CH-CH-CH-CHANGES . . .

Anyone remember that song by David Bowie? If you are still following, although I think that is highly unlikely anyone is, there have been more changes with ward preparedness. Due to health issues and still fulfilling my stake calling I was released as the Lindsay 1st Ward Preparedness Specialist at the end of January. Bittersweet. I still have loads of ideas floating around in my head (although my back is better what my mind wants to accomplish my back is not as willing!) BUT it is a relief to pass the torch and not feel so responsible for the ward. I'm just responsible for the stake . . . LOL. Which if anyone is wondering the stake preparedness plan is moving forward. No rest for the wicked - I'm still pushing preparedness along.

At some point I'm turning this blog into a stake preparedness blog. I'm taking things slow for now, pacing myself, and following the promptings and lessons I was taught over the last several months. The Lord certainly knows how to get our attention doesn't he? And the magnificent thing is when he gets our attention he sends the most amazing divine signatures so that we remember he is in charge and so we can grow, learn and progress. For me, the lesson was slow down and he literally slowed me down with all that went haywire in my back! I'm grateful for the lessons learned - I will carry them the rest of my life and I am grateful for ch-ch-ch-changes!

Stay tuned for the stake blog and even quarterly stake preparedness classes. I'm slowing down but not stopping!!! In the meantime for grins and giggles I would encourage you to, yes, be actively pursuing your preparedness goals, but to watch an eposide or two of NatGeo's Doomsday Preppers or Doomsday Bunkers. They are my new guilty pleasure (along with Pinterest . . . I've made my own laundry soap, fabric softener, herbal vapo rub, Mason jar soap dispenser, at least 5 new recipes, redesigned my kitchen in my head at least 20 times . . . ) Yep, slowing down all right . . . :)

We DARE You and Some CERT Training Information You Need to Know

That's right, you've been dared. Even double-dog dared! Up to the challenge? In fact, there will be a dare most every month coming in 2012 for the Lindsay Ward as we roll out our ward preparedness theme for the year. Ready for a sneak peak at the first dare?

In January, "We DARE you to get prepared through organization!" This can include organizing important papers in your home, inventorying food storage and your 90-day menu, cleaning out a closet to fit more food storage, preparing a month's worth of family home evening lessons, etc.

As a committee we have planned a very important class to help you get organized - a legal documents class taught by Brother Narducci who is a lawyer. Come learn what you need to do legally to have your affairs in order. It's something you usually don't think about until a tragedy. Hear a first hand account about why it is important to have decisions made before something happens and what the consequences are for not having life completely in order.

We will provide a nursery so both husband and wife can attend this class. It will be held January 19th, 7 PM at the Lindsay building. Mark your calendars now. In addition, we will have a fabulous binder available for you to purchase. Super cute and WAY organized. When I saw it I was stunned how thorough it is! Made an uber organizer like myself squeal with joy. HA! Look for an example outside the Relief Society room soon and sign up if you'd like to purchase one. I will let you know the price when I have shopped around a bit more to get the lowest price available on printing and a binder.

I dare you to stay tuned for the next challenge that will bless you and your family!
__________________________________________

Now for something else entirely... I spent last weekend at a 2-day CERT training and certification class - Community Emergency Response Team. It was life-changing. Granted it kept me up for a few nights stressing about what I had learned but I took comfort in the scripture, "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." I wanted to share a few of the things I learned so you too can prepare:


According to U of A and substantiated by the USGS, Phoenix will likely experience an earthquake of 8.0 or greater in the next 5-10 years. That magnitude is considered a “great” quake surpassing “major” on the scale the USGS uses.  

Kenneth Moravec, the instructor from Utah, interviewed the fire chiefs in our local cities and, should a disaster occur in the Phoenix area, response time (that is the length of time it will take fire, police, and emergency services to reach damaged areas) is as follows:

Chandler – 7 days

Mesa – 11 days

Gilbert – 9 days

Queen Creek – 9 days

In addition, 40% of the firehouses in Maricopa Co are NOT earthquake resistant. This means that 40% of the firehouses will have to first DIG OUT their equipment BEFORE they can do any good in the community. Anyone else go to the Gilbert Temple youth fireside a while back? Gilbert Temple is being built to be earthquake resistant to the maximum code possible . .  . hmmmm, food for thought I’d say.

Once fire crews have dug out their equipment we all know where the 1^st priority areas are for them to attend to – (our neighborhoods are LAST on the list folks)

1.       Hospitals, clinics

2.       Schools

3.       Colleges and universities

4.       Businesses over 10,000

5.       Businesses over 5,000

6.       Etc.

Not all disasters in greater PHX area can be natural – last year AZ Highway Patrol pulled over 182,000 trucking rigs and cited them for improper hauling of materials. One example was a Fry’s grocery truck that was hauling 7,000 gallons of bleach AS WELL AS 9,000 pints of ammonia. Ladies, we clean the house and we know what happens when you mix ammonia and bleach. Basic chemistry 101. Had this truck had an accident or rolled over the chemical reaction it would have created would have evacuated the ENTIRE PHX downtown. By the way, the Fry's truck was issued a warning and let go . . . WHAT???

Since 1983 (I think I got the date correct as I took notes but I may be off) the population here in PHX has quadrupled. In that time ADOT has not increased ways in or out of the valley. Basically, there is no way to leave our area should disaster strike. We must be prepared then to shelter-in-place. ***This means 72-hour kits! Preferably a 7 day kit! And that kit is really the bare minimum of what we should have in our arsenal. Remember those response times listed above by the city fire chiefs??? 

