Recently at Meridian we've offered several FHE lessons on emergency preparedness. Here are the links:

• Teaching children the importance of preparedness.
• Teaching children how to do 72-hour kits.
• Teaching children why water storage is important.

This is all fine and good as a beginning. But what if disaster strikes, you're at home, but your children are not — and you're not able to get to them for days or more? What additional skills will your kids have? A variation on this type of tragedy was seen during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Children were ripped from the arms of their parents by the torrent of the storm. In some cases, it was a long time before families were reunited.

I don't know about others, but I want very much that if my children were separated from me, that they know emergency skills and coping techniques to stay alive until reunited in safety with their family. Thus, as I pursue research for emergency skills for children and youth, from time to time I will share those skills with you through these simple FHE lessons!

This week we're going to let our kids pretend they are Einsteins in the kitchen. While having fun, they'll also be learning hands-on skills for self-survival if tragedy ever struck. (This particular lesson is for youth who are of baby-sitting age or older.)

Time for some FHE fun!

FHE Fun

Opening Song: #252 Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel

Opening Prayer: By invitation.

Devotional: This is a great time to share favorite scriptures, spiritual witnesses, and so on. Just a few minutes each week, but a powerful way to feel the spirit as a family!

Lesson: Pass out one strip of paper per person and a pen. Ask family members to listen while you read the following quote. They are to write down the three items the First Presidency has told us to store. Allow people to share what they've written after you've read the quote (it is helpful to read it twice through slowly).

Explain that water is one of the cheapest parts of food storage. But sometimes we still might run out of water in an emergency. Or sometimes, water might have germs that would make us sick (after a hurricane, for example).

Explain that you need your kids' brilliant help in the kitchen to "cook up" some delicious water. This will help everyone know what to do if a storm came and dirtied their water. They will know how to be scientists in the kitchen, creating a drinkable lifesaver from yucky water!

Activity:

(NOTE: Again — DO NOT engage in these activities if your children are too young to understand safety rules or too young to participate in any manner. This activity is intended for youth who are of baby-sitting age or higher.)

Items Needed:

1. Purify water by boiling:

Explain that a pretend storm has hit the city and the city's water supply now is dirty. Nobody can drink it, nor can they brush their teeth. But not a problem, because your kids, as brilliant Einsteins, know just what to do! Ask for volunteers to do the following:

• Get a pot.
• Fill it with water.
• Put it on a burner.
• Turn the burner to high.
• Watch until it comes to a rolling boil (a hard boil).
• Set the timer to five minutes and then let it continue to boil.
• Turn off the timer. Go on to the next activity as you wait for the water to cool.

Voila! Your "Einsteins" have completed purifying your family's drinking water. They have saved the day!

2. Purify water by bleach:

Explain that now a water pipe has broken in the city. Again, nobody can drink water or brush their teeth. It not only has bacteria in it, but may have viruses in it also. But never fear! Your Einsteins are here and they will save the day. Ask for volunteers to do the following:

• Get a gallon pitcher.
• Fill it with water until it reaches the gallon mark.
• Carefully add 16 drops of bleach (an inexpensive dropper from the pharmacy makes this easy)
• Stir well.
• Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Sniff. If the water does not have a slight bleach smell, repeat dosage and wait 15 minutes.

Double voila! The family's Einsteins have saved the day and given the family lifesaving water.

3. Purify water by distillation:

Now an even worse disaster has hit. You've had to find water from a stream, but it is a mess. It is dark, cloudy, and full of debris/particles. But this is not a problem. Your kids will take care of it completely! Ask for volunteers to do the following:

• Get a bowl and a huge pot. Fill the bowl with water "from the stream" (for the time being, use tap water).
• Cover the pot with a cloth and tightly affix it into place.
• Pour water from the bowl slowly through the cloth into the pot. Remove the cloth with the debris and make sure the pot is only half full.
• Tie a cup to an upside-down pot lid and lower the cup into the pot, finally resting the lid on top of the pot. Make sure the cup stays right-side-up above the water level.
• Bring water to a boil for 20 minutes.
• The water that drips from the lid into the cup is now distilled and clean to drink!

Triple voila! Your kids have saved the day once again and purified water for the family to drink!

Application:

Share the thought that our church leaders love us and have admonished us to be ready for emergencies and unforeseen events. The beauty of obedience is when we are prepared, we shall not fear (see D&C 36:30. Read the following quote to finish the lesson, sharing your testimony of the importance of obedience:

As Latter-day Saints, we have been counseled to prepare for adversity in life. May we be busy doing so!

Closing Song:

Closing Prayer:

Refreshments: For refreshments, allow the family to sample the different tastes of the purified water. Which ones do they like best? Remember to oxygenate the water by pouring it back and forth between two cups before drinking. It will improve the taste.

For more specifics on water and food storage, read "Home Storage: Build on the Basics," ( Ensign, Jun 1989, 39) and/or click on this LDS news report, "Prepare for Adversity".

To find emergency outdoor water sources, print out the information at this Red Cross website and place it in your 72-hour kit.

Note : Iodine water treatment tablets cannot be used by pregnant women or individuals with thyroid problems or other health conditions. Always check with your doctor. Also, if using bleach to purify water, do not use bleach with thickeners, scents, or additives. Practicing skills in an FHE like this one will expose which prep methods are best for your family. As always, combine wisdom with prayer and study.

Safety Precaution : Remind your kids only to practice water purification skills when a parent is present. Although the knowledge will aid them if they are away from your presence, they need to understand that practicing is only done with you at their side.

C.S. Bezas' book has been described as perfect for youth leaders and parents of teens. Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers: Helping Youth Find Their Spiritual Wings is available in LDS bookstores and by clicking here.