Promise Home

Hello~

I just finished spending a wonderful week in Chiang Rai visiting with friends at Bethany Children and Faith Home, the Asian Mission Outreach Foundation and of course, our family at Promise Home.
What a wonderful time it was.

My niece Alicia and I spent all day Saturday and Sunday with the kids at Promise Home, playing games, coloring, purchasing new bicycles for Wandi and Teerladet (they didn't have one) and simply enjoying their company. Wandi and Teerladet were a little shy at first, but they didn't take long to warm up to us. During the week while the children were at school, Alicia and I would visit different tourist locations and then spend most of the evenings with the children. It was like I had never been away. We fell right back into the old regular routine. It was very enjoyable.

The children are doing very well and every time I see them, I notice how much more confident they are and just how well they are doing with life and school. Big reports that they are all doing very well with their classes and I am so pleased. He still has their schedule of different studies after school in the evening. They are obviously thriving with this guidance. It is heartwarming to see just how well they are doing and how their situation in life has changed for the better. We all realize that Charities Within Reach would have been able to make such an impact without the financial assistance that many of you have provided. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Thank you seems insufficient for the tremendous impact your generosity has allowed us to make. My hope is that one day, many of you will have the opportunity to travel to Chiang Rai and meet these children yourselves. In the meantime, please just enjoy some of the many pictures we took while we visited them.

Yim and Tin

Alicia helping Amornthep and Wandi with homework

Nom

Teerladet and Palita 

Palita 

Tin and Teerladet 

Nittaya and Nom 

Wandi

Yim and her father, Big

Long overdue update

Hello~

I just realized today that is has been several months since I did a blog up date- Wow, how time flies when you are busy with life and all.....

In my last update, I mentioned that two new children had come to Promise Home. They have settled in nicely and have become members of the family. All of the children started back to school the first week of May and have also settled into their weekly routine. It is too soon for meetings with the teachers so we do not have any official word on how well they are doing, but Big says they are doing well. They are finishing their homework and doing what the teacher wants them to so. When we talk, they all tell me they like school and that they are doing good.

I try to talk with them on Skype once a week and while we don't have long conversations, I do get to see them and see how well they are doing. They all look happy, healthy and content. Although Wandi and Teerladet are a bit shy, they will come say hello and Wandi stands in front of the camera just looking at me. I think she is a bit curious about the technology that allows them to talk to me.

Recently Big put together a video about Promise Home. It is a wonderful video and I wish to share it with you now. I am particularly pleased that the two older girls want to finish high school and then go onto college. We will start looking at a college scholarship fund for them in the near future. Having them go off to university or a trade school is a major goal of Charities Within Reach so we want to help them reach this dream. Please enjoy the video.

Earlier today in Thailand, several members of Asian Mission Outreach Foundation (Charities Within Reach is a member of the foundation) brought together children from a Lisu Hill Tribe and Promise Home for games, singing, dancing, prayer, lessons and then food. They made a wonderful video which is also included in this blog. I hope you enjoy that one as well.

I will be traveling to Chiang Rai next month to visit with the children and the home. I am taking another one of my nieces so she can officially meet the rest of her family in Thailand. I will share our activities through the blog.

Finally, next month on July 24th- Charities Within Reach will be having a benefit concert to raise funds for the operation of the home. Acoustic guitarist, Dave Beegle and Aaron Lee will be performing and there will be drinks and food. The information is below. If you can, please make time to join us for this concert.

When: Friday, July 24th, at 7:00 p.m.

Where: Thompson River Ranch Park. Located east of I-25 between exit

255 for Highway 402 and exit 257 for Highway 34 in Loveland. Take

the frontage road to the north entrance of Thompson River Ranch

subdivision. Follow the signs for the park.

Who: Well known guitar artist, Dave Beegle, with guitarist Aaron Lee, a

member of Dave’s acoustic band.

Please RSVP to joan.lee46@me.com or (970) 231-6175 by July 20, 2015

Till next time....

God Bless,
Heather

New children to Promise Home

Good morning~

It is bright and early here in Chiang Rai; a time where it is very peaceful and quite beautiful. Each day of our visit has brought new and exciting things to our lives and yesterday was no exception.

We spent most of the day with the parents of Promise Home as the children were all in school. We talked with them about how they thought things were going, to see what they needed and if they were happy. We also talked in length about the future of Promise Home and the direction it was headed. These plans include the addition of more children to the home and finding a place that is closer to our friends and family at Bethany and Faith Homes and which costs a little less than our current location. The Thai people are so precious. Both the parents think the house they currently live in is "too" fancy and they don't need anything quite like that. I would not call the current location "too" fancy but it is what you are exposed to and have been used to living with during your life that determines that. So Big will begin looking for a different location so they have a new place by the time the lease is up at the end of April.

We also talked about adding two new children to the home and Big told us he knew a family who were in need of some help. The parents are a younger couple and the father recently had a bad accident at work that left him paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheel chair. This left the mother as the only one who could work to support their three children and the grandparents. Grandma is 99 years old. The wife, Achew has only been able to find day labor work on an inconsistent basis so life has been very difficult for them over the past six months. They talked with Big and Fon and made the difficult decision to let their two oldest children, Teeraday (pronounced Te-la-day) and Wandi come to Promise Home to live and go to school.

