February 2009

Dear Friends,

The board met at Morotock Restaurant in Williamston on January 9th. Several new items of interest came up at the last board meeting. Attendance has been weak in our Advisory Board meetings. We have tried to get people to come out to these meetings but all efforts have been fruitless. The board voted to have those present at the Annual Meeting decide whether or not to continue having the Administrative Board meetings. The board also decided to remove all pictures, names, and birthdates of the children from the website due in order to protect their identities and to comply with current regulations. If a church would like this information they can schedule a presentation with office. 

The Annual Meeting was held this month on the 18th and we would like to welcome Chris Grimes to the board of Directors. Chris is from Saint's Delight  (I always thought that sounded like a cool name for a desert!) Church of Christ. I have no doubt that Chris will be a great addition to the team. It was also decided at the Annual meeting that the Advisory Board Meetings be given one more chance. There will be an Advisory Board Meeting on Friday, February 13th, for those who are interested in sharing ideas for the ministry of Open Door. If the response to that meeting is weak than future meetings will be discontinued. Information can also be shared from the website, e-mails, and direct contact with Loren or Carla. 

The directors are looking toward putting our goals and vision on paper. On the January 22nd, the "dream team" met to discuss both long range and more immediate goals. It is exciting to see ideas shared freely for the future. These ideas will be shared with the Board of Directors in March and put into action. One of the biggest needs right now seems to be Public Relations and building a bigger support basis.

We really do want to open Unit two. The funds are one of the problems holding us up. Due to the economy, some congregations have had to temporarily adjust their giving. We will need to work to get this giving up so that we can open the Unit for more children. Currently, Unit Two has been used for temporary housing for families in need, retreats, work-groups, and meetings. Unit two will continue to be used for the service of the Lord as we seek to build up our support base.

On a personal note, I have now officially lost over 100 pounds! As I continue to change my lifestyle it is becoming a harder battle. Please pray that I can continue and lose about 35 more pounds. Thanks.

Thank you again for your support.

God Bless You,

Loren Harold Lung

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