Welcome Jermsak, Da and Care

Hello~

Last night our dear friends; Jermsak, Da and their daughter Care arrived for a stay here in Colorado. Jermsak and Da will be here for two weeks and will then travel to Wisconsin to visit with some past travelers. They will stay there for about 4 days and will then head back home to Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Care, Da and Jermsak getting off the plane at DIA

The welcoming committee

Everyone with Jermsak, Da and Care after arrival

Their daughter Care will be living with a host family in Niwot and will be attending Niwot High School as a foreign exchange student during the 2017-2018 school year. She will be studying many different but similar subjects while she is here with a large focus on improving her English speaking, reading and writing skills. The group who coordinated this project were able to pay for the airfare for all of them through generous donations from most of the many people who have traveled to Thailand in the past.

Jermsak, Da and Care with Chris and Isabelle Clements.
The Clements are the host family for Care

While Jermsak and Da are here, they will be staying with a number of different families and will be involved in a number of different activities. They are going to go to Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Chautauqua Park and many more places.

One of the most important activities will be the 2nd Annual Peace Meal Dinner supporting Charities Within Reach and Promise Home. What is a Peace Meal dinner? A Peace Meal dinner is where a group of people come together to share a potluck dinner in support of a worthy non-profit organization in a home environment. At the dinner, you learn about the organization's goals and projects and provide a donation. A suggested donation is one that is comparable with the cost of an evening out for dinner and wine. All of the donations are tax deductible and go directly towards the monthly maintenance of Promise Home.

Promise Home

Promise Home was the idea of Jermsak and Da and they were instrumental in getting it up and running until I arrived in September of 2013. Once I was there, Jermsak and his family were always there to assist me in any way. Their assistance came in the form of shopping for household items I needed, taking me food shopping, familiarizing me to the city and culture of Chiang Rai, lending me a vehicle to drive and simply being there to talk and confide with. They made my time in Chiang Rai much easier and I would not have managed without them

The Peace Meal Dinner will be this Saturday evening, July 22, 2017 at 6:00 pm. The address is 7191 Snow Peak Circle, Niwot, CO. 80503. It is a potluck dinner and I can tell you that we will have several Thai dishes to choose from. Around 7:15 there will be a short program where Jermsak and Care will speak. After they are done, we will show a short (less than 5 minute) video which was created by Promise Home's house father, Big. In addition to the program and dinner we will celebrate Jermsak's birthday which is the same day.

We invite you to join us for the evening to meet Jermsak, Da and Care and learn more about Charities Within Reach and Promise. Please remember to bring a dish to share with others.

Thank you for always following along.

Till next time......

God Bless,
Heather

Welcome Wiwat and Wareerat- New School Year Has Begun

All of the children returned back to Promise Home at the end of their summer vacation the first part of May to gear up and get ready for the new school year. Their school year started last week on May 16th and they are all getting adjusted to the new routine.

Promise Home family- Left to right: Wandi, Teerledat, Ahmorntep, Tin, Wiwat, Yim and Fon
Wareerat, Palita, (back row0 Nom, Nittaya and Big

Here is an update on all the children:

• Palita- she is the oldest and will have a birthday in July. She is currently in the 11th grade and is studying Computers and Art. 
• Nittaya- she just had a birthday the first part of this month. She is also in the 11th grade and is studying English and Science.
• Nom- she is now in the 8th grade and is studying English and Science.
• Tin- he will also have a birthday in July and is in the 6th grade. 
• Teerladet- his birthday is in September and he is also in the 6th grade with Tin
• Wandi- another July birthday for the home. She is in the 3rd grade
• Ahmorntep- his birthday is in September and his is in the 3rd grade with Wandi
• Wiwat- he is in the 3rd grade. I don't have his birthday at the moment
• Wareerat- she is also in the 3rd grade and like Wiwat, I don't have her birthday yet. 
• Last but not least, Yim. She is the baby of the family, her birthday is in September and she is in pre-school 2

When the children returned, they were joined by two new children that we brought to Promise Home to help. Both children came to Promise Home after being cared for by a friend in the Lisu Hill Tribe that we visit and help on a regular basis. The new children are Wareerat who is 10 years old and Wiwat who is 9. Both children were left at the hill tribe by elderly family who could no longer properly care for them after their parents separated and moved away from their original villages. This is quite common in the hill tribes of Northern Thailand and that is why our project is so vitally important. Both children came to Promise Home with very little and thanks to some generous initial donations, we have been able to get them beds, bedding and wardrobes. They are still in great need of some additional clothing because they have very little. If you find it in your heart, perhaps you could donate a small amount, earmarked for them so they can get more clothes.

