Yes, that’s what it feels like.
I am referring to the ‘Preparing for everything’ Pastor’s Point column by Rev. Phil Spencer (The NEWS, Feb. 19).
Can we prepare for everything? We certainly could, however, by the time we think we have covered everything, we are still short on our well thought out preparation list.
Disasters such as flooding, fires, tsunamis, disease outbreaks and landslides are too overwhelming to consider. Just naming and reading about them is enough to put your head in the sand. As concerned citizens of course we don’t do that either, then what do we do?
For several years I have been in charge of “emergency preparedness” in our congregation. We started out with following a list of most needed items in case we run into any of these above mentioned “emergencies.”
Secondly, I extended my advice to have a mini kit in our cars. All our supplies at home are useless when we get stuck somewhere. Recently I undertook a trip to Vanderhoof and it felt good to have my special suitcase filled with all kinds of “things to survive.” This special kit is based on a minimum of three days. Crazy? Maybe so.
Through the “emergency management” advice I learned from a suggested program, called The Neighborhood Preparedness Program,” I learned:
“From our experience I learned firsthand how important it is to work with neighbours. We all are spread out too far to be of any assistance to each other. We have to find it in our own backyards so to speak. Through the sharing of tools and equipment we can indeed come up with a system that will provide help when we need it most and as quickly as possible. Without the help I received and not having the proper tools, I could have been stuck for months.”
This last advice is very crucial in being prepared and to receive help, by helping each other.
Ary SalaFanny Bay