Christian Prepper Community
Investor Preppers
Sustainable Community
may become essential in our lifetime, because we may be faced with an acceleration of long term disasters; such as a devastating economic collapse (caused by disasters?) that we may never recover from; or perhaps being faced with the terrible “T”… the Tribulation period. But by being prepared for long term disasters, they are by default prepared for short term disasters as well.
Our “INTENTIONAL NEIGHBOR” Prospectus
“Be prepared” is still the wisest way to protect yourself and your family today. In the event of a crisis situation – whether long or short term – whether world wide or local – are you preparing for it? Do you stay ready so you don’t have to get ready? The Boy Scouts have quoted that slogan – be prepared – for decades, so why can’t thinking Christians scout the world terrain and see the need to do just that … prepare? Be ready!
And many are preparing! They typically get called preppers.
36. He [Jesus] said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. [37] It is written: `And he was numbered with the transgressors’, and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment. [38] The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That is enough,” he replied. ~Luke 22
INVESTING IN YOUR SURVIVAL
ALL INVESTORS RIGHTFULLY EXPECT A GOOD RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENTS (ROI). BUT IS THE DEFINITION OF “A GOOD RETURN” CHANGING?
Nowadays CHRISTIAN INVESTORS NEED TO THINK IN TERMS OF:
~INVESTING IN SURVIVAL~
- Thank God for this social, economic and spiritual reprieve that Yahweh has given us under the Trump administration (in 2017 & 2018). Let’s pray that American won’t go back to sleep again and lose it all in the next election.
- But in these prophetic times war and natural disasters could change that overnight. Is it not wise to take advantage of this reprieve Yahweh has given us to invest and prepare for the future so many of us think is inevitable.
So many of the things we currently invest in may well become almost worthless in the next 5 to 10 years, so we need to wisely re-invest now in what will prosper us then. This is the time to invest in things we all will desperately need before any major disasters descend upon us.
Since ArkHaven is starting at ground level we are open to whatever our investors and supporters would like to propose and support. But here are some concepts we would like to propose.
FAMILIAR COMMUNITY CONCEPTS
These are some familiar community concepts that can be incorporated into my main proposal for a training camp and retreat.
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Sustainable
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Eco-village
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Intentional Neighbors
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Preparedness Groups
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Cooperative
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Commune
To me, these familiar terms can have a leftist, hippy, socialist, Kibbutz feel to them. These are worldly philosophies I reject. Yet I have used these same words in a “Christian” connotation. So let me reiterate…
The Training Farm Retreat concept I have written about is a sustainable (off the grid) Ecovillage community of intentional neighbors living in a Preparedness Groups or Cooperative atmosphere of working with a Commune of like-minded Christians to serve each other and those the Lord sends to us.
I have two different properties in mind that would be perfect for this retreat that I would love to show you.
Wow, that was a mouthful! But it may be the very verbiage, the very concept that is needed in order to help a Christian investor see what the Lord is doing for and with him/her.
Many of the community concepts we will describe here will be welcome to visionary investors who have caught the vision described in that mouthful. The particular community concept that I think is the best one, and therefore the one I want to interest you in is this one!
Survival should never be just about surviving but always about serving.
ECONOMIC EXPERTS PREDICTIONS
Several of the nation’s most successful economic experts have been predicting an economic and social crash for decades. And Evangelical Bible scholars have been warning about the prophetic signs that signal the imminence of the Second Coming and the 70 weeks of Daniel (the Tribulation period). That doesn’t get challenged much by Evangelicals, but the question as to how to prepare for such a time as this does get challenged. Wise men still prepare for change, and we all agree that change is not just coming, it is here and is on steroids. And if that wasn’t enough, we are being told by Meteorologists that we have interred into a mini ice age.
Some of the major investors and financial advisers say the safest and wisest investment one can make is in agricultural real estate.
You would not be reading this if you were not already like-minded and well informed in all this. So let’s discuss a number of ways Christians are preparing for all this.
My personal desire (my calling, if you will) is to found a training school retreat where we can invite people to learn all the skills needed to survive and then take those skills and equipment back home and prepare their people as we are ours. I hope to not just train folks but to help them form communities all across the nation and world. And of course, fees for lodging and training will pay our staff and give a return to our investors.
The retreat training camp will itself be staffed by like-minded Christians who are actually living in community … hiding in plain view. In case you didn’t catch it, hiding in plain view is just another way of saying the church will be going underground.
I would hope that our staff will want to live according to the Acts model of community. And by Acts model I mean the entire book of Acts, not just chapters 2 & 3.
Bringing in skilled instructors would be a big attraction, and among them would be like-minded Bible teachers. I have several connections for finding all the teachers we need.
A major purchase that is proposed for the retreat farm is a freeze drier operation. The Retreat and Training school will need an aquaponic greenhouse and the freeze drier operation will need a building to house it. Short term they will make money for the investors. Long-term it will be a good food source for the investors and community/staff members.
That is a big vision, and it all must start with a retreat training farm … that just so happens to be a self-sufficient community of like-minded saints that is preparing in the very way we are training others to do. But we are open to the advice and counsel of all who are involved.
Investment particulars: We are working on a detailed prospectus, but while that is being developed, please contact us if this interests you.
TRAINING CAMP & RETREAT PROSPECTUS
This is the time to invest in things we all will desperately need before any major disasters descend upon us. Many investors say the best future investments will be land and water.
The things we currently invest in may well become almost worthless in the next 5 to 10 years, so we need to wisely re-invest now in what will prosper us then.
Since we are starting at ground level we are open to whatever our investors and supporters would like to propose and support. These are some familiar community concepts that can be incorporated into my main proposal for a training camp and retreat.