Wandi and her father in front, Achew with their youngest and Teeraday standing next to mom

We went to the village yesterday and shared some heartbreaking moments with them, particularly the mother. While she had decided that giving her children a chance for a better life and education by having them go to Promise Home, it was heartbreaking for her to acknowledge she was letting them go. Many tears were shed by the group that had gathered to meet us and spend time with us. I think most of us know the heart wrenching feeling of letting your children go even though you know it is the for the best. When I was hugging Achew before I left, her body shook with tears and she would not let go. We simply stood there in an embrace while she and I both cried. I did not leave until she was ready to let me go. My heart breaks for her and so I know we will do all that we can to help her family and take good care of her children. I am sure they will soon feel like my own just as the others do.

Wandi with momma and her younger brother

I know that the other children will be good to their new siblings. Both Palita and Nittaya are ready to be big sisters again and will help ease the children into the home. This is an exciting, yet scary time as our little project grows. We are now helping more children which is a goal but we also must ensure we have the funds to continue to project over the years. But, I will not worry too much about the future. I will live in the present and take it day by day. I have faith and trust that the Lord will provide.

Till next time.....

God Bless,
Heather

Charities Within Reach Visit

Four members of the Charities Within Reach group arrived in Chiang Rai mid-morning on January 17th. We were greeted by our friends Jermsak and his family, the family and children at Promise Home and our friend Ann. What a wonderful and exciting sight it was to have them all waiting for us to get there. There were squeals of delight, flowers and hugs all around. I received so many hugs and lots and lots of love from everyone. I am sure all members of the traveling group got the same warm and wonderful welcome.

After we arrived we went to our hotel and got settled. We stayed there just long enough to briefly rest and then we were off for a terrific evening of fun, friendship and food with all of the children from Promise, Bethany and Faith Homes. We had a Korean bar-b-que with tons of fun. It was a wonderful evening.

Judy with Promise Home- 

Tin, Palita and Nittaya 

Tim, Fon, Yim and Nom

Ahmorntep

Pastro Prathuan of Bethany, Ann, Joan and Kenyt

Supannee of Bethany, Judy and Jermsak

Mom and her boys

Mom and Palita 

We joined all of them once again for church followed by lunch on Sunday. The kids from Promise Home had a dance prepared for us. We sat there transfixed on the children and their dance. Was very touching to see them all up there in front of many people doing the dance. Also a very proud moment for us all.

After lunch we headed off to Mae Salong and the Lisu Hill Tribe Kindergarten that we support as well. We were greeted by huge smiles, waves and the sound of joyous voices of the children we have seen for many years now. They all did several dances for us and then invited us to join them in a dance. What fun. After the dances we went inside and spent some time coloring and just being with the children. It was during this time that the moms finishing setting up all their crafts for us to buy and once we were done coloring, we went out to buy things from the ladies outside. We enjoy being part of this small economic project where we can help the families by providing income for them and then help support the kids so they can go to school.

Lisu girls dancing 

Doing a traditional Lisu dance 

Kent, Judy and Joan dancing

Traditional Lisu dress

The kindergarten kids and their teacher.

The teacher and other ladies made dinner for us and it was wonderful. We sat and enjoyed the food while learning that there are now 35 children from the village who go to elementary school in town. This is amazing!!! The teacher listed the names and pictures of all the children who are in the elementary school and showed it to us with great pride. The village is lucky to have someone who cares for their children as much as the teacher does and who works so hard to see them succeed.

It was a wonderful first day of being back in Chiang Rai with the kids. I had seen them on Skype but I didn't really get a good sense of just how well they were doing until I arrived once again. They all look so wonderful and are happy. The older girls are excelling in school, while Tin and Ahmorntep are boys in elementary school and want to play more than pay attention at the moment. Big and Fon are patiently working through that issue. When we get back to Chiang Rai tomorrow, we will meet with Big and Fon and get more in depth details of life since I have been gone. It is heartwarming to see that they are all doing so well and have the others in the group comment on just how wonderful the children look and are doing. We are all overjoyed.

Till next time.....

God Bless,
heather

Holiday Greetings

Dear Friends~

It is difficult to believe that 2014 is almost over and we are getting ready to begin another year. What a year 2014 has been for us at Promise Home and Charities Within Reach (CWR)

After the record cold of December, 2013 the weather turned wonderfully beautiful for the month of January to bring in the new year. Pleasant days and cool nights, perfect weather. The children continued their studies in school and chores around the house. It was during this time, CWR came to the decision that having house parents for the children and the home was the best way to move forward with our project. So with the help and recommendations from friends, we found the perfect couple/family. CWR also decided it was time to find a better house for the home; one where the kids could run and play without having to worry about the non-stop traffic that was at the old house. 

The new house for Promise Home 

School ended for the children the first part of March and they went to their villages to spend some time with their families. I am glad they go home to be with their families for a while. It is important that they stay connected to them. All of the children returned to Promise Home in April. 

