Voices of Charis

Can you survive on just $2 for 1 day?

2011-12-03T00:12:00.001-08:00

Spend some time around us at "The Charis Project headquarters", a grand name for what is really a few rooms at the back of our house containing a white board, a few computers, and a pile of other stuff with varying degrees of actual usefulness, and you will eventually hear a conversation about poverty statistics. What does it really mean that many in the world live on less than a dollar a day?

We didn't get to where we are with out thinking things through you see. So we ponder. Does that statistic adjust for buying power? Does it include the food they grow themselves. If a subsistence farmer lives on less than a dollar a day but grows everything he needs to eat then is the comparison useful or not?

I'm not going to answer those questions, by the way, they can be saved for later. What I want to know is do you think you could live on less than $2/day?

When Levi Benkert of Bringlove.in and the $2 day challenge first first told me about it I did a bit of mental math. The first thing I thought was, "We pay $50/day just for our house. How would we do it without sleeping outside somewhere?" (Which, by the way, would be an awesome challenge, but not as easily accessible for a lot of people.)

But then he told me that the challenge was much more simple. Could you eat, for a whole day, on just $2?

Could you eat, for one day, on double what many people around the world live on every day?

What would that look like?

Sometimes it takes something a little extreme to really wake us up, and give us the empathy we need to make a difference somewhere.

Maybe it takes being hungry for a day.

How much could you accomplish if you were hungry all. the. time? How would your kids do in school when their bellies growled louder than the teachers words? What if more than 75% of what you make in a month just went to feeding your family?

Would you ever find a way out?

We're all about empowering communities and creating innovative solutions to entrenched difficulties here at The Charis Project. We can, because as busy as we are, we still have the education, and necessary nutrition, and leisure time to be able to think things up.

On December 8th we're going to take the challenge and eat for only $2, all day, because the first step to solving a problem is understanding a problem, and the first step to loving our neighbor is to be willing to know what it's like to be our neighbor in the first place.

And maybe, when we're feeling a bit peckish and dreaming of cheeseburgers we'll come a little closer to becoming the change we want to see in the world. At the very least, we'l be less complacent than we were the day before.

Join us! Take the challenge too.

The Charis Solution Benefit Concert

2011-11-19T16:23:00.001-08:00

Live from San Marcos California it's the Charis Solution Benefit Concert

Featuring: Birds of Prey

with Kallee Blue and Alexa Reyes

and comedians
Beau McFarland
Peter Marr
Carlton Parks

Urgent call for Help

2011-11-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when I told you about this big grant the we could be eligible for if only we could get enough votes to get to the second round?

We were doing really great for a while, holding steady at around 36 of the top 50. We're down to 58th place and we have to get into the top 50 by November 8th in order to be reviewed for one of the grants they are awarding. One is $50,000!

The difference between 58th place and 50th is only 115 votes.

I bet everyone will be scrambling this week to get as many votes as they can so please take a second, it's literally a second and go and vote for us. Book mark it and then whenever you are in a different place with your smart phone or laptop go and vote again, it will let you. I just tried it at the orthodontist's office.

Then if you could share a couple of times on facebook, twitter, and get us as many votes as we can get before next Tuesday. You guys already know how much this would help us out, but here's a reminder.We're developing a model for self sustaining orphan care that not only gives the children a safe place to live and grow up but address the economic and social problems in the community that caused them to need to be placed at an orphanage in the first place. The more funding we have the sooner we can develop all the different phases of our model to get the whole thing up and running and replicable everywhere there is need.

the story of moonscapes

2011-10-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, when we were first starting The Charis Project Melissa, the daughter of one of our board members, came to us and said, "I'd really like to help you guys out. I don't have a lot of money but here are a few things I could do."

She was in her last semester of design school and she took us on a her final project for her class on creating a branding package. She designed our logo for us and then expanded it into everything else, letter head, business cards, newsletter layout, and even web graphics. She's the reason we look so good.

She says that having the work she did for us in her portfolio helped her to land her first job out of school. They liked that she had already done something real.

To this day, whenever we have something we want to try I can shoot her an email and she get's back to me right away with something awesome.