Wow, that was a mouthful! But it may be the very verbiage, the very concept I have needed in order to help a Christian investor see what the Lord is doing for and with him/her.
I have two different properties in mind that would be perfect for this retreat that I would love to show you.
Ministries and investors who see the need to relocate in the Ozarks, or at least have an off-the-grid retreat and ministry outreach will want to consider this well thought out, workable proposal
- An affordable fee will be charged for these services. Since it will cost us to provide these services, some provision is needed to meet the need.
- A training camp is needed where we can teach people how to prepare so we can send them back to their city and their congregation to teach and equip others.
- But when the group is small, maybe only 3 or 4 families, start training and preparing them and grow as the Lord provides in the time we have left.
- Time is running out brethren! Now is the time to be in the Ark of safety.
Ways to expand on start-up support base:
Christian seminars and Podcast/shortwave shows with well know guests speakers
An apartment building sandwiched around a meeting hall could serve a number of purposes. Our guests could rent by the day or by the month or long term lease. That would facilitate students and guests as well as long term residents.
Dormitories for groups.
Small homes on the grounds for staff and special guests.
Camp ground hookups and bath house would be ideal.
RV hookups for traveling visitors.
Residents from a close by town will work just fine too (intentional neighbors).
Services and skills:
Providing a place where people can come to learn the skills necessary for self sufficient living.
Cannery: Buy and can products from our farm, or bring your own.
Freeze Drying: Dry and package farm products or your own. Initial emphasis on wheat grass.
We propose starting small (with what we can afford now. They cost $3,000.) with a home freeze dryer and buy bigger ones as we can. This small start would provide long term food storage for 4 or 5 families.
Mylar packaging and packaging equipment to store freeze dried products in.
Animal Husbandry: Learn while tending our farm animals (Goats, chickens, cows, fish … no hogs).
Fruit trees and berry bushes: Learn how to plant, prune, harvest, store.
Gardening: Learn how to plant and control weeds and insects naturally.
Mulching and Composting: Learn by doing it.
Aquaponics/Greenhouse: Learn by working in them doing potting, planting, transplanting, etc.
Bible study, prayer and worship.
Horse rides [maybe]: Trail ride/tour through the property.
Alternate building and power technology
Many other skills will be added to this list, but this gives some insight as to what can be done here.
THAT WAS THE INTRODUCTION FOR INVESTORS,
THIS IS THE INTRODUCTION FOR EVERYONE ELSE!
At ArkHaven our concept of survival is simply an ancient agrarian lifestyle. A major … MAJOR! … point to be made here is that we can’t make it on our own. We will need to network with others who also have joined into this lifestyle so that we will all be able to help others and be helped when it is needed. I call this a fellowship of intentional neighbors.
That word “COMMUNITY” can have several understandings. I would like to see some people start a homestead and take in apprentices. Or buy property and start a farm operation of some sort on it and hire employees to run the food production there. Or buy property and then sell most of it to brethren who want to start a fellowship of intentional neighbors.
But these are all really fronts for a community where they deliberately find ways to hide in plain sight by not making themselves conspicuous. To hide in plain sight means that the residents in your area take your presence for granted, that you belong there and are part of the countryside. I used to be an aggressive activist, but now I see that it is too late for that. Activist make themselves targets in a time when our nation is lost anyhow (in my opinion). Now I want to see people survive so they can fulfill the mission the Lord has placed on their lives. And a big one is to help prepare (and be in) the Bride of Christ. I now intend to further the eternal Kingdom of God as we all witness the probable fall of our beloved nation.
SUMMARY LIST OF PROPOSALS
Gathering into some form of community with like-minded brethren may become essential in our lifetime, because we may be faced with an acceleration of long term disasters; such as a devastating economic collapse that we may never recover from; or perhaps being faced with the terrible “T”… the Tribulation period (just in case the pre tribulation-rapture doctrine is erroneous). Not everyone is likely to survive. But by being prepared for long term disasters, they are by default prepared for short term disasters as well.
When we refer to an Acts Model Christian community, we think in terms of a “Fellowship of Intentional Neighbors” as being farmers (as described above) buying adjacent property, or living within walking distance of each other. They would live in community only in a general sense of the term. I grew up in the plains area of Colorado among farmers and ranchers in the 40’s and 50’s and that is how they lived. But that community concept is unknown to most Americans today and needs to be revived.
Our concept of a Fellowship of Intentional Neighbors is people intentionally moving as close to each other as possible, whether next door or within easy walking distance. In this lifestyle each family is independent and lives in their own housing, and can barter with and support all their intentional neighbors. They grow food in the warm months to store and live on until the next growing season. Some will also have greenhouses and hotbeds so they can grow food year around.
Here is an important question many are asking concerning getting things started. So, whether your group jointly buys land or they buy individually owned properties close by to each other and practice what we call “Intentional Neighbors”, you will need some guidelines.
A. What is the need for forming a Christian Community? Why would anyone want to live this way?
Many Christians feel led of the Lord to believe an economic crash is predicted to happen eventually in America, and even world wide.
I see the terrible possibility –in the not so distant future– that there will be far more people without food (especially in big cities) than anyone can feed, including the government and their FEMA camps. But I hope I am wrong. I could really go on about that probable coming nightmare but will leave that for others to expound on.
This is an opinion held by many investors, economists, & politicians.
David Wiedermer wrote a best seller in 2010 titled: Aftershock, Protect Yourself and Profit in the Next Global Financial Meltdown.
Some of us received this direction from the Lord between 1974 and 1998.
