Dear Friends, Happy New Year from all of us here at the Freedom Center! As 2010 comes to a close we thought a brief overview of the year might be in order. In many respects, this has been a banner year for us, but certainly not without its share of challenges. In the midst of these blessings, we have had quite a challenging year financially. While on one hand we have been able to give generously and copiously of what the Lord has given us, on the other hand, we have experienced a serious strain on our cash flow due to the depressed economy. Many of our tenants have struggled to make their monthly rent payments – our main source of revenue as we develop the Freedom Center. As a result, we have operated at a loss where in normal times we would have surplus to put into programs and development. Though the Freedom Center’s vision does not encompass providing housing and assistance to needy families, we have found ourselves doing just that! Presently, we are partnering with a local organization providing temporary housing for a homeless mother and six children. Additionally, several of our tenants have endured severe financial setbacks and in some cases, life threatening illnesses. One tenant in particular sadly passed away two months ago from a heart aneurism leaving behind her two teenage boys and no extended family to care for them. We have continued to provide housing without payment for the past six months. Several other tenants lost their jobs or encountered medical/family issues rendering them unable to pay their rent for extended periods of time. These situations alone have set us back almost $20,000. Retreat ministries nationally have been impacted by the economy this year and we are no exception. We had steady stream of clients including numerous local churches, day care centers, Boy Scout troops, Cub Scout packs, Patrick Henry College, Pastor’s Day of Prayer and many others who have experienced the beauty and peace of this special place, but not in the volume we had expected. The Freedom Center is just that; a place where freedom reigns – where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty! The staff and volunteers of the Freedom Center are sacrificially giving all to make this place a city of refuge and a light for the region. The Lord has provided for us amazingly, and it’s been a time that our friends have participated on a higher level also as we charge on in spite of the distresses of our country’s economy. Thanks for your friendship and all you do for this worthy ministry. Best wishes for a New Year, Lyman Eddy Can You Help?
Please keep in mind, these are estimated expenses only;
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Since assuming ownership of what is now known as the Freedom Center in June of 2004, we began a process of making various and necessary improvements to the buildings and structures on the property. We have torn down buildings too deteriorated to be rehabilitated; made immediate stopgap repairs to others to prevent a further worsening of conditions; cleared and removed tons of trash and abandoned cars; and identified other problem areas that were in need of immediate improvement. This was all done so that we could get a true visualization of the state of the land and develop a strategy to bring the entire property back to usable condition. All of this was occurring while the Master Plan for the Freedom Center was being developed. We needed to identify how the diverse uses we were anticipating would be able to fit into and onto this land. It is vital to us that the natural beauty of these 100 acres be maintained while we put to full use the land that God has entrusted to our care. The next step in this process will be the inauguration of Furnace Mountain Camp in the summer of 2011. This children?s day camp is geared to 7-12 year olds, and will be limited to 70 children during each one-week session. To add to the camp and retreat experience here at the Freedom Center, low and high ropes challenge courses are in the process of being developed, we are also considering putting in a fitness course and weight loss camp. The use of these types of activities have been shown to greatly enhance team-building exercises as well as to expand individual confidence through conquering fear and increasing strength. Restroom and shower facilities have been completed for the comfort of those using the outdoor activity areas of the property. The Hartman and Liberty Lodges are complete and are available to house conferences and week long and weekend retreats. With the addition of the Chapel meeting space, we can accommodate 50 overnight guests and upto 100 for meetings and conferences. Construction and rehabilitation of the Bardin Lodge will soon be started. This will be a "family" style retreat building that will enhance what our other lodges offer. Planned is the addition of a commercial kitchen and dining facility, as well as a multipurpose field house, which will provide indoor physical development as well as the occasional event. Sincerely,
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Freedom Center • 13951 Freedom Center Lane • Leesburg, Virginia 20176 • 703-777-3505 phone • 703-777-5077 fax email: info@freedomcenter.us • Freedom Center is located 7 miles north of Leesburg, Virginia |
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