The Property

Early 2016 we received a nudge to move across to the north-east of Germany. In 2017, after a rather slow and somewhat frustrating journey, God showed us a beautiful property which far exceeded all our expectations. On the border of an enormous national park we discovered an empty house which, it turns out, was originally the Altes Forsthaus (old foresters house). Its situated on a vast amount of land (12 acres) and overlooks a large lake (10 acres). Tucked away behind the house is a medium sized outhouse with a small bedsit above it and on the edge of the woods, which also belong to the property, stand 6 large bungalows. The place has been empty for 7-8 years.

The Context

Over time God began to give us a vision for what He was leading us into and He enabled us to establish ties with a Christian charity (Leben.Endecken. Deutschland. or LED e.V. for short) with whom we would be able to carry that vision out. Bit by bit, we came to see that the vision which was developing was the very same one we have been working towards at Ashburnham Place. That vision is to be a gift and we are keenly aware that our past 6 years at Ashburnham Place have been invaluable in training us for what we are to be doing in Germany. The four specific ways in which we would seek to be a gift at this property involve: investing in the local community, providing caring hospitality, fostering personal growth and facilitating environmental care and development. We believe that we are called to extend Gods kingdom of love, in a holistic way, throughout this beautiful yet spiritually desolate region. (Ravensbrück Concentration camp, where Corrie ten Boom was imprisoned, is just 5 miles down the road from the property.)

The Paperwork

Since June 2017 we have been tenaciously pursuing this property, refusing to be discouraged by the weary speed at which the bureaucratic clogs seem to have turned in Berlin. In July 2019 (yes, it took that long) each of the interested parties were invited to submit a proposal to the Berliner Stadtgüter (estate agents currently in charge of overseeing the property) by the 11th Oct 2019. This we did and the initial feedback for our proposal has been very positive. Before the proposals can be formerly assessed by the board at the Berliner Stadtgüter, however, each party has been asked to submit further details. The selected proposal will then be presented to the Senate where a final decision will be made as to whether that proposal is accepted or not. Whilst the portfolio manager has been highly impressed by our proposal describing it as very strong all over and very, very convincing he has advised us that we would need to provide evidence that the funds necessary to carry out the first five years of renovation work were there.

The Challenge

As well as praying earnestly (!) we are seeking support from different entities and organisations both in the U.K. and in Germany, but we also wanted to provide individuals with the opportunity to contribute should they be keen to get behind us on this audacious venture. The figure we have been asked to meet amounts to a quarter of the estimated total required for the renovation work. One piece of good news is that an additional 25% of each donation will be added to the total through Gift Aid. Should you like to receive more information about the project, or indeed an electronic copy of our proposal, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you very much for showing interest in this work and for enabling us to be a gift.

Lots of love, Tom & Bex