This and other disasters (i.e., 911, Katrina, Mt. St. Helen, Dust Bowl, 1930’s Depression) can happen before the Tribulation starts
Martial law, food riots, EMP attacks are a dark possibility in cities primarily.
Persecution can accelerate in America and become as deadly here as it is in China, North Korea, and Moslem countries. Many American Christians deny that, but that may be a kind of spiritual pride and blindness that may cost them dearly if Christians become martyrs here.
Many premillennialists believe the 70 weeks of Daniel prophecy may/will start in our lifetime.
Eventually we may not be able to buy or sell, but trade & barter and self sufficiency may still be an option.
Many Christians feel led to prepare for these things.
There has always been a way to prosper and be in good health, and be relatively safe in every economic downturn and in times of war.
The agrarian lifestyle has a 6,000 year history of successful living through the best and worst times in history.
To many of us the agrarian life style is desirable over all others. I just like this life style, no matter the times. I operated a blueberry farm with 6,000 mature bushes for four years. I gardened for many years, grew up in the country, as my dad was a horse breeder and high school Principle.)
Self sufficiency is part of the ancient agrarian lifestyle. The Amish and Mennonites still demonstrate that after 500 years. Families within their community of believers specialize in products and services the rest of the community needs. Some of those specializations we want are listed below.
It takes a community of like-minded believers to have all the manpower and specialties needed. As the old saying says, many hands make light work. One family trying to do all this work alone is subject to many challenges they may not be able to overcome.
Would you rather be prepared a year early or 10 minutes too late? How much time do we have? We don’t know, so it is essential to prepare now for an uncertain future.
If all you have is the bare minimum of provisions, like an acre of land and some garden tools (or nothing at all), my prospectus may not be of much use. Even so, seek the Lord and He will show you what to do. The safest place in the world is in the center of God’s will… for you.
In all honesty… at this writing we live on two acres and are barely making it. But may this summary prospectus and website bear witness to our faith, our confidence in our Lord and His calling, that we believe the rest of what is needed is coming… and will come in time.
In 1998 and 1999 David Wilkerson released three books about a coming depression that I wholeheartedly recommend. They were primarily written to the very poor, sick and elderly who lived in the inner city of New York:
B. Types of Christian Community Leadership
Board of Elders
Owner, founder, director (sharing leadership with the elders?)
Single pastor leadership
C. Objective of the Community
To be self sufficient (self contained utilities, food, clothing, housing, covenant government)
To help prepare the Bride of Christ (Matt. 25:10, Rev. 18:23, 21:2, 22:17)
To be spiritually prepared. This is more important than anything else I can say, and is the focus of all my articles.
Bottom line: You can be spiritually prepared whether or not you can get physically and mentally prepared.
D. Types of Self Sufficient Christian Community
Christian Community: A group of like-minded people pools their money to buy a single plot of land and then divide the land between themselves. Each family owns their own land and are completely independent. But are in covenant to support each other.
A foundation where everyone owns the land under covenant, but can not be reimbursed if they ever leave the community. Again, everyone being like minded Christians who fellowship and cooperate with each other.
A commune where no one owns anything, completely common purse. But someone originally donated the facilities and equipment. Some members would work everyday jobs and others would grow food and take care of the property. All income from employment and profits from sales goes into the common purse. (I do not like this socialistic approach).
Militant, armed camp with a guarded parameter, usually led by one strong, charismatic leader. (I will have no part in the Davidian style armed compound approach).
Intentional Neighbors: Living in a Community (geographical area) but not being in community: meaning a group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood). A group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc. These Preppers buy their own farm and then intentionally look for like-minded neighbors they can network with to mutually help each other when needed.
NOTE: It will be difficult, if not impossible for one family to make it on their own. Farming is a 7 day a week, 12 months a year job. If someone gets hurt or sick or worse (dies, leaves) who will milk the goats? We all need a day off, and vacations are a near impossibility
Fellowship of Intentional Neighbors: The networking type intentional neighbors who go one step further and fellowship with each other. Possibly in homes or a church building.
One owner who hires a crew that lives on the grounds, but in fact the crew members are deliberate, like-minded Community members. This will appear to the world as being a farm or some sort of business. This kind of community can hide in plain view (so-to-speak) because they do not let it be known that it is a Christian community.
One owner who sells or leases land (a housing development or isolated village) to like minded Christians who fellowship and cooperate with each other.
A SOLUTION THAT BI-PASSES ALL THE REASONS COMMUNITIES FAIL: A UNIQUE BUSINESS THAT IS IN FACT A STEALTH CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
Here are some ideas on how either a one-owner or a corporation can combine all these ideas into something almost anyone can afford.
CABIN PARK FOR MINI CABINS ON SKIDS OR WHEELS: This is a very popular concept that is really catching on. In larger communities, it will be important to have designated areas for several different housing groupings.
Every week I get emails from one or two people who need and can afford something like this. They either have a retirement fund or social security or disability that they are presently living on. Since I have been keeping a file of such people I am sure we would have a fair initial response. I think we will all be shocked at how fast this would grow.
We should start a camp grounds where people can buy or rent or haul in their own cabin that’s on skids or on wheels and set it on a pad with hook-ups (similar to an RV court, so RV’s could come here as well). They could rent a garden plot, and livestock pen, etc. We could have our own chickens and goats and sell or provide the eggs and milk and garden produce as part of the rent. And if/when anyone leaves, they can haul off the cabin they bought from us; or perhaps sell it to us, or let us rent it out for them. In most community settings they have no choice but to leave their cabin and sadly lose that investment. This would help solve that potential problem.
