Dear Mr. Rawles,
I just finished reading your seminal work, “Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse” for the third time in as many weeks. In addition, after some internet searching I’ve found your blog, and am in the process of reading everything that I can, when I can. After reading so much of what’s on your mind, I thought I’d share a little of mine.
First, foremost, and most importantly, I want you to know that your book was instrumental in leading me back to God, the Father of our savior Jesus Christ. I won’t delve into the diverse ways in which I let myself be led away from the Lord, as it is far too private of a matter, but I can say with excitement that I have made, and continue to make a mighty effort to bring myself back into alignment and harmony (fellowship) with the Father. So a big thank you is in order. Thank you!
Next, I want to share that I am freaking out! I am 34 years old and have finally come to the realization that that things just ain’t all that great concerning the state of affairs of our country. In retrospect, I guess that I did in fact know all along, but did not want to admit it. It is a hard pill to swallow when you realize things like our paper money is, for all intents and purposes, worth nothing. My mind is racing after seeing the images from New Orleans after Katrina, the horrible crime rate in D.C., and now the escalated turmoil in the Middle East. Oh how frail the system is!
I liken our country to a big stinking compost pile. Yes, that sounds harsh, but it is what has become of this poor nation. Nevertheless, with a little time and some heat, even a pile of rotting garbage and poop can break down into healthy soil in which new seeds will sprout, grow and bear magnificent fruit.
Needless to say, I have this overwhelming sense of urgency! Where to begin? After overcoming my temporary paralysis of the mind (TPM) I took an inventory of where we stand and I feel just a wee bit better than before. I have also discussed, in earnest, with my wife the peril that awaits the unprepared, and let’s just say that she was less than receptive. I now understand that it was too much for her to handle (milk first, then meat). Luckily she was raised in a farming family and is already keen on the idea of having canned foods from the garden and a few beef cows around. It’s a good start.
After making a huge list of what we have and what we need (the later list is a little bit bigger) I have decided that I lack the resources with which to obtain all that we need. You see, I quit my $75,000 per year factory job and enrolled in school full time. My wife and I earned a grand total of $13,000 fed notes last year. That’s pretty minimal for a family of four. By the grace of God, my father and two brothers were much more receptive to the need to be prepared, so I now have a mini-network in place with which to build upon. Pooling resources is the way to go.
We are all in the process of building up our food storage, and have decided on one of our homes as a safe-house. Now we can focus on the infrastructure of just one property instead of being spread thin on four different ones.
Everything else is a matter of just doing what needs done, so I’ll cut it short here, as I could go on and on. Thank you for your time and keep up the great work! – Opus