At that time she said she was thinking of opening an etsy shop to sell stuff that she made and then donating half the proceeds. But for some reason for a long, long time we didn't realize she had actually done it. I'm not sure where I thought she was getting the money she kept donating every month, but I didn't realize that she had in fact started a very cool shop called moonscape handmade and was donating 50% of the proceeds to The Charis Project for the past few years until a couple of months ago. Yeah, I'm quick like that.

Anyway, you should check out moonfruit because her stuff is beautiful and you can get pretty, pretty things and help out orphans at the same time. Total win, win.

We're really fortunate to have someone like her on board.

The Orphanage is Funded!

2011-09-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago I just thought we had set our expectations too high.

The economy is too bad. People have many other choices for where they'll give. You guys are all tired of hearing about the orphanage and the need and you have moved onto other things. The $5000+ we have already raised is a lot. Let's just be thankful for what we have and try something else.

This is what we were telling each other.

I don't know why I always forget that this isn't really my project after all. I always get into the trap of believing that I'm the one doing this, and that it's all limited by my power.

If that were the case most of what has happened the past 3 years wouldn't have happened at all.

Anyway, all this to say that donations just kept coming in, though we were busy doing other things that needed attention.

Today I totaled it all, everything that has come in the past week, plus everything from before.

You ready?

You might want to sit down for this.

$10,856.50

Seriously.

What felt impossible a few weeks ago has happened and it's thanks to all of you. You did it. You told our story. You gave what you could. You just built an orphanage you guys!

This is the land we will build it on.

(Ok, we still have to, like, actually build it, but in terms of funding it's done. I feel really silly for doubting now.)

My favorite part this week was an email that one of you sent me that had this phrase "I am beginning to feel "involved"... wanting the best for these precious souls."

That is what we keep trying to tell you. Because you are involved. You are the reason this is working. We could never do this by ourselves. But together... now that's powerful.

I'm overwhelmed and I don't know truly how to convey the relief, the gratitude, the feeling of being swept along in a tide of something that started so small and is now grown beyond anything we could imagine at the time and is bigger now than any of us.

Though it feels very inadequate the only words I have are thank-you. Thank you so very much.

You are saving lives.

Carrien

ps. You could still enter to win the iPod or other prizes until midnight tonight if you want to. :)

We're going to Build an Orphanage People!

2011-09-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this post by Journey Mama yet? The very shape of those in need. She and her family took the time while in Thailand to visit the Doi Muser Charis Home. They traveled far and pressed on through illness to visit the kids. It's a wonderful post, please read it.

Our current total is $9256.50!

It's amazing!

One donor, who wishes to remain anonymous gave $3000 last night. We're overwhelmed.

Thank-you all of you. I finally added up those $10 and $5 donations that have been quietly trickling in over the past few weeks. It adds up quickly you know. Your little drop in the ocean is making ripples.

We have one more week to reach $10,000 and less than $1000 left to go. We can do this you guys!

In addition to the great prizes listed over in this post we have one more.

The winner of the iPod from the last giveaway asked us to find a way to use it to help instead. Which means, you all get another chance to win it. Everyone who has donated since the 10th, or donates before the 30, will be entered to win an iPod nano.

I know you would all give anyway, because you care. But it is kind of fun to have prizes. It adds some excitement to the whole thing.

To win the other prizes help us raise enough to fund our orphanage, donate, tweet #thecharisproject and do your thing on facebook. Welcome to all you new faces. We're so glad you're here.

To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

Another Giveaway - We're halfway there!

2011-09-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

In 2 weeks we managed to raise over $5000 for our build an orphanage fund. (The new total is $9256.50)

You guys, that's really amazing. I'm still catching up and finding people all over the internet who blogged or tweeted about it and didn't even tell us. Thank-you all so much.

What's even more amazing is that thanks to Grace Hwang Lynch and Rita Arens, two editors at blogher, we are getting even more people paying attention to our orphanage need.

This calls for another giveaway!

Feel free to email us to offer prizes for this.

Our absolute deadline is for the end of September. So we'll end this giveaway midnight September 30.

Here's what I have so far.

1. A Karen bag. Hand woven in the traditional way on a loom of bamboo sticks by women in a Karen village in northern Thailand, these bags are stunning, one of a kind works of art. Selling these bags is one of the ways The Charis Project helps provide the women in the villages with an income and funds our projects in that area.

We will give away one of the bags in our shop, winner's choice.