We could manufacture mini houses (and modular mini extensions) on skids or on wheels. We could sell them and rent them out, whether on our grounds or wherever the customer wants. We can rent out a pad with hookups and a garden plot, etc. We could hire/trade out rent with community members to work our industries. I made my own shed on skids over 10 years ago and moved it to three locations, and it held up perfectly fine.
This mini-home park would look like a unique business (that fits the times) but would actually be a stealth Christian community. It would also be fraught with challenges and would need a qualified manager that is 25 years younger than me.
Two to ten acres with a good well and septic system would be enough to do it.
Here are some examples of mini-houses on wheels
https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrTceHrIjRW2GkA.B8nnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByNWU4cGh1BGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw–?p=Cabins+Skids&fr=yhs-mozilla-004&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-004
See many more examples of tiny houses on skids here:
http://tinyhousetalk.com/400-sq-ft-oak-log-cabin-wheels
And on the same grounds, we could have an …
APARTMENT COMPLEX WITH A COMMUNITY BUILDING: Build our own apartment complex with low, middle, and high-income apartments for rent or lease, or to buy (Condominiums). It would really be ideal to have such an apartment building on the edge of a small town, and have a second one out in the where the cabin park is. A van would be needed to shuttle our community members to shopping areas and to the gardening and livestock area to work.
This complex should be on the same grounds as the cabin park. The community building complex would house a cafeteria, a store, a workshop to fabricate cabins, a canning kitchen, and a meeting hall for a training school and fellowship.
On the grounds, there will be an area for chickens and goats and gardening. We would want to put in orchards and berry bushes. You can see the concept without any more explanation on how all that will be done at this time.
Depending on the needs and abilities of our guests, they can use all of these features.
If you want to discuss this further, please email me. But for the moment what I have said here shows the concept pretty well.
E. What is the concept of Christian Community that I want to establish?
The book of Acts is my model, meaning the whole book of Acts, not just chapters 2 and 3. Daily fellowship in homes, sharing/bartering our goods, and ministering in the neighborhood daily.
It will be essential to be spiritually mature and very like-minded doctrinally with the people in my community, or with whatever people you go into community with (whatever that doctrine may be there).
Being spiritually prepared is by far more important than any other consideration. Then, whether we live or whether we die we are the Lords!
It would be wise for all participants to consider the opportunity to see if this is what they really want to do before actually joining.
Call this time a trial period or internship
Should ideally be done before the anticipated failure of the economy.
What I call “Intentional Neighbors” are people who live adjacent to, or close to the community (within 10 or so miles) and want to operate as part of the community. This gives everyone more space to be themselves than community living does.
“A well-fed neighbor is a safe neighbor,” is a saying I have heard. We will befriend all the people we can within a 5 (or so) mile radius. We can show them the love of Christ and minister to them to the best of our ability.
Homeschooling and curriculum needed.
Caring for our elderly and disabled will have to be carefully planned.
When we can no longer dial 911 we will depend on divine covering and protection, but we will have a few hunting rifles and bows. There is a lot of deer and turkey in the Ozarks. (Luke 22:38)
We will work on the “hiding in plain view” concept of being plain folks, open and serving, nonactivist. My other articles described this concept at length.
F. Ozark Mountains As An Ideal Refuge or Bug Out Location
Several times in this summary prospectus I have mentioned the Ozark mountains as being an ideal/safe place for the lifestyle I advocate.
See my testimony of when, where, and how the Lord told me to move here from Illinois in 1985.
See my article –with charts and graphs – that gives both scientific and spiritual reasons for moving to the Ozark Mountains in Missouri and Arkansas. I think these articles will show you why this is the safest, most ideal place on earth to live in these end-times. Hundreds have a similar testimony to mine.
G. The Failure Rate Of Communities Of All Types Is High
Most communities fail within the first 2 to 5 years, even Christian communities.
Control freak leaders either form a cult or run people off with excessive, abusive demands.
Too many community members won’t do their share (freeloaders).
Dissension or disagreement in the camp over what to do or what they stand for doctrinally.
Someone wants to take over and drives off the founders.
Founders are usually visionaries who need gifted managers to carry out the vision. But when the founders are no longer there, leadership often falls to managers – without vision – who completely turn the ministry into something the founder wouldn’t even recognize. History is full of such examples.
Solution? Join only with as like-minded a group of people as possible. Spend some time with the group. Get to know them before committing yourself. Have a way out, so if it turns into a bad experience, you can leave. Some people get trapped in a community because they gave everything to the community when they joined and no longer have any money or car or furniture … no way out.
H. Qualifications to Join: Anticipated Interpersonal Challenges (Biblical Worldview)
Head of households need to be in harmony with Biblical Christian beliefs, and:
Truly born again Christians with some history of maturity.Have a real calling to this kind of ministry. We do not recruit or promote. You have to be led of the Lord.
I. Types of Outreaches for Our Community.
Lease or own a building in nearby, unincorporated little towns for the purpose of ministry.
Hold church and prayer services.
Provide food to poor and elderly.
Pray for people’s needs and lead the lost to Christ.
Temporary housing for the homeless or for battered women.
Free clothing for the needy.
Medical/dental/Naturopathic/Chiropractic clinic (if any community members have these skills).
Temporary housing for students, interns, community members who work at the farm.
J. Income Generating Enterprise Ideas (For community use and to sell).
Ideally have hydroponics, an aquaponic, and a regular greenhouse (all three).
Raised bed gardening for all crops that are not suited for greenhouses.
Bead & Breakfast (serving only fresh foods grown on farm)
Retreat cabins (a place to pray and meditate and get away from it all)
Picnic area (pavilion and BBQ pits) and fishing at any lakes on the property.
