going to starve like the squirrels on the Boston Common!
7. (MARIA: FOR PEOPLE IN TRAILERS IT'S PRETTY HARD TO STORE MUCH FOOD‚ so I guess they're going to have to all have some kind of arrangement whereby they can live on the grounds of a refuge farm or at least store things there.) Well, that is one of the solutions, to have a refuge farm in common where they could store it and to which they could flee in their trailers when the time comes. When we traveled in the cruiser,
8. I USED TO INSIST THAT THEY KEEP UNDER THE BACK BED ENOUGH FOOD STORED that the few of us—it was usually only two or three or four of us at the most, at that time—that we could survive at least a week or two. We could have survived a week or two with the food we had stored under the bed. It's possible, if they have lightweight foods like pastas, rice, grains and things that really will last awhile, not a lot of heavy canned goods with all that liquid, necessarily, although even that could come in handy if you don't have water to drink! Canned foods contain liquid and they would supply enough liquid to last you a while‚ but
9. YOU NEED A BALANCE OF WHATEVER YOU CAN CARRY. Some canned foods and lots of dried foods and a certain amount of stored water. Even in a camper like we had, we had 50 gallons of water in two tanks, 30 gallons cold water‚ 20 gallons hot water, and I always figured that if anything happened we could close it up and we could survive even in the Cruiser for a week or two in case of atomic fallout. We had enough food and enough water, if we used it sparingly just for drinking, that we could survive.
58. (Dad:) ARE WE SO BUSY WITH OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE FORGETTING TO COMPLETE OUR CRASH PREPARATIONS? Are we going to say when it happens‚ "If we only had!" If it happened today or tomorrow, how many things will you be saying that about?—If we only had! Well, we'd better get busy with it, even if we have to sacrifice a little slowdown in the flow of the water of the Word. You'd better get busy with it so that we'll be able to continue the flow and not have the flow stopped altogether because of our lack of preparation!
59. ARE WE GOING TO BE SAYING, "IF WE ONLY HAD!"? "We know Dad told us to do these things and we were planning to do them, but we just got busy with a little here and there and suddenly it was all gone!" Remember that story in the Bible? The man said, "I was busy with a little here and there and the man was gone!" (1Kg.20:22-43)
60. THE STORY WAS TOLD BY GOD'S PROPHET, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY TO BE A PARABLE, A LITERAL EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE KING HIMSELF HAD DONE. The Prophet had a man smite him and make him look like he was wounded and all beat up in the war, whereas he was not a soldier at all, but he pretended to be, because he knew the king was going to come along. And when the king came along, he said to the king‚ "Sire, I'm sorry, but a certain prisoner was committed to my care and I was to take charge of this prisoner and keep him in hold and it was him or my life, my officers told me." I'm just paraphrasing the story. "I was to guard this prisoner with my life, and if he got away‚ I was to be killed! But I got busy with a little here and there and suddenly the man was gone!" So the king said, "Well, you already have confessed your guilt and you yourself pronounced your sentence‚ so let it be done."—Or words to that effect.
61. THEN THE PROPHET ROSE AND WIPED THE DIRT OFF OF HIS FACE SO THAT THE KING, HORRIFIED, RECOGNIZED HIM! And the Prophet then pointed his finger at the King and said, "That's what you've done!" King Ahab, one of the kings of Israel, had let go some other king that he had captured‚ an enemy king that he was supposed to kill. But he instead paraded him around in his chariot to show him off, to show that he had captured this king. But then the enemy king talked him into letting him go and promised he'd never fight him again, he'd never invade Israel again and he'd always be a friend, blah blah, all lies‚ of course! So the Prophet said to the King, "So be it. You've pronounced your own sentence. You got busy with a little here and there and you let that king go, so now he is going to come back and invade Israel and kill you!"—And he did!
62. SO LET'S NOT GET BUSY WITH A LITTLE HERE AND THERE AND SUDDENLY FIND THAT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE AND FINISH OUR PREPARATIONS IS GONE, and we'll be saying like the prisoner who wrote all over the walls of his prison cell, "If I only had!" Those are some of the saddest words in the English language, "If I only had!"
63. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY THINGS WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE AND WE NEED TO GET DONE AND BOUGHT AND PREPARED, but we had better do'm real fast and give that top priority right now, aside from the Word itself and keeping God's Word running, the water running and the work going.—Like you have to do every day, you've still got to eat and sleep and attend to material and physical necessities. But at the same time we have to prepare for what's about to happen and we don't want to get caught unprepared.
64. WE ARE PREPARING AND WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT PREPARED ALREADY, THANK THE LORD! We've done a lot and made a lot of progress on it, but have we finished all the preparations? Well, we'd better get busy with them! We'd better get with it!
65. SO WHAT SHOULD YOU HAVE DONE THAT YOU HAVE LEFT UNDONE? The water of the Word, etc., this of course we ought to have done, but not to have left the other undone. (Mat.23:23) Don't let's have to say, "I got busy with a little here and there and the opportunity was gone."—Or, "If I only had!"
66. WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS, but I'm not sure that we're completely prepared for the total collapse of the currency and economy, etc. Let's make sure it's not, "If I only had" and we're not just busy with a little here and there till it's gone!
67. WE ASK THEE, LORD, TO REMIND THE FAMILY AS A WHOLE, OUR WHOLE WORLDWIDE FAMILY, THAT EVEN MONEY AND FINANCIAL PREPARATIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH! The time will come when even the currency and the gold are worth nothing or are unable to be exchanged for things they need. Remind them, Lord, to ask themselves the question: Do they have a place to live that can survive the Crash? Do they have enough food or a source of food that will sustain them during the worst of the crisis? And do they have enough supplies to be able to continue Thy work and the flow of the Word to survive a scarcity or a complete stoppage of all such materials until the worst is over?
68. HELP THEM, LORD, TO MAKE THESE PREPARATIONS NOW AND NOT BE TOO LATE, WITH TOO LITTLE AND TOO LATE!—Not to be so busy with a little here and there that the main task is neglected and endangered and jeopardized because they failed to make proper preparations for it and will only be left with a sad refrain, "If I only had!" Help them, Lord, not to have to say that when the Crash comes, but to have made thorough preparations, completed preparations, and to have done all that they can possibly do‚ Lord, so that You will be able to do the rest.—In Jesus' name we ask for Thy glory! Amen! PTL!