April was also Songkran festival, which is a three day traditional celebration of the New Year in Thailand. It is marked by throwing water at people to wash away the bad. It is a fun time where truck loads of people drive through the towns with barrels of water and throw it on passing cars and pedestrians. We celebrated one day outside the house tossing water on every passing vehicle and scooter. What a great day that was. March and April is when the weather starts to turn very warm, so the cool/cold water was very refreshing. 

In mid April a group of 11 women traveled to Chiang Rai to visit and help with the move to the new home. They were able to meet Big and Fon, the house parents and they gave their unconditional approval for the couple. So, one very hot day, we packed the house and moved to the new location. I had asked for some help from our friends, wanting one more truck and few able bodies and they delivered. We got two more trucks and a car and many, many able bodies. We loaded everything up and made one trip to the new home. Once we got there, our friend Supannee took over and directed where furniture should be put and had her girls help with the cleaning. The help came from our partners at Bethany Children's Home and we are so grateful for them. They have been and continue to be a wonderful partner for CWR and Promise Home. 

In May, the children went back to school and it was an exciting time. Shortly after moving to the new home, we purchased a truck with a cover with a generous donation from a board member. Having the truck and cover is a necessity for them. Big could take the kids to school and on excursions without having to worry about them getting wet during the rainy season. The family at Promise Home worked hard to get the yard cleaned up and plant a garden with vegetables. Big and Fon would take the kids fishing and to the park for play. We celebrated Nittaya's 13th birthday with a barbecue and cake. 

In June, two of my nieces came to visit and they spent much time with the kids, playing games and helping with lessons. Big had a schedule of lessons that we followed every night of the week.  English four days a week and then math one night. Lessons were every evening after dinner. We would join them every night for dinner and then we would go play for thirty minutes and had lessons. 

While my nieces were there, two college aged girls came to spend two months volunteering. The two girls immediately joined in with helping with the lessons, playing with the kids, chores around the house and learning to cook Thai food. It was during this time that we took the kids to get new bicycles. We were able to get these bicycles because of the generous donations of our supporters. What a great day that was. Mom bought Nom a new bicycle as well. The pure joy on their faces was amazing. We had so much fun riding the bicycles around the neighborhood. We all took turns riding with the kids, even Mom. We had great fun. When we went on excursions, Big would load up the bikes in the back of the truck and off we would go. 

We also purchased new curtains for the lower level of the home and the children's rooms thanks to a generous donation from another board member and a dear friend and supporter of our project. The new curtains made the house look brighter and helped keep it cooler. We still need to get new curtains for Big and Fon's room and I hope that we can do that soon. The hot season in Thailand is certainly hot- we spent many days sweating in the months of June and July but that did not stop us from having fun. In July we celebrated Palita and Tins' birthdays with different dinners of their choice and cake- always have to have cake. Birthdays are important and Big and Fon made sure they are celebrated in style. 

In August, I came back to the United States knowing that the children and Promise Home were in good hands. I came back to help with fundraising and work on raising awareness of CWR's work. I Skype with the children and family every Friday night- Although we don't talk very long, we get to see each other so they know that Mom still cares. I miss them all very much. Big reports to me that all of the children are doing very well in school and their grades are improving. The children look happy and healthy every time I see them. They are so excited to see me and I them. Two weeks ago, they got to see several of the women who traveled there in April and they were so happy. 

The family celebrated Ahmorntep's birthday in September. Our good friend Ann joined them for a night on the town with hamburgers- Ahmorntep's choice. 

A group of four board members will be traveling to Chiang Rai in January for a visit. I cannot wait to see the children again and be able to spend some time with them. Although it will be a short visit, we will make the best of it. During this trip we will meet with a member of the Asian Mission Outreach Foundation. CWR will be joining the AMO Foundation so we can add more children to our home. Thai government regulations require homes that have seven or more children be a foundation and since our goal for 2015 is to add four more children to our home, joining this foundation is an important first step. We would like to find two more girls and two more boys that we can help provide a loving home environment and education for.

My dream is to be able to raise enough funds to purchase land and then build our own compound for Promise Home. Being a member of the foundation will allow us as foreigners to buy the land. It will be purchased in the name of the foundation. I envision a dorm building for the girls and one for the boys, a central area where there is the kitchen and dining/activity room and guest/volunteer houses. I would like it to be on a piece of land that is big enough for a large garden and with lots of space for the children to play. A larger facility would allow us to help so many more hill tribe children in need. Big dreams but as they say, "Go Big or Go Home." 

It has been a wonderful year for us at CWR and Promise Home. We have been able to accomplish so much thanks to the hard work of our volunteer board members and their families along with the generous donations from you, our friends and supporters. We would have not been able to continue our work without your donations, support, and love. Thank you from all of us. 

At this time of year when we celebrate family and the holidays, everyone of us at CWR and Promise Home wish you the best for the holidays and the new year. May your time be filled with joy, love and peace. 

With presents from Mom 

Till next time.....

Happy Holidays,

Heather