Canning kitchen with all the canning equipment and jars needed (for community and friends use only?)
Sun drying (and freeze drying?) foods we grow.
Advanced Food dehydration (Thermal dehydration is the most common and cost-effective technique for preservation of foods and for the production of traditional as well as innovative processed products such as snacks with desired functionalities.)
- Sell vegetables, fruit, berries, nuts grown on the farm or by intentional neighbors.
Selling goats, goat milk and cheese from the farm or by intentional neighbors.
Selling chickens, free ranging (on a different grass lot every day) chicken eggs from the farm or by intentional neighbors
Sell DVD’s and booklets from our training schools.
Teaching farm skills (hydroponics, organic gardening, composing, goat care, etc)
Timber milling (have our own saw mill) cut our own and other peoples timber if there is enough timber to warrant it.
Rent not-needed pasture land to cattle farmers. Contract hay bailing if there is enough grazing land.
Work towards being totally self sufficient so that you will not need an outside source for money and supplies.
K. Resource Management
We will probably lose all utilities if the grid goes off, so we must prepare for that eventuality by having our own utilities. We simply advocate an ancient life style that we personally prefer. And our emphasis is always in ministry, not in hiding or in fear.
If you can’t get off the grid, I refer you to the David Wilkerson books in item A.
Plan for the eventuality that when gasoline to fuel trucks and tractors and chainsaws are no longer available. The alternative might be draft horses or some alternative power source.
Stirling engines and steam engines are a possibility because fire wood and sunlight can power them.
At this time we hope for, but can not depend on, alternative power sources being available or affordable before gasoline is no longer available to us.
Several promising new technologies are being developed and are on the brink of breakthrough though.
Renewable food sources: grow all of your own food that can be grown where you life.
Much can be grown in the winter time in the different types of greenhouses, such as hydroponics, aquaponics, etc.
Natural and organic gardening. There won’t be any alternatives, so get use to that. Grow large gardens using heirloom seeds only. Seeds harvested from the fruit of hybrids will not grow true to the plant harvested from.
Consider growing grains that do well where you live on an acre or two. There is miniature equipment on the market for cutting and thrashing grains.
Goats for milk, cheese, and meat. And their droppings are a nitrogen rich fertilizer.
Chickens for eggs and meat. And they eat bugs that plague your garden. And their droppings are a nitrogen rich fertilizer. Chickens that can run free are healthier and produce much better tasting eggs than penned chickens.
Cows for milk and meat. Cows require a lot more pasture land that goats, so they seldom make a good choice.
Stock any ponds and lakes on the property with fish that you like to eat and do well in your area.
Bees, bee hives, bee keeping.
Fire fighting equipment.
500 gallon tank on a trailer with a pump that will flow both ways (to fill and to spray)
Other uses for this tank on trailer such as hauling water to homes without wells. These homes will need a water storage tank.
First aid station and examination table.
We hate to even mention this, but a burial plot and all the necessaries (body bags) might be wise.
Collect dead wood and cut down dead and diseased trees and prepare for firewood.
Any caves should be set up primarily for cold storage and secondarily as a shelter from temporary emergencies (such as tornadoes, radiation, EMP) all of which I consider to be unlikely events. Caves in the Ozarks are usually too inaccessible or damp to live in.
Hardship and failure plagues us when we don’t do our research and accounting. For which of us intended to build a bug-out location or a Christian community and didn’t count the cost accurately and didn’t have sufficient funds to finish the project.
Over the past 30 years (since moving to the Ozarks) I have seen people make this mistake and disappear. They were embarrassed, so they left without saying goodbye.
A gate keeper and alarm system (who lives at entrance and keeps an eye on who is coming and going.)
L. Recommended Buildings and Equipment
RV and Trailer house pads for visitors and apprentices
Retrofit any buildings on the property to meet your needs.
Consider alternative construction such as:
Foam and concrete domes.
Earth blocks, adobe houses.
Shipping containers.
Hay bail construction, etc.
Of these I recommend the earth blocks, another time tested, ancient building material, because they look conventional and draw the least suspicion from outsiders. Some of us still remember the Hippie era and their far-out designs and decorations.
Tractor with back hoe, front end loader, tiller, post hole digger, and blade.
Generator and/or solar panels.
A HAM radio and tower and licensed operators so you can be in communication with other communities. You can also reach out to the whole world — literally– with the gospel, with news, and teaching home schoolers, etc.
M. Stockpile What You Can’t Grow or Make
Clothing and foot ware. Stockpile several years worth (7 years?) if you can.
Keep in mind that clothes and shoes will last for several years. They may be out of style and worn, but they can be kept in good repair.
Very few people now days can spin and weave, much less sow garments.
Coffee, tea, herbs and spices. Technically it is possible grow them yourselves if you are set up to do that, but consider the alternatives.
Vegetable oils, vinegars, sugar, mustard.
You can make your own vinegar, ketchup, and mayonnaise
Grains vs flour. Grains will store better than flour, but we must protect the grain (wheat, rice, oats, barley) from mealy bugs and rodents. There are books and YouTube videos on that subject.
Prescription drugs. Maybe you can order large quantities from Canada, but research growing your own herbal remedies.
A herbologist well grounded in naturopathy might be a huge asset to your community.
Paper goods. A stack of three ring tablets and a few pens.
You may have to resort to old fashioned handkerchiefs and towels in place of face tissue.
Toilet paper is another matter though. But there are sanitary alternatives, such as squirt bottles (Lavette Bottle – Perineal Irrigation Bottle)
Soap: Making good soap that is gentle on our skin takes vegetable oils. So it will be best to store as much as you can for cloths and skin cleansing.