47. (Dad: ) I've already told you time and time again how to prepare for the coming crash. You oughtta know by now what practical measures to take, and you should've been living by these all along!—Not living beyond your means, not putting all your eggs into one basket, economizing and trimming the fat where and when possible, and on down the line.
48. And for Heaven's sake‚ don't hold any more funds in the bank than you have to! Keep as little there as you have to. You can use the System but don't let it use you, or abuse you, by stealing your funds by shutting down all of a sudden. It's all right to keep a little money in the bank if you have to‚ either to pay certain bills or to give you some credit rating or whatever. But you'd better not keep more there than you have to, and you'd better keep an eye on that bank as well. Banks can fail and close at any time, and then you've lost it all. Or if there's some sort of emergency or civil unrest, you might not be able to get your money out. So banks are all right sometimes‚ but you'd better beware of the bust!
49. You certainly need to stay out of debt, too. Then you'll need to have a little bit of reserve funds in different currencies, if possible‚ since you'll need some cash. You can keep part in your local currency as well as some strong international currency, depending on your situation. You should also have a stock of survival food of some sort. You don't need to have mountains of it. You just need some extra food on hand for emergencies‚ as well as lots of friends who can help feed you and take care of you if need be.
50. And of course you need some sort of tools to minister to the spiritually needy during this time, whether it's posters, tapes, videos, tracts, books or whatever. There will still be rich and poor; it's just that all of a sudden there will be a lot more poor than rich. But they're all poor if they don't know the Lord, so you need to be prepared to minister to people like that the best you can.
51. As far as other supplies goes, that sort of depends on your local situation. If you're in a country where there are lots of import barriers, you'd better be sure to have extra imported parts or supplies on hand if you need them, whether it's for your computers or printing equipment or whatever. You might want to have some contingency plans too‚ so you'll have some idea what to do in case the spring dries up and you're left without much income.
52. Most of all‚ you'll want to have a good connection with the Lord so He can lead you and guide you step by step and tell you what to do. You just can't beat hearing from God! Why do you think He's been emphasizing prophecy so much the last few years? He knows you're gonna need it in the days and years to come!
53. My Letters are full of all the things you should've been doing all along. It's all right there, and it might not be a bad idea to give them a little review, because that counsel still stands. I've been preparing you for this for years, and some of you have been in areas where you've already suffered sideline crashes. It's already been happening in recent years in some countries and regions—in South America, Russia and others who've been suffering economic crisis. Some of you who've been on the mission field have already had some practice at what it means to live under crash conditions.
72. You don't need to worry about a thing! The Lord will never fail you; He'll always take care of His Own. And the best survival, the best thing each of you can do to prepare, is to stay mighty close to the Lord! Stay in the perfect center of His will and obey His rules. Hear from Him fresh every day and trust Him to take care of you. And be ready—ready to go, ready to stay, ready to fill the need! Ready to move at a moment's notice if need be! Ready to give the message out! Ready to win a soul! Ready to reach someone in need! Ready to witness like everything depended on witnessing! Ready to pray like everything depended on prayer!
73. Be ready at all times to go anywhere and do anything to help anybody, to win and save a soul! Do all you can to get out the message, and God will do the rest. He'll lead you and guide you and show you where to go. He'll keep you and provide for you. Keep investing your all in God's work, and you can't go wrong. He'll always take care of His Own. Keep doing what God wants you to do and you'll never lose! Hallelujah! It won't be long now! (End of message.)
112. (Jesus:) To everything there is a time and a purpose under Heaven. Do you think I've been warning you of this for nothing? Do you think that these have been hollow warnings? Don't be like those who scoffed at Noah and drowned in the worldwide flood of My judgments. You've been given the inside scoop on what's going to happen, so you have no excuse not to be prepared.
113. The things that your Father David has delivered from Me have been real and serious warnings. But some of you have gotten complacent to where your survival is a thing of the past, and your reserve drinking water is just another inconvenience and quirk of the Family. But do you realize just what it is that you're forsaking? Do you realize just what it is that you're giving up? You're giving up your own salvation from this calamity that is about to hit! You're giving up your survival method, your lifeline!
114. I will be there to help those who truly can't help themselves, but those who've been given warning and mocked it and said it would never happen should beware! You may have to learn through sad experience just what it means to be without—what it means to have to beg your friends for help, and find none. What do you think all the warnings have been for—to tickle your ears? To give you something to read? A nice bedtime story perhaps? Wake up! This is the End, and these are serious matters that require your action and obedience!
115. The list I'm going to give you is going to be your lifeline in the days to come:
116. Number 1: Be close to Me and in tune with My voice and My Words. Learn to hear from Me and to follow and obey the instructions I give you, no matter what channel it comes through. If it's confirmed in the mouth of two or three people, you'd better take it as My voice speaking to you and obey‚ for without that spiritual strength you will be lost. You must find My strength first before you do anything else.
117. Number 2: Stock up on a month's supply of food and an ample supply of water, if possible. If you have questions about the necessity or makeup of these survival rations, come to Me and I can tell you what you need in your situation, how much of it you need, and how to go about getting it. You who are mobile may only need a small amount, enough for a few days, as well as a contingency plan of what you will do and where you will go. You who are having financial difficulties should also seek Me as to how much extra food you need and how to obtain it. I am not limited by little finances, only by little faith. The key is to ask Me how much you need of what foods, and then to ask Me to supply it, and to do your part to put feet to My promises and obey My instructions, whatever they may be.
118. Number 3: Prepare your friends and contacts and supporters for such things. Share with them the signs of the times and let them know just how serious things are going to get. This will help them to help you in your time of need, because you were faithful to warn them and give them a chance to prepare. You don't need to be doomsayers, but you do need to share the message of the End with them. Most will agree when they … see just how things are going. They will believe you.
119. Number 4: Be prepared! Do you have another way to cook should your electricity be cut off? Do you have enough water to wash your dishes and keep clean should things get bad and the government shuts off the water? For those who live in cold climates, do you have enough blankets should the heating be cut off? Are you prepared? Do you have your HER in a safe place? Are you preparing for the future both physically and spiritually by doing those things I have shown you through the Letters of David and Maria?
120. Are you out there witnessing and getting out the message of the Endtime? Or are you sitting back and waiting for something to happen before you will believe? Well, I'm sorry to say that some of you are just sitting back, and if you're not ready when trouble hits, it will be your own fault. I have warned you, David has warned you‚ Maria and Peter have warned you, and now I'm giving you a final warning. Be prepared!
