This past weekend I took my family to our local town's 75th annual Newport Agricultural Fair (the oldest in Virginia) and we set up a booth to sell our products and meet and greet our neighbors. While it was primarily a booth for Freedom Film Distributors, we also took the opportunity to support some friends of our that also have home businesses. So next to the large selection of DVDs that make up the Freedom Film Distributors catalog, we set up a display of the Goat Milk Soap made by our friends Jim and PJ Jonas in Indiana, and a display of the Slickepott All Natural Chocolate Fudge Sauce made by my friend Ian Lamont in upstate New York.

 

 

We had a great response to the Freedom Film Distributors presence and collection of video resources, and it was a great opportunity to meet other families that are interested in God-honoring and family-edifying films. I was even blessed by the visit of a young lady named Billie Huskey who is a quadriplegic after a severe auto accident 5 or 6 years ago. For someone who had to learn how to talk again, it was a beautiful experience to see her bubbly personality and positive outlook on life that comes from her faith, and to learn how she is impacting other peoples lives as a physical therapist (yes, the licensed professional kind) and a motivational speaker.

 

 

Most importantly, we used this opportunity to train our children about the importance of hard work, attention to detail, industry, and the selling skills of communication and friendliness. My two daughters, age 6 and 4, made over two dozen beaded necklaces and bracelets during the week before the Fair that we set up on a display outside of our booth. My oldest daughter Lydia is naturally outgoing, and she would go from handing out samples of goat milk soap to asking people if they wanted to see her collection of home made jewelry. She was even consistent in closing each engagement with "would you like to buy one?" When faced with the engaging personality of this bright-eyed six year old, most were fully ready to make a purchase as soon as she asked.

 

 

In all, this was a great opportunity to meet many of our neighbors in our valley and the surrounding areas, and talk about family business and family films. It is encouraging to know that this kind of community engagement has been happening all over the nation with our existing distributors, and will continue to grow in frequency and impact in the months and years to come.  

 

If this report is encouraging to you, would you consider joining us as a distributor or movie night host, or spreading the word to friends and family about the opportunity we provide? Thanks, and we hope to see you next year at the Fair.