Bentonite clay is one of the best skin cleaners and has been used for millennia. It keeps for ever and is very economical and easy to store.
Midwives and baby care needs.
Matches and fire starting equipment. Every survivalist catalog has fire starting equipment.
N. Resource (Books, Real Estate, Podcasts, DVD’s, Catalogs, etc)
Grow Your Own Groceries (Books, Podcasts, Articles, CD’s).
Wranglestar – a homesteaders experience (Informative videos you will enjoy).
Urban Farm generates 6,000 lbs of food (Inspiring video of one family)
Back To Eden (An informative Christian witness video that will inspire you).
1 million pounds of food on 3 acres. 10,000 fish 500 yards compost (Aquaponics).
Plant World Seeds They sell over 3000 varieties of flower and vegetable seed — many of which are rare, unusual and exotic.
Real Estate in the Ozark Mountains that is Ideal for Preppers and homesteaders.
Large home on 30 acres with cave. The cave has a spring in it that is the water source for the house. Ask about it!
Beautiful 160 acre Retreat in Ozarks near huge lakes with 3 living quarters and 4 RV pads.
Multiple listings of isolated properties, owner financed. I have visited them all.
575 Acre Ranch – lakes, springs, ponds, well, meadows, forest, ideal location, houses, generator, scenic, isolated, much more. The owner showed us his ranch on his four wheelers – what fun! Ideal place!
P.S.: I do receive remuneration for advertising these properties. They all have a strong Christian witness.
Ask for more source material. There are too many particularly ideal ones to list here.
Share your favorites with me.
O. Watchful Eye for the Wolves (Watchman on the Wall).
Many scriptures warn of false teachers, apostles and prophets. It will take years of experience to detect danger signs that indicate someone is not one of us.
Here are two (of many) examples: 2 Peter 2:1, 2 Cor 11:13
We all may have our opinions as to what is false and who the wolves are, but the point to be made here is that we all need to have the ability to protect our camp from the kind of people described in these two verses.
That is all I have for now, but I probably missed a lot more than I am aware of. So please help me develop this list. If you have any suggestions, or want to meet like-minded brethren in my group, please write to me. Let’s close with this encouraging word from Jesus.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
You can email me through the form below or by going direct to my email page on my website.
Possible Ideas For Some Time in the Future
- Dental/Medical/Chiropractic/Mechanical Clinics (maybe on weekends)
- Music & drama teams (all Christian music and drama that have been pre-approved)
- Staff will help students make that invaluable connection–dispelling the myth that food magically appears at the store or on the plate. Help us reach more kids and bridge that gap through a Teaching Farm–a regional resource for garden-based education and school garden programming. There kids can be from area churches or 4H clubs, etc.
- Preppers will enjoy coming here on their vacation and enjoy the isolation and quiet and to learn skills.
- Store and stock food for our own root cellar and pantries, and to give to needy, and maybe sell.
- Enjoy Christian community, but presented as a stealth … hiding in plain view … retreat training camp.
- Intentional Community, or Intentional Cooperative concept?
- Search for garden clubs, greenhouse operations in our county to see if they would work with us.
- Everything on this page is subject to change. We are exploring ideas as we seek what God may be doing and confirming or not confirming here.
- This will not be a militant, armed camp. Those who spoil for a shoot-out usually get one. We will have either divine protection or none at all. Personally I am ready to die for Christ.
- Security gate: Gate would be locked on off hours and someone will always be on the farm property.
- Retrofit generators to run on propane rather than gasoline, and have a 1,000 gal tank there. And it would be wise to have solar panels on buildings throughout the property, and perhaps charge batteries at the front gate to use where needed. [Needed at start up but will want off-the-grid electricity ASAP]
- Grass fed cattle and goats.
- Free range chickens, ducks, geese, and Guinea hens. Sell fresh and freeze dried eggs?
- Sun drying of fruit and vegetables operation.
- A short wave radio station might be necessary to communicate with other groups around the world.
Survivalism Is Not Necessarily About Your Survival
In God’s eyes, Survivalism is not necessarily about your survival! God delights in us being hard-pressed to pursue Him – not self – and not our physical survival. If we do not pursue him with all our being, we will not be mentally and spiritually prepared for what is coming – no matter how physically prepared we may think we are.
I think I can assure you that if our spiritual preparation isn’t all it will need to be in these prophetic times, our mental preparation will fail us first; then our physical preparation will fail us terribly.
Brethren, the times we are coming into will inundate us with more stress and discomfort than we have ever seen or could imagine. It will be overwhelming to some. What will seem like mental preparation “on steroids” will be required; but who wants to go through that? Only intense “sold-out to spiritual preparation” can possibly prepare us adequately.
The Apostle Paul knew that mental preparation came out of his spiritual preparation – and that came out of sound doctrine and the courage to condemn false apostles, prophets and preachers. I urge you to read all of II Corinthians, chapter 11 to let Paul’s testimony impact you as it has done to me – and many others. What Paul was really saying there is, “Being in the service of Christ, and in all kinds of sufferings for my ministry, is far superior to my being Hebrew, or an Israelite, or the seed of Abraham.”
“Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I.
Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.
“Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned,
thrice I suffered shipwreck…
“In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers,
in perils by mine own countrymen…
“If I must needs glory,
I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
~II Corinthians 11:22, 25-26, 30
He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked – suffered peril in many places and from many people – yet he gloried in “the things which concerned (his) infirmities” (II Cor. 11:30). And we complain about our past sufferings! We cringe over the prospect of the suffering we surmise we may incur when real tribulation may come into our lives before we see Jesus face to face (See I Cor. 13:12).