121. I want you to be prepared in spirit most of all. I want you where the people need you so you can continue to shine as lights in the world. I want you in or near the cities to help your friends and contacts and those who need you. I want you to be where you can still get out the message‚ minister to the needy multitudes, and put your enemies to shame.
122. I don't want you all hiding out in some refuge farm in a remote town or village—what good would you do there? The animals aren't the ones that need tending to, it's the human sheep that need you—the poor ones who will be lost and without a shepherd and confused because of all that is happening around them. Their dreams will be shattered and they will have lost all hope.
123. In those days, I want you to be the leaders and commanders of My people! You who know Me and understand My plan will be able to show them the way to go‚ and will instruct many in the truth. Seek Me and I will show you where to go and be so that you may accomplish this purpose best. Seek My will and My plan‚ for it is in abiding in My will that you can find refuge and the supply of every need, and be the greatest help to others.
124. This is why being prepared in spirit is so important, and I have emphasized it time and time again. This is why you must be ready to give an answer to him that asks the reason for your light and hope. You will need to be ready to lead in that day, so do your homework now. Prepare now so that you will be strong when it comes time to run the final race. Prepare now so that you might be used of Me when the time comes.
125. I don't want you to let the Devil in with his lies and doubts and fears. As I have said before, these Last Days will be days of victory and overcoming! They won't be days of defeat and despair. If you've trained right and are strong in Me, you will have the strength to run the race and fight the battles that lie ahead. And not only will you overcome, but you will help countless millions overcome too by the word of your testimonies.
126. So don't be fearful or frightened by all that is to come, but do let it put the fear of God into you so that you are moved to do something and prepare. Let it motivate you into doing what I have asked of you—that you prepare your heart and mind and spirit by drawing close to Me, hearing from Me, loving Me, and receiving My seeds. This is the only way you will be able to shine as lights in the final days of man's history. So prepare now that you may shine then! (End of message.)
Stephan Archer‚ WorldNetDaily‚ 15/12/98
124. Because it is impossible to foresee exactly what problems will have to be dealt with at the turn of the millennium‚ the American Red Cross has developed a checklist to help everyone … in the best fashion possible.
126. Stock disaster supplies for yourself and all who live with you. This will include nonperishable foods and water as well as an adequate supply of nonprescription and prescription drugs that you and your household regularly use.
127. "At least a gallon [approximately 4 liters] of water per person per day to drink and a gallon per person per day for hygienic purposes should be stored," suggested Christopher Thomas, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross.
128. Because computer systems may fail at banks, the American Red Cross suggests that you keep extra cash on hand as well in a safe place.
129. The American Red Cross also suggests filling your gas tank.
130. In case power fails in your area, the American Red Cross says that it would be wise to have alternative cooking methods planned. However, "We recommend you don't use camp stoves inside the house because this is how many fires start," Thomas said.
131. If power goes out, so may the heat. Having extra blankets‚ coats, hats‚ gloves and other articles of warm clothing will be a must [if problems] happen during the heart of the winter season.
132. If lights go out due to power failures, flashlights—not candles—should be used for lighting purposes. Make sure you have a good supply of fresh batteries as well.
133. Speaking of batteries, keep some available for portable radios and televisions so that you can keep up with information.
134. The American Red Cross also suggests checking the batteries in smoke and fire alarms as well. If your fire alarm system is centrally wired throughout the house, make sure it has a battery backup.
135. Any generators used for power should be hooked up directly to the appliance that you want to send power to, and the Red Cross reminds you that generators should always be kept in well-ventilated areas.
137. No matter how serious Y2K may be, Thomas believes that everyone should be prepared. "We have to be prepared for the possibility (of a disaster)," said Thomas. "And the American Red Cross—though hoping for the best—is prepared for the worst."
138. Following are a number of supplies you may need if your family is confined at home during an emergency. Adjust according to your needs.
139. There are six basics you should stock for your home: water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and special items. Keep the items that you would most likely need during an evacuation in easy–to-carry containers. Suggested items are marked with an asterisk(*).
140. Possible containers include a large, covered trash container, a camping backpack, or a duffel bag.
141. Store your supplies in a convenient place known to all family members. Keep a smaller version in the trunk of your car.
142. Keep items in airtight plastic bags. Change your stored water supply regularly so it stays fresh. Replace your stored food regularly as well. Rethink your kit and family needs at least once a year. Replace batteries, update clothes, etc.
Store water in sealed, unbreakable containers. Avoid containers that will decompose or break. Store one gallon of water per person per day. Identify the storage date and replace every six months.
Store nonperishable food according to your needs. Select foods that require no refrigeration, little preparation or cooking‚ and little or no water. Select food items that are compact and lightweight. *Include a selection of ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables. [Editor: See ML #3215:117, GN 816, for the Lord's counsel on quantities of food and water. The types of food you store will vary from country to country, depending on what's available locally. Check ML #858 and 859‚ Vol.7, for more specifics on foods and their shelf life, as well as more very helpful survival tips.]