2. Something cool from Thailand that Aaron will bring back for you. This is nothing to be sneezed at, the winner of this prize can get some pretty cool stuff. Last year's winner requested something interesting and cool to hang on her wall. We delivered.

Also check out this post she wrote about the recent contest.

The winner will get to choose from textiles, home goods or furnishings, or again, something cool with a great story behind it.

3. A gift card set from Drops of Love.

This was started by my friend Shelley. She works a lot with single moms and families in difficult financial situations and she thought, I bet they would like to be able to do something to help too. So she got a bunch of supplies donated and meets with these woman to hand make these gorgeous cards which they sell. The proceeds are donated to 4 different charities, including our own.

4. AnnMarie suggested we have a a little giveaway for kids who want to donate, which is brilliant. Also, how cool that her kids want to give their own money to help. So we talked about it and decided that we will have a prize just for kids who participate. It will be something cool from Thailand, the kids version. Maybe it will be a Burmese style hat made out of banana leaves, or Lahu mini dolls made from scraps of hand woven fabric. There are lots of interesting things to bring back for a prize. If you win, we'll look for something especially for you.

5.

Our son is learning to play a Spanish Folk dance on the piano. Which prompted a youtube search for Spanish dancing, which prompted me to say on twitter that I wanted to watch Strictly Ballroom again for the Spanish dance scenes. The number of people that responded to tell me how much they love this movie was amazing. So we decided that it would be a great giveaway item. Just plain fun to win.

6.

Finally, the iPod nano donated by Blue Fern Cottage is still available to win as the person who won it the first time asked us to find a way to use it to help. So you can still win an iPod everyone. How cool is that? (To enter to win you must make a donation.

To win a prize help us raise enough to fund our orphanage, donate, tweet #thecharisproject and do your thing on facebook. Welcome to all you new faces. We're so glad you're here.

To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

$5236.50

2011-09-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

As of midnight PT on September 10 that was what you all raised for the orphanage and the land!

I just want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank-you to every single one of you.

Thank-you for giving, for telling your friends and family, for taking these children into your hearts and for doing something good that will help them for years to come.

The winners will be announced as soon as we have a second to sort through all the entries and make sure that everyone is included who ought to be. We don't want to miss anyone.

Also later today we'll be posting a new mini giveaway with a few more prizes to try and raise the rest of the funds.

Thank-you everyone, good work.

Don't forget to vote for us at Giving of Life to keep us in the running for a $50,000 grant, plus many more smaller ones.

Good News to the Poor Gemstone Giveaway - Building a Self Sustaining Orphanage

2011-09-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

We come to the last prize of this whole giveaway fundraising event. There are only 2 days left in the giveaway.

Our goal was $10,000, we've so far raised just over $3000. In a way, that's fantastic. That's more than we had, and yet, if you could help us push through, tell this story as many times as you can in the next 2 days we still have a chance of reaching our goal. We just need to reach more people. If 700 people give just $10 each we can make our goal. How many of you have at least that many friends on facebook or followers on Twitter?

The good news is, we have so many great prizes, your odds of winning something are actually incredible right now. Don't let that stop you from telling your friends though since every tweet or share gives you yet another entry.

Today's prize is one of the best, actually, there are 2.

The first might just actually save your life and the lives of people around you. Of all the prizes we've offered this week this on may have the most long term value.Good News to the Poor is the ministry started by Ken Blue, who happens to be Aaron's dad. When we were just starting out they were the parent non-profit for The Charis Project.

We have to offer today as our first prize the a package of teaching materials developed my Ken over his several years of ministry. They include a cd set of his teaching series titled Welcome Home and 2 books, Authority to Heal, and Healing Spiritual Abuse-How to Break Free from Bad Church Experiences. These best selling books have been reprinted dozens of times in at least as many languages. Many people have described them as life changing.

The second prize has also been donated by Good News to the Poor.The winner will receive their choice of 1 of these gemstones or pendant. These gemstones are high quality, fair traded and the cutting of them employees family in Thailand who are being trained in business management by ClearCut Incorporated. For the first time they are learning the whole business of gem cutting, rather than just one single aspect in an assembly line that they repeat over and over again for their entire lives.