Wiwat (pronounced Wi-wat) and Wareerat (pronounced Wa-ree-rat) have settled in nicely and have been welcomed into the fold by the other children. Wiwat is a smaller boy who has an engaging and sweet smile. Wareerat is very shy and timid but will come out with time. Wandi, who is the closest to her in age was the same way when she first came and Wandi is becoming more and more outgoing every day. Both are a little but should grow nicely with the love and caring of Big and Fon and all of their brothers and sisters.

Wareewat

Wiwat

In June, a family that several members of Charities Within Reach know will be visiting Chiang Rai and Promise Home. It is their first time there and I believe they will have a wonderful time. It will so nice to have friends visit the home. 

The children celebrating Nittaya's birthday

Thank you for always following along. 

Till next time..... 

God bless, 

Heather

Thank you from Promise Home

As 2016 comes to a close, our family at Promise Home would like to thank each and every one of you for your constant support over the years. Please enjoy this small message from them.

Happiest of Holidays to all and may you have a prosperous and blessed new year.

Heather

2016- In Review

Wow! I can't believe that 2016 is coming to a close and the year is almost over. Charities Within Reach and Promise Home have had a wonderful year thanks to our many generous friends and donors. The children are doing so well and are thriving in their schools and their home.  We could not be any happier.

2016 began with a visit from several members of Charities Within Reach where they encountered some of the coldest weather the Chiang Rai area has ever had. It was even colder than my first December in the area and that was certainly very, very cold. Imagine if you will concrete houses with no insulation, tile floors and no heat. That is what you will find in Chiang Rai. Most hill- tribe people don't even have the luxury of the concrete building. They have wood or thatched houses so they are really in peril with the cold weather. The group arrived and found that some of kids did not have a warm enough jacket so they all went shopping for coats, hats and mittens. Our group ended up buying "fuzzy" pjs and they adopted the Thai way and wore them during the day. It was very cold for the first few days of the trip. Fortunately for them, it warmed up and the trip ended on a good note.

February of 2016 was the 9th grade continuation of our two oldest girls Palita and Nittaya. I had the honor and joy of being able to make a surprise visit to be there for this very important day in their lives. To think that three short years ago these two girls were unsure if they would continue on to high school after finishing primary school and now they are talking about attending university after high school. All of us at Charities Within Reach are so proud of them.

In June, Charities Within Reach held their first ever Peace Meal dinner to raise funds for the home. This is a lovely evening with friends where everyone comes with a dish to share and they enjoy the company of others and learn more about our projects. We asked for a donation of what it would cost the individual or couple to go out for a nice dinner and drinks. It was such a wonderfully successful event and we were able to raise enough money to operate Promise Home and our other projects for over six months. We will have another one next summer so look for information on that.

In late June, another group which included several young ladies made another trip to Chiang Rai. The girls spent their time with the kids playing games, football (soccer) and other activities with the children at Promise Home. It was so wonderful to see the girls form an immediate bond with the our kids at Promise Home.

I visited the home again in October for a check in visit. I simply enjoyed a restful time with the children catching up on their lives and activities. They were just completing their first semester at school and were getting ready for their school holidays. August is Mother's Day in Thailand and the family honored me while I was there with a Mother's Day celebration.

Charities Within Reach just completed their second fundraiser for the year, our annual Thailand sale. Each time a group or individual travels to Thailand we purchase items from the local women and sellers at the markets and bring those items back here to sell. We are so proud that we can help the local village women and others in Thailand while being able to bring fun things back for people to buy. We hold it in December as people come to buy their Christmas gifts for friends and family. It is a fun event and we were able to raise enough to operate Promise Home for the remaining six months of the year.

Our children are thriving because of the love they receive from the house parents and those who give generously so we can provide them a stable home and environment. We look forward to many more great things in 2017. I hope you enjoy this update on Promise Home and the children.

Palita- She is in the 9th grade, loves to draw and sleep. Wants to study for an undergraduate degree. Not sure what in though

Nittaya- Also in the 9th grade. She loves to sing and paint. Wants to go on to University and become a lawyer

Nom- She is in the 6th grade, loves to play basketball and wants to be an airline attendant 

Tin- He is in the 5th grade. He loves to play football, riding his bicycle and playing. He wants to be a professional football (soccer) player when he grows up 

Big and Fon- the house parents of Promise Home 

Yim- She is in pre-kindergarten. She is happy to go to school and play Barbie 

Teerladet- He is in the 5th grade as well. He loves playing football (soccer) with Tin and wants to be a professional football player when he grows up. 