First Aid Kit. Assemble a first aid kit for your home and one for each car. A first aid kit* should include:
Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
Assorted sizes of safety pins
Cleansing agent/soap
Latex gloves (2 pairs)
Sunscreen
2-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
4–inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
Triangular bandages (3)
2–inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
3-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
Scissors
Tweezers
Needle
Moistened towelettes
Antiseptic
Thermometer
Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
Non-Prescription Drugs
Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
Anti-diarrhea medication
Antacid (for stomach upset)
Syrup of Ipecac (use to induce vomiting if advised by the Poison Control Center)
Laxative
Activated charcoal (use if advised by the Poison Control Center)
Tools and Supplies
Mess kits, or paper cups, plates‚ and plastic utensils*
Emergency preparedness manual
Battery-operated radio and extra batteries*
Flashlight and extra batteries*
Cash or traveler's checks, change*
Non-electric can opener, utility knife*
Fire extinguisher: small canister A–B-C type
Tent
Pliers
Tape
Compass
Matches in a waterproof container
Aluminum foil
Plastic storage containers
Signal flare
Paper, pencil
Needles, thread
Medicine dropper
Wrench to turn off household gas and water
Whistle
Plastic sheeting
Map of the area (for evacuating or locating shelters)
Sanitation
Toilet paper, towelettes*
Soap‚ liquid detergent*
Feminine supplies*
Personal hygiene items*
Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation uses)
Plastic bucket with tight lid
Disinfectant
Household chlorine bleach
Clothing and Bedding
Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear per person
Sturdy shoes or work boots*
Rain gear*
Blankets or sleeping bags*
Hat and gloves
Thermal underwear
Sunglasses
For Baby*
Formula
Diapers
Bottles
Powdered milk
Medications
For Adults*
Denture needs
Contact lenses and supplies
Extra eye glasses
For children
Games and books
Important family documents. Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container:
Passports, social security cards, immunization records
Insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds
Bank account numbers
Credit card account numbers and companies
Name and address of relative or friend who should be notified if you are injured
Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
For a car kit include:
Battery-powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, and maps
Blanket and first aid kit
Shovel
Tire repair kit, booster cables, pump, and flares
Fire extinguisher (5 lb., A–B-C type)
Bottled water and nonperishable foods
An extra set of car keys
160. Here are some helpful Letters and pubs on physical and spiritual preparation for emergencies:
"The Emergency," ML #160A:1-7‚ Vol.2
"The Crash," ML #284, Vol.2
"Death to the Cities," ML #373:20–32‚119-125; Vol.3
"Gotcher Fleebag?" ML #386, Vol.3
"Emergency Tidbits," ML #855, Vol.7
"Be Prepared," ML #858, Vol.7
"Survival for Families!" ML #859, Vol.7
"Why the Crash?" ML #867:41-66, Vol.7
"'Blessed Are the Dead'!" ML #912:1-9, Vol.8
"Refuges!" ML #1003, Vol.9
"If We Only Had‚" ML #2170:58-68, Vol.16
"World Currents!—No.87," ML #3152:45-73‚ Lifelines 24
"World Currents!—No.90," ML #3215:111-126, GN 816
161. For further study, see the following Cat Book sections: "Be Prepared/Contingency Plans," "Refuge and Survival" and "Reserves and Flee Funds." See also the reading lists and practical requirements in the Survival Skills department of the CVC. This has very helpful material in categorized reading lists.
26. (Jesus: ) The millennium bug will be many things to many people, and its effects and impact will depend upon their choices, as well as the choice of the Evil One, the Enemy of your souls.
27. For My Family, it's a test of your obedience in many ways. It's part of My plan to see how much you believe My warnings of things to come, as well as the many admonitions from David in the past on how to prepare. So check your hearts as to whether you have the attitude that all things will continue as they were and have been in the past, or whether you truly believe you're in the Last Days, the time in which the world around you will undergo many great transformations. If you believe My warnings, you will prepare and take action.
28. I've given you many warnings of the days to come in the Words of David, and much specific counsel on how to prepare physically with food and water and all that you need to be able to continue your ministries. Study these Words and see which apply to your situation. I give you more counsel now even in the words of worldly men and women who write extensively on how to prepare, what types of food and water are available, and other such matters of survival. And you have your own channel with Me, through which I'm able to forewarn and counsel you of things to come, to tell you things which man cannot.
29. Though it is important that you survive physically, your ministry to others is equally important. I wish you to survive to continue to do My will, and My will is to preach the Gospel in all the world to every creature! Let each Home seek Me diligently as to how they may continue to help others during the coming time of trouble. You should begin now in ministering to others through enhanced follow-up and feeding and care of the sheep, for it's your sheep who will often help to feed and care for you during the days to come.
30. This too is a test of your obedience: Have you put the Words of David into practice and fully ministered to those whom I have brought across your path, seeking Me as to what new Word you can give them and how you can help them to grow in My nurture, admonition and Spirit? Or have you lived only for the quick sale of posters, tapes, and other tools, with little regard for the precious ones I've brought to you to be nourished and strengthened in the faith?
31. The Activated program which I have inspired will help to feed many during the days to come, and many in turn will help to feed you. As you pour out in this way to minister to others, to give of your spiritual riches, they will give of their physical riches to you. Those Homes who give, it will be given unto them, pressed down and running over. Those Homes who withhold will suffer. I will fulfill My promises and keep them, but they limit My power to help them.
32. Seek not to save yourselves as much as to save others, My children. You are wise to make prudent preparations, to gather food and water, and to seek Me for My counsel about the days ahead. But wiser still are those who also seek Me as to how they can be the biggest help to their friends, contacts, supporters, and those to whom they minister.
33. As I have said in the past, so say I again: Seek Me for specifics on your situation, and even for those friends to whom you minister. During these days as you prepare, you may in many cases help others prepare too. You can share with them some of the ways I have told you to prepare physically, and also give them advice on how they may prepare spiritually, for it will be a trying time for many in the world.
34. Be specific in your questions to Me, and I will be specific in My answers to you. As you ask Me whether you should move, what food you should get, how much water you should have‚ whether you'll be safe where you are or must take extra precautions, I will respond in detail. This too is a test of your obedience, to see if you'll obey and make full use of the gifts which I've given you and instructed you to practice and use, and whether you will believe the answers I give.
39. There will be wars and rumors of wars, disease and plagues spreading as they do even now. There will be earthquakes in diverse places, and a time of disasters such as man has not seen before, to judge the wicked and draw My children unto Me. Men's hearts will fail them for fear as they behold those things which come upon the Earth, the changes in their planet and in their society. Your job, My faithful ones, will be to comfort and help many during this time, and to lead them to Me. I long to be a very present help to them in their time of trouble‚ and to provide a true foundation for them to build on, an anchor sure and steadfast.
40. The evil one to come would have them turn to him, as he seeks to resolve the world's problems through the god of forces, through more technology, and through the evil spirits and powers which he has at his beck and call. During that time there shall arise many false christs‚ like he himself is, saying "Follow me" and "Worship me." It's good that you should be prepared for such a time‚ lest you be deceived, and that you prepare My church, lest they be deceived as well. For all will know of My coming‚ as it is written in My Word. "If they shall say, Lo, He is here, or Lo, He is there, believe them not. For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even unto the west‚ so shall My coming be."
41. These days draw ever nearer, My dear children. Prepare yourself, prepare your friends‚ prepare the world. As you obey, I will prepare a place of refuge for you and do for you what you cannot do for yourself. Be not fearful of the days to come, but rejoice, for your redemption draws ever closer. Soon we will be together again, never to depart. I love you! (End of message.)
42. (Mama:) Thank You Jesus for such good specific counsel! The Lord brought out a couple of important principles in the messages above. First, it's vital that we heed His warnings to be prepared and not have the attitude that this is some sort of apocalyptic warning that won't come to pass, or something that will just fizzle out. In fact, He said that getting prepared is a test of our obedience. If we believe the Lord, we'll prepare accordingly. Even if we don't need such supplies to make it through Y2K disruptions, we will need them in the days to come.