Modern Americans don’t like to think about it; but Paul’s testimony gives us the ideal model for Christian behavior when in tribulation. Paul had a faith that not only endured tribulation; but relished it. He could hardly wait to recover from his last trauma to press on to his next opportunity to serve and to suffer for Christ. God gave Paul the covering to survive to an old age so he could complete his God-ordained mission in life – with his greatest accomplishment of all: dying as a martyr for Christ. Few have accomplished more for Christ than Paul.
Brethren, only those who can follow Paul’s God-ordained example will have the mental and spiritual toughness to make it through all that is coming – and keep their sanity and faith intact.
A Bugout Plan – Versus – A Lifetime Lifestyle
Back to the question, why do we want to survive, and how do we prepare for this difficult, anticipated future? If we are born again Christians we are committed to live so we can propagate our faith, and so we can serve others and our Savior. Survival is not about us (you and me), it is about God’s commission for our lives. Consequently this proposal is much more than a long term survivalist or prepper ideal. I advocate going beyond that.
What is being proposed here is a time tested, lifetime lifestyle that best prepares one for any eventuality in life. In fact this lifestyle is something like 6,000 years old … from Adam to us.
My concept is to already be there in your safe place – already being well established on your homestead – not having to go there (making a desperate run for cover at the last moment hoping you make it) when the proverbial crash comes. By being prepared for a long term disaster long before it comes, we are by default prepared for all short term disasters as well. So, why not be there, live there, and work there rather than making a desperate run for your life at the last moment hoping that you can get ready in time for what is yet to come?
In this lifestyle you can become self-sufficient, growing or harvesting your own food, making or building what you need instead of buying it. Your not busy making $ any more, your busy living your more secure lifestyle.
We are talking about a lifestyle that prepares us for any short term crises as well as any long term crises such as a devastating economic collapse; or perhaps being faced with the terrible “T”… the Tribulation period. This Homesteader concept is much wiser than the prepper and survivalist mentality because this ancient lifestyle extends from Adam into eternity, not just the here and now. To me this is all so logical and self evident to be true.
This lifestyle we advocate can be labeled as homesteading or a “Fellowship of Intentional Neighbors” living in close proximity to other like minded Christians, depending on whether you go it alone or together with like minded friends. Going it alone has the huge disadvantage of not having any backup or support. In a community or intentional neighbor setting you do not have to work every day of the year, and if you get sick or injured you have someone to take your place until you can get back on the job. And there is safety in numbers. Going it alone will invariably prove to be a terrible mistake.
I passionately believe it’s going to take a minimum of 2 or 3 families to survive in the coming American New World Order beast system. Not just for work and economical reasons, but most importantly for emotional and spiritual support. As Jesus said, before the coming of the Son of Man, many will fall away and the love of many will grow cold! I know I can’t keep going it alone forever. Plus those of us who stand true to the faith to the end, some of us can expect to be martyred and I sure don’t want my family to be alone if I were to go. The concept of “God parents” came from the first century when one or two other Christian parents were asked to parent your children in the event of your martyrdom. It was common to select two or three sets of God parents because martyrdom was so common then. They need a back-up just in case.
The threat of martyrdom or becoming disabled gives credibility to my suggestion that we hide in plain sight by being indistinguishable from the sheeple while in public. It might be wise to ask the Lord to send the people to us that He would have us minister to, preferably in the small communities we set up a ministry outreach. There is no winning back the world or the United States, just some individuals.
In the 1970’s I served as a leader in the John Burch Society, I was President of the Lincoln Township Republican party in St Louis and ran for political office in St. Louis, I served in the Military for 3 years… and… I found that none of my labors helped our nation one bit. My website (www.arkhaven.org) has accomplished more for Christ many times over.
What is being proposed here is a time tested, lifetime lifestyle that best prepares one for any eventuality in life. In fact this lifestyle is something like 6,000 years old … from Adam to us.
END NOTES
This website I title: Free Land – Are you Ready to Try Homesteading? It has a lot of good information for folks like us. http://eartheasy.com/blog/2011/10/free-land-are-you-ready-to-try-homesteading/
SEE THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO it is full of great Bug Out information and at the same time emphasizes the logic of this article:
The theme of this video is: “Be prepared, be able to survive outside the cities when chaos comes!”
Jeff Forrester’s website has a link to mine, so we are very much like minded. But our approach differs. He advocates bugging out while I advocate an agrarian lifestyle. Live there verses making a mad dash to a hoped for safe place.
Jeff has made this his life style. He is an outdoorsman, camper, hiker, full time Bug Out professional who trains and supplies others.
As you watch this video you will see a lot of very cleaver and needed applications you will want to utilize whether living as he does or as I advocate. The question I think that needs to be raised is, how long could you live this way and stay contented? Jeff loves it, but do you? This is a delicate question and may sound chauvinistic, but how many women could live like this long term? Short term? Yes? Long term … until Jesus comes? Maybe not. Jeff and I both encourage you to spend a lot of time with the Lord so you can know He is leading you into an agrarian lifestyle that has sustained families for millennium.
Hopefully this has helped illustrate what mental preparedness is all about. Are you preparing mentally for such times?
Arkhaven Will Not Be An Isolationist or Hidden Paramilitary Armed Camp
We will depend heavily on divine protection as described above. We are separatists (separated from the world and off the world’s grid) but not isolationists who think they can hide from a perceived enemy. If we are not going to where the needy are and ministering Jesus Christ to them, we are not laying down our lives to serve and witness; we are not living the Acts model.
