Dear Sisters, 

Last week I taught in RS about prioritizing a 3 month food supply for your family.  We are encouraged by our stake to begin, or increase our food supply so that we are prepared for an emergency.  The overall message of the lesson was that there is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to building and 3 month supply because all of us are here under different circumstances and situations.  Furthermore, the size of our family and our diets vary significantly in our ward.  In reflection of this, as a RS, we are encouraging all sisters to evaluate and consider the necessary steps required to create a 3 month supply in our homes.  Each family in our ward will be approaching this differently, as many of you may already have a supply, or some of you may have not even started.  The most important thing is that you begin, in whatever way you can, your 3 month supply.  

As a ward, we will be looking at all aspects of emergency preparedness over the year. However, our focus for the next three months (April, May, June) will be entirely on our 3 month food supply.  This means that each family in the ward should be creating a monthly goal for the next 3 months to build on their current food supply.  Some monthly goal examples are as follows:  

* Create proper space and storage for food supply

* Buy a 3 month supply of rice

* Purchase 3 extra can of beans each visit to the grocery store

Please pray and ponder what will best fit your situation and write down a goal for the month of April.  During our visiting teaching visits, we ask all visiting teachers to discuss with their sisters what their goals are and how they are accomplishing those goals over the next 3 months.  

As a Relief Society, we would love to hear about your accomplishments!  We are currently creating a blog where we can share success stories and ask questions.  The blog link can be found here: www.internationalemergencypre.blogspot.com.  We look forward to hearing suggestions and encouragement from other sisters as we try to build up our 3 month supply.  

Love, 

Terah

For further reading I have attached the following links: 

1)  The churches official 3 month food supply page on LDS org.  There is a wonderful and encouraging video at the beginning of the message
https://www.lds.org/topics/food-storage?lang=eng 

2) 'Lay up in Store' conference message given by Bishop McMullin https://www.lds.org/liahona/2007/05/lay-up-in-store?lang=eng

3) FAQs about the 'All is Safely Gathered In' pamphlet https://www.lds.org/topics/food-storage/frequently-asked-questions?lang=eng#1

4) 'If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear' message given by President Hinckley https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/10/if-ye-are-prepared-ye-shall-not-fear?lang=eng

5) 3 Month Food Supply sample https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4EjTfXhwMcwU2dPRkRuSUxjbU0/edit

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/153ef634c3eb3dc8?projector=1

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup dry onions
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 can chicken
• 1 can corn
• 2 cans white beans*
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 3 cups chicken broth

*If you use dry beans, you will need to allow for a much longer cook time.  And perhaps soak the beans the night before.  They are a great option, have a long shelf life, and turn out equally delicious as the beans from the can.

Directions

1. Rinse Corn and Beans in a strainer (I don't like the taste of the liquids from the can, but if you don't mind the taste of the juices don't drain them.  Add them to the soup.  There is nutrition in them from soaking in the food for such a long time.)
2. Add all ingredients into a pot and simmer for 20 minutes
3. serve with whatever yummy condiments you have available

• tortilla chips
• shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• hot sauce
• lime/Lemon/Calamanci
• salsa

This is a favorite soup that we make in our home.  We make it with fresh or dry ingredients depending on what is available, but I enjoy that all the ingredients can be found in shelf stable form, so I normally have everything I need on hand.  If you want to add a little bit of freshness as you rotate your food storage items you can use fresh onions, milk, garlic, chicken, broth, or frozen corn and it still tastes just as delicious.

Nearby Water Sources

When you look at people throughout history, they didn't save 3 months worth of water in their homes.  Instead they were smart.  They…

• identified the nearest clean water source like rivers or springs.
• dug wells to find clean water when water sources were too far away.
• boiled water where clean water was not readily available.

photo from www.pixabay.com

When preparing for an emergency, it is still important to store some drinking water.  However, considering your geographical potential for clean water is an important consideration because you will eventually run out of bottled water if your emergency is a long lived one.  If you are fortunate enough to have running water now, the water from your tap could become compromised in a natural disaster.

Dry Goods in Soda Bottles

Photo from www.jewelpie.com

In October our Stake Relief Society held an emergency preparedness Fair.  One of the things our Ward congregation shared with the stake was this idea on how to store rice.

Here is a link to the rice storage video from our friend Mila Bautista in Baugio, Philippines.

Some helpful hints on storing dry goods in soda bottles

• Wash your bottles well and dry COMPLETELY before filling them.  This will prevent spoilage and extend the shelf life of your dry goods*
• You can store things other than rice in your bottle (grains, beans, seeds, flour, homemade soup mixes…)*
• You will want a funell to fill the bottle.*  If you don't have one, roll a clean piece of paper into a cone shape that is open at the bottom.
• if you have them available, you could add an oxygen absorber or a desiccant packet.*
• If you don't have enough money to buy a lot of food, save 1 spoonful per serving each time you prepare your dry goods and add them to your soda bottle.  It will be filled eventually and the small daily sacrifice of eating a spoonful less each meal will save the faithful when an emergency comes.
• Don't forget to rotate your storage.

Why are soda bottles so ideal?  They are…

• Free
• Designed to withstand 200 pounds of pressure
• See through so you can check for bugs without having to open the bottle.
• Water tight

*ideas from modernsurvivalonline.com