43. The Lord said He's given much specific counsel on how to prepare in the Words of David, which we can study to see how they apply to our situation. We included a reading list at the end of the first Y2K GN that you'd probably find very helpful, if you haven't already looked over it. (See "Y2K Calamities," ML #3227, GN 829, page 20.) We also hope to post the text of a helpful book on Y2K survival tips on the Members Only Website soon.
44. Another principle the Lord brought out in the message above is that our ministry to others is as important as our own physical survival, and that we should be feeding and following up on our sheep now. He promised that those who give in this way, it will be given unto them‚ and that those who withhold will suffer for it, because they limit His ability to help them.
45. So be faithful in your ministry to others, faithful in your follow-up, faithful in signing people up for the Activated program, faithful in seeking the Lord for your friends, contacts, supporters and sheep. This too is a test of your obedience.
More Practical Preparations
47. (Dad speaking:) As the old saying goes, it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Though making some of these preparations for the Y2K bug may seem unnecessary, it's better to be safe than sorry. Since the Lord hasn't revealed to you exactly what will occur, it's best to be prepared.
49. The most important thing you need to do is to have an adequate supply of food and water—especially drinking water. Try to stock up on a month's supply of food if you can, if your circumstances permit it‚ or a minimum of two weeks worth if they don't. You can go to Him to get specifics on how much food and water you should store. Water is very important, but it takes up a lot of room and is very heavy, so it's harder to store than food is.
53. You should be prepared for a break in some services like electricity, water, telephone, etc. Electricity should be restored quickly in most cities‚ though‚ as it is the backbone of society. Without electricity, modern society cannot survive and nothing can operate. Governments know this‚ and will therefore try to act to restore it as quickly as possible. Power cuts should not last too long in most cases, so it would not be necessary to make expensive preparations for long-term power outages, but just enough to run the most essential services in the short term.
54. Be prepared‚ but don't be fearful. The Lord will keep you through it, regardless of what happens in the System. Do what you can‚ and trust the Lord for the rest, and He'll take care of you. Praise the Lord! (End of message.)
Spiritual Preparations!
56. (Mama:) Our practical preparations for the millennium bug are important, but we mustn't neglect our spiritual preparations, as the Lord brings out in the next message.
57. (Jesus:) A prudent man foreseeth the evil and prepareth himself. He hideth himself in the secret place of the Most High. Your spiritual preparation and acknowledging Me is what will keep you. The temptation is to lean to your own understanding, to lean on the arm of the flesh, but this is not what will save you. It is your spiritual preparation which will build your faith and keep you, knowing that I will protect you. I will supply your needs, for you are My children.
58. Your faith in Me and your time with Me are the greatest preparations and the ones you must place the most importance on. Secondary is the practical preparation of the things that you will need in the time of emergency, and I am pleased that you are discussing these things. For you deal with practical people, with sheep who are in the realm of the physical, and many of the things that you are preparing will be used to be a testimony and a witness of what I have showed you to do and how I have showed you to prepare. Because you are prepared, both spiritually and physically, this shall be a testimony of your relationship and your link with Me.
59. Some of the things that you are storing up and stocking will also be a blessing to outsiders, to those that I choose. So continue faithfully with your spiritual preparation of following Me closely, and continue with your discussions and preparation in the physical. Let all in your Home partake, no matter how busy they are or how many other jobs and responsibilities they have. Let all feel the burden of this responsibility so that all will know the state of affairs and be prepared and alert in a time of emergency.
60. In unity there is strength‚ and if you have strong unity in your preparation for emergencies this will help you to stand strong in the time of those emergencies. Dedicate at least 30 minutes a week or a mealtime discussion about these things. At the beginning when you are preparing, it might require even more meetings and more committees and more time invested. But after you have made the initial preparations, continue to have discussions, read articles, receive fresh words from Me that will help everyone remain alert, prepared and mindful of these things. That way each individual will feel the responsibility upon his own shoulders; it will not rest upon one or two or three people but upon the whole body.
61. You are My prophets of the Endtime and I have revealed these secrets unto you. So be faithful to heed and obey and you will be blessed for your obedience. (End of message.)
30. (Mama:) The Lord said that the main effects of the Y2K bug would be on people's attitudes and actions. They'll have more faith in their technology, less faith and dependence on the Lord, and will be less tolerant of those who preach the Endtime—especially those they consider cults.
31. The Lord also promised to keep us and protect us in the days ahead, and in fact until the end of the world, and beyond! Great works lie ahead of us, as long as we're prepared in spirit with great yieldedness, faith, obedience and trust. Thank You Jesus!
32. Stay prepared physically as well by continuing to preach the Gospel‚ love the lost, win friends and supporters, sign up the sheep for the Activated program, and keep up your stocks of survival food and water. You may need all the friends you can get if there's a storm of controversy or persecution, and will certainly need your survival stocks if there's a storm or flood or other natural disaster.
33. In fact, the Lord emphasized the need for us to keep up with our survival supplies in a separate message He gave us while we were finalizing this GN. He sent Dad with a message on the importance of being faithful to check and rotate this food and water‚ reminding us that we shouldn't just let it slip away.
34. (Dad: ) Thank the Lord He didn't allow the Y2K problem to reach the point of calamity and rioting, and that He didn't test you to see how you'd do if you had to live off your survival for a while and be without water and electricity. Thank the Lord for His mercy‚ that He used this situation to get the Family stirred up enough to do something about their survival, to get stocked up and prepared, but that He held back the floodgates so that you wouldn't need it this time.
35. But don't think that you'll never need it‚ because you will need it in the future. That's one reason the Lord had the whole world get stirred up, so that the Family and His other children and believers would do something about their reserves of food and water and other necessities.
36. So now that the big Y2K push is over and the danger isn't so imminent, be thankful and praise the Lord for His mercy, but don't let your survival slip away. Don't use it all up and not have any more on hand for future emergencies. The Lord has made it clear that we're now entering a new stage of the Endtime, so now is the time to be prepared and keep up your survival. You'll need it, so make sure you're faithful to rotate your food and water, to keep an eye on things, and to check things regularly for the day when you will use them.
