Christian Veterans of the Bitterroot, 3 Nov, 2014

Prayer Breakfast

0700 at BJ’s Restaurant

Hamilton, Montana

O Father, you divide the day from the darkness, and you turn the shadow of death into morning: Drive away all wrong desires from us; help our hearts to keep your law; guide our feet into the way of peace, having done you this will be strength us when it is day, so when the night comes, we will rejoice and give thanks. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

1. Opening - Round the Table Individual Prayers

2. Breakfast is served

3. Morning Psalm: 90

4. Breakfast Reading: Hebrews 11:30 – 12:2

5. Breakfast Discussion Topics:

          News around the valley

          Community Aid through Christian Churches; we must to teach our community to fish and to provide mutual aid to local governments.

                   Action Plan

                             1) Finale Draft Mission Statement:

Who: Christian Veterans of the Bitterroot

What: Showing the public how to construct a 72 hour kit in coordination with the churches of Ravalli County

When: November 2014

Where: Ravalli County

Why: To help our neighbors prepare themselves for possible local disasters. Matthew 24:7  ⁷ For nation shall rise against nation, and realm against realm, and there shall be famine, and pestilence, and earthquakes in divers places. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 ³ For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then shall come upon them sudden destruction, as the travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

                             2) Finale Draft Newspaper Announcement

Do you feel pushed around?

Every Monday morning at 7 am, Christian veterans of the Bitterroot Valley “push back” with a prayer breakfast at Hamilton’s BJ’s Family Restaurant. We come together to pray, read the bible, and talk about issues of faith. We even have some lively discussions about current events. All of you are welcome to attend.

 “Live today in Jesus Christ’s presence, remembering he is near and will sustain you as you serve in his name. Amen”

                             3) Contact “March for Jesus Christ” churches

                             4) Pick first venues:

                                      a) Darby Foursquare Church

                                      b) Corvallis United Methodist Church

                                      c) Bitterroot Valley Church of the Nazarene

                             5) Pick topics and speakers

                                      a) Kits and Sets

                                      a) Communications

                                      b) Medical

                                      c) Psychological

                                      d) Buying in bulk

                                      e) Local Law Enforcement

                                      f) Food Preservation

                                      g) Security

                                      h) Important Papers

                                      i) Emergency Planning

                                      j) Pandemic Planning

                             6) Always finish with “Breaking Bread”

52 Weeks to Preparedness by Tess Pennington

                             1) Week 42 of 52: Characteristics of an Ideal Retreat (or retirement home)

6. Closing - Round the Table Individual Prayers

Upcoming Events:

          10 Nov 2014 – 0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast

          11 Nov 2014 – 1100 – Veterans Day Parade in Corvallis

          11 Nov 2014 – 1700 – Bitterroot Valley Dining Out

          17 Nov 2014 – 0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast

          24 Nov 2014 – 0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast

          27 Nov 2014 – Thanksgiving

          4 Apr 2015 – 0645 – March for Jesus Christ

         

Follow the Fellowship of Christian Veterans:

On the Web: http://cvbitterroot.blogspot.com/

On Twitter: @Walk_April_4_15

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/military.bitterroot

Week 42 of 52: Characteristics of an Ideal Retreat

By now, each of you are keenly aware of the different disasters that could affect our way of life. Some of these disasters even have the capacity to cause widespread destruction, panic and suffering. Given the pandemonium that would ensue in the more populated areas of our country, some of us are ready to take the necessary steps to be more self-reliant.

As a result, many are selling their suburban and urban dwellings to move to more rural settings to start their survival retreats. Preparing your home to be a survival retreat allows you to stock more supplies, and be more prepared for longer-term emergencies. This resource, by M.D. Creekmore has excellent book reviews and shows readers how to build a survival retreat on a low budget.

Deciding exactly where to relocate is not an exact science. You can gauge the potential threat and plan accordingly, but you can never be completely certain what will happen and where the safest place will be. However, knowing that you have researched and prepared the best retreat possible puts you at a far greater advantage than many others.

Location and land characteristics are crucial factors when a person is considering purchasing land for a survival retreat.  According to James Rawles, author of How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It, the decision to have a survival retreat should be a “well-prepared and defensible redoubt with well-planned logistics.”

Experts agree on the fact that the area we should choose for a retreat property needs to be a semi-isolated location with steady water supply and a fair amount of timber for heat in a woodstove/fireplace. If we find ourselves in a grid-down scenario, we want to be able to support our basic needs. These will be the top priorities in the beginning.

While walking the property note what resources and obstacles your site has before you make a plan. Keep in mind that you want to find a property that can be sustainable. Ask yourself questions such as:

“What’s there that you can use? Trees, bamboo, stones, sand, soil, clay…?

Is there plenty of wood or coal for fire?

Is there a natural water supply?

Can you work with those materials? Can you learn to?

Can the retreat property be seen from the road?

Is there a major highway nearby?

Can you protect your land, if attacked?

Keeping these questions in mind will help you determine whether the property is appropriate for surviving long-term disasters.

Climate is another consideration. Although many believe that living in the warm climates of the south will be an ideal area for retreats, keep in mind that most southern states are susceptible to damage brought on by hurricanes, tropical storms and flooding. Most our states are exposed to one or more climatic issues. Therefore, keep this in mind when determining where you want to set your retreat up.

Another aspect to factor in is whether any major cities are in your desired retreat area. Ideally, you want to choose an area that has low population density. If a major disaster occurs, living in a more isolated area (especially from major highways) will help to protect you from transient mobs leaving the cities. You don’t want to be on the lines of drift from major cities, as towns along these roads will be hit hard by hordes of people, some of whom might not be friendly.

Some other important factors to consider are:

A long growing season

Property backs up to a state or national park

Low population density and away major cities and suburban developments

Sufficient year-round precipitation and surface water

Rich topsoil

Sunny area for solar panels

No major earthquake, hurricane, or tornado risks

No flooding risk

No tidal-wave (at least two hundred feet above sea level)

Minimal forest-fire risk

Away from interstate freeways and other channelized areas

What type of employment is in the area?

A diverse economy and agriculture

Low taxes

Non-intrusive scale of government

Favorable zoning and inexpensive building permits

A lifestyle geared toward self-sufficiency

Plentiful local sources of wood or coal

No restrictions on keeping livestock

Defensible terrain

Not near a prison or large mental institution

Inexpensive insurance rates (home, auto, health)

Upwind and away from major nuclear power plants

Consider searching within an active farming area. This is beneficial because the barter systems are already in place, not to mention an abundance of livestock and produce.

When thinking about where you’d prefer to buy your retreat and/or retirement home, look at all the factors and whether the piece of land can sustain you and your family’s needs.

Look into if there are any underground aquifers in the area

If there are any environmental or climatic issues in the area

Maps the vegetation growth in the area

Further Reading:

http://survivalblog.com/retreatareas.html

http://modernsurvivalblog.com/retreat-living/best-place-to-live-with-a-survival-context/

Preps to Buy:

Topographic and geographic maps of the area

Farmer’s Almanac to find out growing season

Action Items:

Research! Compare counties that you are interested in moving to.

Look into the local governments and what local laws are in place.

Research websites like www.city-data.com to see what the statistics are for the location you are considering.

Find out the condition of the soil.

Determine if there is a barter system.

To learn more about understanding the principles of a retreat, consider reading this page from Survival Blog.