That is really just the tip of the iceberg. We discussed nuclear disasters, decontamination methods, more natural disaster preparation, basic triage in a disaster, EMP’s, disaster psychology, etc. etc. Saturday morning we had a mock disaster with “victims.” It was our job to assess the damage, triage victims and organize relief. I’ll be honest, it kicked my can. Intense to say the least and I learned I need to learn a lot more.

On another note, I considered my household to be pretty prepared but I came home after this weekend with a page of paper filled BOTH sides of equipment we still need to survive. Looks like a Christmas with presents of N95 rated masks, plastic sheeting, car kits, charcoal from the pet store as another means to filter water and flares as stocking stuffers. J Doesn't THAT sound fun from Santa?!

 
OK, so why am I sharing this? To freak you out? To keep you up at night? NO!!!! I am telling you so 1. you can get your own homes in better order and 2. I really want you to take the CERT training course this next March when Kenneth returns to AZ. The cost is $60 and with that you get all the equipment you need to be certified. Only $15 goes to help pay for gas for Kenneth to drive down. The training you will get is absolutely invaluable. We have 5 people trained or being trained in our ward right now. We need 10 people to make a legitimate CERT team. In the case of an emergency don't you want to be able to help your neighbor's and friends?

One key point Kenneth emphasized was this -  “How you recover from a disaster depends 100% upon how you prepared for it.” He said over and over – DO SOMETHING! And get over the “I never thought it could happen to me” mentality because it will happen to us he said.

Anyway, I would like to challenge you, encourage you, beg you(?!?!?) to pray about taking this course the next time it is offered. Take it with your spouse! It was a treat to have Michael there where both of us could have promptings about what our next steps need to be as a family regarding preparedness and the last days.

If you have questions about the training course, let me know. I will be heading back in March for a refresher but hopefully next time I will get a little more sleep after the course . . . 

Yours in Preparedness,
~L 

Changes . . .

One thing is constant in the Church I think and that is change - most certainly not in doctrine or principles but in leadership, callings, stewardship and responsibilities. With recent calling changes in the ward it has necessitated some change in the Preparedness Committee. I'll admit it right now and own it outright, I hate change. Hate it. I don't deal well with changing things up especially when something IS working. It throws me off kilter. And frankly, throws me into a tailspin. Yes, a tailspin. It's never pretty. :)


I have, however, learned (perhaps slowly at times) that change is good. It gently pushes us, no, scratch that, it shoves us out of our comfort zones and allows growth and progression. Never easy, but always worth it. I am optimistic and excited about the upcoming changes in preparedness. I hope you will be too. It's clear our work isn't finished and we have so many more avenues to explore, classes to organize and group orders to offer. What has been abundantly clear to me the last several weeks amongst all the change, and even in a tailspin, is that the Lord is in charge and he is very mindful about Lindsay Ward preparedness. Although a very stressful last few weeks for me, I have been constantly amazed at the whisperings of the spirit and how apparent the Lord's hand has been in all the change. For that I am undoubtedly grateful. Tailspin over, peace regained, it is time to move forward with optimism, faith and a renewed energy to keep going! So here's to change, faith, growth and getting prepared. Can't wait to share with you what's coming up next!


In the meantime, don't forget about our October 25th Meals in a Jar class. It will be an evening class and if for some reason you can't make it but would still like some jars, let me know. I will give you the recipes. Also, stay updated on fruit orders, upcoming classes, etc. by reading the monthly newsletter I put together. They are in the foyers the first Sunday every month and then every Sunday after that until the next edition. And to you faithful readers - THANK YOU! And to all those who have made it a point to share kind words and positive comments with the committee, THANK YOU for your support, attendance and kindness. It's always nice to have a pat on the head when you are working hard . . .
~Lisa

"There is more salvation and security in wheat than in all the political schemes of the world." - Ezra Taft Benson (Journal of Discourses 2: 207)

A wheat famine threatens continents across the globe
"Almost everyone has heard of the potato famine that decimated Ireland in the 1840s. It happened because the Irish practiced monoculture, planting just one species of potato that was well adapted to Irish soil. When potato blight hit, wiping out the country's staple crop, there was no plan B. Millions starved to death.
Did we learn our lesson from that great tragedy? No. Big Ag's foolish practice of monoculture puts us at more risk than ever before. These days, it's wheat that's at grave risk. Wheat's biggest vulnerability is something called "stem rust." It's actually a fungus. The fungus that has begun to infect wheat crops around the world is officially known as Ug99. Ninety percent of the world's wheat is vulnerable to Ug99--and this scourge has been spreading swiftly over the past few years, jumping from Africa to the Middle East. Just a few more seasons and it's expected to hit Asia--from India to China to Russia. Millions of people depend on wheat in these nations for their daily sustenance.
If so much as a single spore of this deadly disease finds its way to U.S. shores--and in these days of global air travel, that's almost a dead certainty--the U.S. stands to lose at least a billion dollars worth of wheat. National Geographic recently reported that, according to Rick Ward of the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat project at Cornell University, "A significant humanitarian crisis is inevitable."


Excerpt from Solutions From Science article, 9 July 2011. Take from it what you will but remember we have been given much counsel about the importance of wheat in our long-term storage as well as the need to not panic nor go to extremes as we prepare for the future . . .

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

"As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic nor go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect. And, above all, my brothers and sisters, let us move forward with faith in the Living God and His Beloved Son" Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign November 2001