37. The Lord allowed this Y2K situation to shake people up worldwide and get them stirred up before He let loose the floodgates of evil upon the Earth, so that His children would be prepared for the worst possible situations and be able to survive. So stay on guard and don't let all that hard work, time, energy and money that you've invested in your survival stocks just fall by the wayside. Be faithful stewards over it; make sure you keep things in good condition, and be faithful with what the Lord's given you. He gave it to you because you'll need it, not because you won't need it.
38. The Lord is a very wise businessman and He knows how to get the whole world on the ball and doing what they should be doing in preparation for the flood of iniquity that He has to allow to happen. Things have to get worse before they can get better, but if you're faithful with your survival it won't be as bad for you as for those who slacked off and weren't faithful.
39. So do your best, and the Lord will bless it and help you through any difficult times. He won't leave you comfortless or without your needs, but you have to do your part. Then He'll do the miracles to supply and fill in all the gaps and empties along the way. (End of message.)
40. (Mama:) Thank you, Dad, for that good reminder, and thank the Lord for His supply of these different survival items. As the message said, even though we didn't need them this time, we will need them in the future, so we should take good care of them. Be sure to rotate your food and water as necessary; make sure any equipment, ranging from flashlights and radios all the way up to generators, remains in good working order; and remember to check these things regularly. By being good stewards, we'll continue to have good survival stocks.
41. What mercy the Lord has in allowing the whole world to get stirred up and, for those who took heed to His warnings, to get stocked up to face any possible calamities. You never know when disaster will strike, as it did in the recent earthquakes in Turkey, Taiwan and Greece, in the floods and mudslides in Venezuela, and in the storms that battered Europe. And you never know when political upheavals will strike either, such as the recent coup in the Ivory Coast. In each of these situations you'd be very thankful that you had food stored up if you couldn't go out and buy it, water available if the taps were dry or the water mains were broken‚ and a source of fuel or heat if the gas and electricity were off.
42. The Lord will keep us, of course, but like Dad said, He expects us to be prepared, especially after giving us so many warnings and such explicit counsel. As we do our part, then He does the necessary miracles, thank the Lord!
Compiled from articles by Reuters; U.S. News and World Report; Peter N. Spotts and Marilyn Gardner‚ The Christian Science Monitor; Damon Darlin, NY Times News Service
For James and Maureen Halderman, life started over at 4:30 one July morning in 1992. A huge earthquake sent their house in Lake Arrowhead‚ California, plummeting 20 feet. The couple's three children were trapped for four hours. Finally freed, they jumped in the car‚ still in their pajamas. As they drove off, the house blew up.
Their new life began in Cleveland, where they stayed with Mrs. Halderman's brother. For Maureen Halderman, as for others who lose everything, one of the biggest challenges was replacing important papers. "That was terrible," she says.
"Birth certificates‚ Social Security cards, my nursing license—everything. I tried to get a driver's license, and I couldn't prove who I was."
Today she keeps a metal lock box under the bed for important documents. Her brother stores copies in another lock box.
The couple also devised an emergency plan. They staged fire drills so the children would know what to do. They also store canned food, bottled water, and powdered milk in a basement room. Other emergency supplies include three sets of clothes per person, a camp stove, candles, and oil lanterns.
Halderman concludes that "you wouldn't wish this on anyone, and you can't ever say you're glad it happened. But if you're open to it, there is opportunity even in tragedy. It's an opportunity to look at life in a different way and be grateful for what you may have taken for granted. The best first step you can take toward recovery is being grateful for what you have instead of being bitter for what you lost."
Although the Haldermans, like others who have survived disasters, are well prepared for the next one, many experts recommend being well prepared in the first place.
Disaster seems unlikely to strike Rexburg, Idaho‚ but that does not stop residents from preparing for the worst. In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many Americans have begun to ponder how they would cope with major disaster. But many of Rexburg's 22‚000 residents—roughly 90 percent of whom are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—have followed a decades–old Mormon practice of storing one year's supply of food for each family.
Storing emergency supplies is linked to a church doctrine by founder Joseph Smith: "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." Additionally, Mormon leaders say persecution of early members of the church, established in the 19th century‚ helped create a tradition of preparing for emergencies.
How can you prepare for an emergency of your own, whether it's an earthquake, hurricane, flood‚ or other natural disaster? Here is a distillation of advice from emergency-preparedness experts from across the spectrum:
WATER. If you take nothing else away from this article, at least heed this advice: stock up on water. It is cheap, it has a long shelf life, and, most important, you cannot live without it. Most of us can do without food for days. But dehydration is a very real and life-threatening danger after a calamity.
Though you drink half a gallon (2 liters) of water a day‚ you should store one gallon (4 liters) of water per person per day. Assume you will be cut off for at least three days and store as much extra as you have room for in a cool, dark space. The International Bottled Water Association says jugs of water can be kept indefinitely‚ though they may pick up an off-flavor from the plastic after a year or so. But it is pretty easy to rotate the stock every couple of months.
If you have the room, store some of the water in the freezer. When the electricity goes, you'll have more ice to preserve the food in the refrigerator for a day or two longer.
If worst comes to worst and you run out of water while your community's water supply is contaminated, turn off the water supply to your house and drain water from your water heater or scoop it from the toilet tank. It must be purified by boiling it for several minutes or by mixing in two drops of old-fashioned bleach—not the scented varieties—to each quart of water.
FOOD. You don't want to spend a fortune buying and storing food. If you have a pantry or basement with a decent supply of canned foods and bottled juices, you should do just fine for several weeks.
Given that in most emergencies—floods, earthquake or fire—you may have to flee‚ it is smart to keep a 72-hour mobile kit. That's a three-day supply that you can easily carry out to the car at a moment's notice. The crucial concept here is high nutrition in a small amount of space. Freeze-dried foods would be perfect, except you'll need clean and heated water to reconstitute those products. Don't forget baby formula if you have an infant.
CASH. If you get a warning, head to the nearest cash machine. The time to raid the ATM is before the disaster, because when the electricity fails, you won't find one that works. Take out as much as you can because you may need it to buy supplies at post-disaster inflated prices, and credit cards won't work if there is no electricity or computer networks are down. When the disaster has passed, you can put the money back in the bank.
COMMUNICATIONS. In almost every disaster, cell phones have proved remarkably useless. Old-fashioned landline phones hold up much better. But you might be able to use your cell phone if you have a nonelectrical charger of some sort.
EXTRAS. You cannot do without a first–aid kit, a radio and lots of batteries. The new flashlights that use light-emitting diodes will help you conserve juice.
