It’s been a year since I announced here on my little blog our plans to start The Charis Project move to Thailand and take care of refugee kids and provide resources for the refugee villages there.
The response was overwhelming. Truly it was. That first month you all donated about $1000, which was enough for Chala to move the kids to Kamphaeng Phet where they could get Thai documentation and go to school. It was you, people we have never met in person, who made us believe that this could happen, that we could take care of these children, that there are people who care and are willing to help.
So much has happened since then. There have been some rough times. But now, thanks to sponsors and donors we’re meeting more than half of the monthly budget for the children, Chala and his wife are reunited, and there is enough to feed the children every day. (We still need more sponsors, but it’s a lot better than it was.)
We are still not living in Thailand. That will come when the time is right.
Today, the GH boards a train, and then another train, and then a shuttle to get to LAX. Tonight he will be returning to Thailand yet again. He says that he’s looking forward to sleeping on a woven bamboo floor in a village again.
This time thanks to donated resources, he’ll be helping Chala start two agriculture based micro businesses for the children’s home to run. Growing mushrooms, and raising fish or pigs. This will not only provide another food source for the children but will give them something to sell to move them closer toward financial self sufficiency. It will also provide the children with an education in business and agriculture.
(Our brother Sean who lives in Thailand and takes care of foster children there, has perfected the mushroom growing technique. He was going to go with the GH to the children’s home but his wife is expecting and may go into labor any second.)
He’ll also be meeting with some of our community workers for a few days and spending some time with them in training.
I can’t help but marvel at where the events of the past year and a half have taken us. I want to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for your love and support this year. It’s largely thanks to you that any of this is possible.
4 thoughts on “Thailand Again”
I know you have millions of things to do, but I kept meaning to ask for something for the Charis Project: Could you create a business card that those of us who talk about Charis, or have a bag, could hand out to people? I get comments on my bag about once a month and tell people about it, but of course they'll probably forget by the time they are at a computer. I'd love to have little business cards I could hand out with the URL and a brief description.
AnnMarie-THANK-YOU for reminding me! We do have all that stuff now. Business cards, brochures, etc. We didn't have them at the beginning when you bought your bags and signed up to sponsor. I need to mail you a package with the new materials in it.
It all seams to be coming together quite well. May this continue.
I know you have millions of things to do, but I kept meaning to ask for something for the Charis Project: Could you create a business card that those of us who talk about Charis, or have a bag, could hand out to people? I get comments on my bag about once a month and tell people about it, but of course they'll probably forget by the time they are at a computer. I'd love to have little business cards I could hand out with the URL and a brief description.
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