Wandee- She is in the second grade and likes to ride bicycles and playing Barbie with Yim. She would like to be a policewoman when she grows up

Ahmorntep. He is in second grade and loves to ride his bicycle and play football (soccer). He wants to be a professional football player and a policeman when he grows up

We all wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza and Holiday Season. Have a wonderful New Year and thanks for always following along and giving so generously.

Till next time...

God Bless,
Heather

Simple Joy

In today's world of hateful politics, racial tensions, angry words, and so little care and concern for others I find I need a time and place to go to restore my belief that there is still joy to be found in this world.

I find that joy every time I come to Thailand to spend time with the children and family at Promise Home. Although we cannot talk to each other for long, we know and are blessed with the language of love. Their unconditional love for me is everywhere and I hope they feel my love for them.

One of my favorite things is to treat the children and family to things they rarely if ever get to experience in every day life. Things such as ice cream, movies and going out to dinner is considered a luxury for them so they don't ever go out. Each time I come we go to somewhere special. Most times I leave the choice to them and tonight was no different.

Our special treat this evening was KFC. Not many would consider KFC as a place for a special treat but the children loved it. What a joy it was to see them eat as much chicken, french fries and drink as much Pepsi as they wanted.

Their joy in this simple meal and the simplicity of their lives, without complaint refreshes and inspires my soul. It is my wish that everyone could experience this love and joy and I hope that I have been able to share just a small bit of it with you.

Till next time...

God Bless,
Heather

Arrived at Promise Home

Hello~

Made it safely to Chiang Rai on Saturday, September 17th and was greeted by my lovely family at the airport. I received hugs and kisses along with two beautiful flower arrangements. I am truly blessed.

After checking in at my hotel, I went to Promise Home for one of my favorite meals, a Korean BBQ. We enjoyed chicken, pork, vegetables, noodles, crab, hot dogs and broth. This is the time to eat until you are completely stuffed. The children make sure that mom does not go hungry....

After dinner we celebrated the most recent and upcoming birthdays of some of the children. Sandi's birthday was in July, Yim's was the first part of this month, Ahmorntep's was on the 19th of this month and Teerladet's is in October. It is always good to have cake.

The children have a collection of beetles that they keep for about two months. This beetle is the mascot of the Chiang Rai futbol team, Chiang Rai United and they will fight each other. They live on pieces of bamboo and that is also what they eat. Big and the children give them new stalks of bamboo once they have chewed through the old ones.

The children are still in school and it is exam time. The oldest girls, Palita and Nittaya will be out of school for about a month beginning tomorrow and the others will follow shortly. This is the time for their winter break. All of the children go to different schools so they are all on different schedules. It is a lot to keep track of.

I keep myself busy during the day and will be heading to Mae Salong in the morning. There I will meet with the Lisa hill tribe teacher to talk about a couple of children they would like us to eventually take in.

Enjoy the photos of Saturday night.

Until next time....

God Bless,

Heather

Hello

Wow! I just looked at the blog and realized that the last time I posted something on here was February. Man, how time flies.

I am sitting in my hotel room in Bangkok writing this just passing the time until I leave to head up to Chiang Rai. I will be here for two weeks visiting friends, checking on the children and the home and just enjoying time with everyone. Be sure to watch for updates and pictures.

Charities Within Reach is working on a project to bring the oldest daughter of our dear friends Jermsak and Da to the United States for a year of school. Her name is Care and she will be staying with a host home in Niwot and attending Niwot High School. Our goal is to raise funds to get her here along with her parents and have some "extra" for her to spend while she is here. This is an exciting time and we hope that this is just the beginning of bringing our children over to spend time in the United States. Care's goal is to learn more about education in the US and to improve her English. She is quite the accomplished young lady already in terms of language skills; she speaks Thai, English and Chinese. Impressive, right?

I am really looking forward to spending time with the children and am excited to share my visit with everyone. I look at them today and am amazed at how they have grown since I first met them three years ago this month and marvel at how they have changed. They are no longer small and frail looking. They looked well cared for, happy, content and most importantly of all, loved. It is truly gratifying to see these changes and to know that we helped make this happen. Thank you for always following along on this journey and giving your love and support in many different ways. You have made a tremendous difference in their lives.

Till next time....

God Bless,

Heather