Camping gear—butane stoves, coolers and lightweight tents—easily doubles as survival gear. What else? An adapter that turns your car's cigarette lighter into an electrical outlet for any appliance could be a lifesaver. Stash all this stuff in a plastic box that can serve to float things out to safety.
DOCUMENTS. Pulling together documents you need on the run may be the hardest thing to do. Prepare a book with copies of birth and marriage certificates, adoption papers, key identification numbers, copies of bank statements‚ deeds, titles‚ credit cards and insurance policies as well as passwords to online accounts. Keep it in a secure place and grab it on the way out of the house.
GUNS. Some survivalists recommend a gun for protection. But if you haven't used one regularly, don't know how to store it safely and haven't made the moral decision that you could shoot a person, forget it. Someone is just going to get hurt and it will probably be you. Your best protection is banding together with neighbors—and sharing that food all of you stashed.
LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR. In emergency preparedness, one element shouldn't be overlooked, experts say: the critical role individuals and families play through their personal readiness and commitment to looking out for their neighbor.
Fostering that kind of attitude can have a marked long-term effect on preparedness, says Ann Patton‚ an emergency planning consultant in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "The best defense against disaster is a close-knit community of people who care about each other and take care of each other," she says.
Getting down to specifics, here are the sort of emergency supplies you and your family may find helpful in an emergency, as well as a three-step plan for preparedness:
Bottled water (1 gallon per person per day; three-day supply ideal)
Cash (ATM and credit cards may not work or be accepted by businesses)
Cell phone (with nonelectrical charger, such as a car charger or AAA battery pack)
Clothing and underwear
Phone numbers of friends and family
Documents (driver's license, passport‚ birth certificate, etc.) in a waterproof container
Eating utensils (plastic or disposable)
Emergency numbers: local, state, and federal
Financial inventory (a list of bank and investment accounts, mortgages, and loans, including account numbers and location of original documents)
First-aid kit
Flashlight with extra batteries
Food (canned goods and other nonperishable items that don't require cooking)
Masking tape, duct tape
Medical information (list of your medications, any chronic conditions‚ and medical history)
Medications (three-day supply of all daily medications)
Paper towels, toilet paper, and sanitary products
Plastic sheeting
Radio (battery-operated) with extra batteries
Scissors
Sleeping bags or blankets (one per person)
Toiletries (soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc.)
Tools (can opener, knife, pliers; a Swiss Army knife may suffice)
Trash bags
In case you have to evacuate your home, it is good to put the supplies you think you would need the most in a portable container.
Some people try to fit all of the supplies listed above in a large rolling cooler. Another option is to store the items in several small coolers or boxes.
Think about what supplies you need, what you can reasonably carry or store in your car, and how many people will be available to help you transport the supplies.
All the planning in the world won't do much good if you don't practice ahead of time. Not only does this enable you to go through your plan while you're calm and thinking clearly, but it also enables you to fine-tune it before you have to put it into action.
Identify emergency evacuation routes in your community and near your workplace.
Decide where family members should meet if you are separated in an emergency.
Identify a backup location to meet at, in case the first location is impossible to reach.
Identify a point-person who will serve as the central contact to call in case of confusion.
Choose an out–of-state friend or relative to serve as a backup contact, in the event that local lines are tied up or out of service.
Practice the plan at least once a year.
(David: ) It's better to be ready years too soon than a day too late. Foresight is much more helpful than hindsight when an emergency strikes‚ as is preparation beforehand. After all, you live in a hazardous world in uncertain times, and you never know when you'll have to move suddenly, or stay put and try to survive in the aftermath of some sudden calamity.
What if your house or apartment building caught on fire, or the nearby forest was ablaze? What if a sudden deluge caused flooding in your city or neighborhood? What if an earthquake suddenly hit, or a hurricane or typhoon roared through your area? Or what if that dormant volcano nearby turned out not to be so dormant after all? It never hurts to expect the unexpected, and to think about what you'd do if it happened—not with a spirit of fear, of course, "for God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power‚ and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). We're simply to watch and pray—watch for signs of impending calamity, and pray about how to best be prepared.
Prayer is really the best preparation, both before and during the calamity. If you ask the Lord‚ He can tell you whether to go or to stay, to evacuate or to hunker down and ride out the storm or disaster. He can tell you what to do, when and where to go, and the best course of action to take in any situation, besides preparing you beforehand. If you're tuning in to Him regularly, then His "early warning system" will be activated in your life, and it will be easier for Him and His angelic helpers to get through to you with hints or even direct warnings of things to come, or advice on what you need to do. Maybe He'll remind you that you need to get your vehicle maintenance done because it's overdue, or He'll draw your attention to a sale on camping gear or survival food. Who knows? He does, and so will you if you ask Him!
Besides helping you to be prepared physically, keeping in touch with the Lord also helps you to be prepared spiritually, which is just as important. Many people‚ when their world begins to crumble around them, either get shocked and uncertain about what to do, or they panic and do something stupid. But knowing the Lord and staying in touch with Him can give you more peace and faith‚ not to mention protection, direction and guidance. You can call out to Him for protection, claiming His promises in the Bible and the keys, knowing that He loves you as His Own child and that even the hairs of your head are numbered. And, if He should choose to take you home, you can have perfect assurance that Home is in Heaven, where you'll dwell with Him and your loved ones forever. "The world passeth away, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever" (1 John 2:17).
Preparing for emergencies ahead of time also reminds us that "here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come" (Hebrews 13:14). If you have to leave your house or city suddenly, you may be able to take very little with you. It's a reminder that all God's children are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth, who desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city" (Hebrews 11:13,16). It's a wonderful city‚ I'll tell you, and a wonderful existence! You can't bring anything with you, but you can send it ahead through the deeds of love and kindness you do, the witnessing you do, the message you distribute, the souls you win, your faithfulness to the Lord and His work.
So prepare for emergencies ahead of time, dear Family, and prepare for eternity all the time by your work for the Lord and for others! If you do, you'll be happy both now and forever!
Subject: Survival food
1. Question: Is it necessary for the Family to stock survival food? What's the right balance?
2. (Dad:) I was an extremist, and our folks in the Family are also extremists, so when I told them something‚ they usually really went for it! They went all the way and then some! Sometimes they went overboard. As far as survival goes, well‚ things didn't always happen as soon as we thought they would. The Great Tribulation and major natural disasters haven't come yet—at least the ones that we were preparing for. They will, though, and when they do, you'll be glad that you heeded my counsel and had some survival rations!