An armed camp invites a challenge from the government or from militant bands (remember Waco). The Bible makes it clear that God allows self defense, and at least in northwest Arkansas most rural people have Deer guns, and Deer and wild turkey are plentiful here. We have a short bow season as well, so a bow is a very good option. Most people, who were kind and law abiding before they became desperate, will welcome the opportunity to do the right thing. And as you know, the Bible is replete with testimonies of divine protection and provision. And so is history. Here are some examples:
John Brenz, friend of Martin Luther, remembered this verse from 1 Kings while hiding from the Spanish Cavalry. Emperor Charles V repeatedly tried to assassinate him, and on one occasion Brenz barely heard of the plot in time to grab a loaf of bread and duck into his neighbor’s hayloft. There he hid fourteen days. The bread was quickly gone, but the Lord sent a hen who showed up and laid an egg each day for fourteen days. In this way Brenz was kept alive. On the fifteenth day the chicken didn’t come, and the reformer wondered what he would do. But from the street below came the cries, “The cavalrymen are gone at last.”
In a similar way, a dog provided for the needs of another reformer, John Craig, who was arrested during the Inquisition. On the eve of his scheduled execution, Craig escaped, but while fleeing through the Italian backcountry, he ran out of food and money. Suddenly a dog approached him, a purse in its mouth. Craig tried to drive the animal away; but the dog persisted in bringing the purse to Craig. In it was enough money to take him to freedom.
Robert Bruce of Scotland was running for his life, fleeing persecutors. He ducked into a small cave, and a spider immediately appeared and spun a web over the opening. Bruce’s pursuers fanned across the landscape, knowing he was near. Two of them approached the cave, and one of the men started to go in. The other one stopped him, saying, “He could never have gotten in there without breaking that spider’s web.” Bruce breathed this prayer, “O God, I thank Thee that in the tiny bowels of a spider you can place for me a shelter.”
Ravens, chickens, dogs, spiders, and creatures great and small — as Jesus once said of a donkey, the Master has need of them.
The militant armed camp mentality does not have any Bible support at all, but reasonable self defense does. Anxiety and fear are not of God, but operating out of the fruit of the Spirit and the Beatitudes is. We put more emphasis on growing food than on storing or stockpiling huge stashes of food, water and supplies.
Luke 22:36 — He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. [37] It is written: `And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment. [38] The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That is enough,” he replied.
Notice that two swords among 12 men was considered enough. Remember, this is a defensive number.
Survivalists (as a general rule) horde food and supplies and arm themselves to protect their stuff. In contrast, Survivors are able to peacefully bring themselves and others through good and bad times by growing and making everything they need on their own property. They know how to be totally self sufficient while at the same time be totally dependent on God to lead and protect them.
We love the word of God, and will be prepared to reach out into the surrounding community to serve. In Community life each family should feel the freedom to attend the church of their choice, but we believe that having corporate prayer is a way of life.
We Must Want to Survive
Survival and self-reliance are trendy topics even among the general population today. Just look at the popularity of Discovery Channel’s Survivorman and Man vs. Wild.
But when there really is a crisis in America and we all have to fend for ourselves, will we have the will – not to mention the knowledge – to survive? How will we handle the stress?
Always! Always! The purpose of life is to prepare for eternity! So prepare; prepare!
Of course, knowledge is key, too, and that comes by doing our research and making a check list to organize our preparation. The mañana philosophy doesn’t work here. When a sky diver steps to the airplane door he doesn’t put on his parachute tomorrow, it’s either on today or its going to be a fast trip with a bad ending. Today is the right time to take that big first step and start your own prospectus check list!
SCRIPTURE READING FOR THIS VISION
1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the LORD answered me, and said, write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. ~Habakkuk 2
2 And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord thy God said unto thee, thou shalt feed me people Israel, and thou shalt be ruller over my people Israel. ~1 Chronicles 11 (KJV)
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? ~Genesis 17
114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.
116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.
118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.
119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. ~Psalms 119
Appropriate Quotes by Leonard RavenhillN
Isn’t it amazing how we believe in the sovereignty of God until it comes to money– then we send a newsletter.
God is not drying up in His resources. If you have a task without a vision, it’s drudgery, but if you have a task with a vision it’s a missionary.
It’s going to demand a lot of courage before too long — to really live and maintain the true Christian life according to the Word of the Living God.
There’s so much land ahead to be possessed! So many more revelations to be given! So many more burdens to carry! Life is short and I guess you think you have a long way to go but you don’t know that.
We fear a Russian invasion; we fear a financial breakdown, but we don’t fear God! I want that holy fear!
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We see the need to prepare our families (physically, mentally, and spiritually) for the hard times we see rushing in on America and the world … very soon. Worse yet, we feel alone and misunderstood. The church, our family and friends, and indeed the whole world, seems to be asleep and oblivious. We are looking for like minded Christians who are being led of the Lord as we are (being like minded), so we can encourage and assist each other. We encourage those of other mind sets to form their own forums and stay out of this one. |
READ HERE why so many preppers and homesteaders are moving to the Ozark mountains. See if this call bears witness with your spirit!
Write to Us If God Is Moving You To The Ozark Mountains
THESE WEBSITES PROVIDE PREPPER INFORMATION YOU WILL FIND VALUABLE
http://www.ic.org/directory/
http://mainstreampreppers.com/
It’s not enough simply to know how to survive. We must want to survive. We must know why we want to survive. We must have that core desire. Don’t miss this key part of survival preparation that often is overlooked. In past articles this most important of all keys to survival – namely spiritual preparation – is discussed at length. We make a big point of that in this article as well.