3. Don't forget your fleebags either. That's still a good idea, because you never know what's going to happen. This sort of preparation doesn't have to only be for the Tribulation. There could be fires or other natural disasters, or maybe you just have to flee. So that counsel on survival that I gave you is not out of date‚ even though it's old. It still applies, and you should follow it as much as you can.
4. Of course‚ I understand that sometimes it's just not possible. Maybe you're in a trailer, moving around all the time, so of course you can't have a big stock of survival. Or maybe you do a lot of traveling and live on the road. Or maybe you're really struggling to stay afloat financially and you have kids to feed, and you just don't have the money to invest in building up a survival stock of food and water.
5. But if you really put your mind to it, you'll be surprised at how easy it can be! See, the main idea of survival is not that it has to be all this wonderful food and a huge supply of it. It can just be the barest essentials to keep you alive for a while. It could just be a stock of dried beans or some canned foods or other foods that are cheap and nonperishable. It doesn't really have to be much. It's just nice to know that if something happens and for some reason you can't go out and buy more food for a while, then at least you won't go hungry.
6. Of course the Lord will supply for you, and He'll bless you and protect you. But there's a balance to that. The other side of the coin is that you have to do your part as well, and if you are able to have at least some survival, then the Lord expects you to do so, and then He'll do the rest. Sure, He can drop manna out of the sky for you if you need it‚ but if you haven't obeyed Him or heeded His checks and done what He told you to do in the first place in getting together some survival food, then He's not going to bless you.
7. Every situation is different and the Lord works differently with different people. You might never need the survival, but then again, like I said, it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Why don't you come together as a Home and ask the Lord about it? Why don't you simply ask Him whether or not He wants you to start stocking survival food and water—if you're going to need it or not, and how much of it you should have on hand? He can tell you, and even if He doesn't make it very clear for some reason, He can still give you an indication of what to do. That's always the safest step. If you don't know something, just ask the Lord! He can tell you so easily, and you know if you do that, then you can't go wrong. (End of message.)
By Connie and Si Dunn, The Dallas Morning News
When the world did not dissolve into chaos on Y2K day‚ many people got rid of their stockpiles of food, water, gasoline, generators and emergency lights, ignoring pleas by James Lee Witt, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to keep the goods and "begin the new year prepared for any eventuality."
Disasters—big or small—can strike individual households any time‚ anywhere, in almost any form, from fires to windstorms to medical emergencies and burglaries.
For many people, something as small as the crash of a hard drive or the loss of a laptop computer can be catastrophic, even ruinous, if vital data has not been backed up.
Before calamity strikes, plan ahead, says Dr. Ann McGee–Cooper‚ a Dallas-based time management and creative thinking consultant. "We live in a complex world where there is more and more that can go wrong," she says.
It seldom hurts to do some what-if thinking, contingency experts say.
For example, what would you grab if you had one minute or less to evacuate your house? Would other family members know what to save if you weren't there to grab it?
What would be lost or damaged if a ruptured pipe suddenly put a foot of water around your computer desk?
What if a storm knocked out power and phone service to your neighborhood for a week?
FEMA offers an online library of preparedness tips for almost any disaster. These can be found at: www.fema.gov/pte/prep.htm.
"Crises teach us to have options," Dr. McGee-Cooper says.
(Dad:) Crises also teach us dependence on the Lord, for those of us who are His children, as we go to Him for help and guidance on how to come through successfully. He can show you what to do and how to do it so you'll have as few problems as possible—or even come out without the smell of smoke on you, as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did when they faced a pretty fiery crisis!
Of course, when you come to the Lord for help, He may also gently remind you of all the counsel in the Letters on being prepared and on having contingency plans, flee bags‚ survival food, etc. I hope you'll be able to come to Him and simply ask "What more should I do?" rather than lamenting "If I had only done what I should have done and knew to do!"
By Carol J. Williams, Los Angeles Times
In these last days before the start of hurricane season, forecasters and disaster–response planners are coming to the dispiriting conclusion that few lessons were learned last year from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
Waterfront construction continues to boom along the Gulf of Mexico and Florida's Atlantic coastline, with tens of thousands of new homes in harm's way alongside the rebuilding of those demolished.
More than 100,000 people displaced by last year's storms are still living in government trailers, despite emergency planners' warnings that the temporary shelters are at risk of blowing apart if even a strong tropical storm passes.
And Lake Okeechobee, with an eroding retention dike said to be near collapse, has evoked chilling comparisons to the New Orleans levees that burst under the deluge from Katrina. The elevated lake in western Palm Beach County looms over 40,000 residents, the ecological security of the Everglades and the purity of all of South Florida's drinking water.
Experts have been hopscotching across the region chanting the mantra: Be prepared. To the dismay of those who dedicate their lives to advising coastal communities on what to expect‚ the warnings often fall on deaf ears.
"Experience is not always a good teacher," Max Mayfield, head of the National Hurricane Center‚ said during a break in his barnstorming through Hurricane Alley, the vast storm-prone stretch that runs from the Windward Islands through the Caribbean to the shores of North and Central America.
"We are encouraging every individual, every family, every business to have a hurricane plan in place before the start of the season," Mayfield said. "There's too much stress with a hurricane bearing down on you to leave the planning to the last minute."
But he's not encouraged by recent experience. Just two months after Floridians watched the suffering inflicted on New Orleans by Katrina, thousands ignored weeklong warnings that Hurricane Wilma was headed their way, failing to buy even the most basic emergency provisions. However, they lined up within 24 hours of the Oct. 24 storm demanding bottled water and ice from local officials, Mayfield recalled.
(Dad:) Are you prepared, or have our own warnings to be ready for emergencies fallen on deaf ears? Don't put it off until you have more time. You'll never have more time in a day than you have right now‚ today—24 hours. Where the rub comes in is just how you choose to use that time.
I know you folks are very busy, and I sympathize, but if you're not as prepared as you should have been or could have been if and when disaster strikes, you'll only have yourselves to blame.
You don't have to do a big survival prep push, although you can if you want to. Just do a little every week, surely and steadily buying or provisioning a little extra food, setting aside some jugs of water, getting some extra flashlights or camping gear or survival supplies, or spending a little time discussing some contingency plans. Do something, and keep doing something, and almost before you know it, you will be prepared!
Note: See also The Y2K Personal Survival Guide book summary‚ available on the MO site.
Copyright © 2006 by the Family International