You can choose one of the loose stones or pairs, to have set yourself, or the silver pendant with the giant amethyst hanging off of it. They range in value from $50 - $70.

topaz

Citrine

Amethyst

Amethyst Pendant

Topaz

Garnet

Golden Beryl

All donors are eligible to win the gemstone prize. Even if all you can afford is $5-10 that still counts. One hundred people donating $10 works out to way more in the end than 1 in 100 donating $50. (If I had a dollar for all of my page views last month I wouldn't need to hold this fundraiser. hint hint. :)

All donors and everyone spreading the word on twitter through the hashtag #thecharisproject, or sharing on facebook by tagging The Charis Project are eligible to win the books and CD set.

Winners will be chosen at random from all entries after the contest closes shortly before midnight on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

Easy Canvas Prints Giveaway - Building a self sustaining orphanage

2011-09-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of being a blogger is that sometimes people offer you free stuff. I don't have that happen very often but I was so excited when Megan from Easy Canvas Prints offered me a free canvas print to try.Have you heard of these? Take a photo, any photo at all, and turn it into fine art for your wall. Maybe it's a favorite spot you saw on vacation, maybe it's that perfect candid shot of one of your kids. I have wanted to try this since I first found out about it.

I knew exactly what photo I would print to canvas. It's one Aaron took of the Girl on a hill with the setting sun lighting all the bushes and her hair on fire. I planned to hang it over our mantel where we have some ugly media outlets to cover up.But then when I was planning this fundraiser I realized what a great prize this would be for someone and so I asked Megan if I could give it away instead. This was a great personal sacrifice on my part, just so you know.She graciously said yes, and so now I have one 11x14 custom canvas print to offer to you as one of our prizes.Awesome right?Here's how you win.As you know, we need to raise $10,000 to finish building an orphanage by September 30. Why we need to build an orphanage.We need your help.Please help us tell our story to more and more people. Every tweet using the hash tag #thecharisproject with a link to one of these posts, or share of our facebook page, or cause is eligible to win one of these cool prizes. So is every donation. Please don't think that just because you only have a couple of dollars to spare it doesn't matter. If one person in 100 gives $50 that's a whole lot less than the $500 that come from each person giving just $5. So please, give if you can.Winners will be chosen at random from all entries after the contest closes shortly before midnight on Saturday, September 10, 2011.To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

Win an Ipod Nano - 8G - Building a Self Sustaining Orphanage

2011-09-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

You know those kind of family friends who have been friends so long that you don't really remember the start of the friendship but your history is so intertwined that they show up in all your stories?The donors of this prize are just that sort of family friend. We actually stayed with their grandma on our honeymoon, that's how far back it goes.

A few years back they bought a property with the cutest little guest cottage that they rent out as a vacation rental. Blue Fern Cottage has everything you could want, a little home away from home, and easy driving distance to the beach, Legoland, Seaworld, the zoo, wild animal park, etc. You know, all the things people head to San Diego to see. They have had guests stay from all over the world.

When we let it be known that we were looking for prizes to help make this fundraiser fun they at first thought of offering a few nights stay at their cottage. But since that's not something everyone can use they decided to donate an ipod nano instead.

Unless you've been living under a rock the past 5 years you know what an iPod is and why you want one. So compact, so cool. I would totally use this for working out, to listen to books on tape around the house, to bring along our favorite tunes in the car.

If you came here today just looking for a free iPod, cool. Let me tell you the story of why this is happening today and what we're fundraising for.

A few years ago we started The Charis Project, a non-profit that supports an orphanage in Thailand. The regular readers here at this blog are amazing. They rallied and provided the funds we need to get 40 refugee orphan kids enough food to eat and school uniforms and a safe place to live. They were practically starving when we first met them and the person who was trying to care for them had no resources.

We got them past the crisis and then we settled down to look at the long term. How were we going to take care of all these kids until they grew up? What happened when they were adults? What about all the other kids who needed help in that area? What could we do about the social and economic factors that lead to these children being orphaned or abandoned?

The traditional way this is done had us staring down a long road of never ending dependance on donations, perpetuating the culture of dependance that foreign aid so often inadvertently fosters, spending lots of money to do one good thing, help these kids in particular, but doing very little to change anything in the larger scheme of things.

So we tried to figure out a better approach and the idea of a self-sustaining orphanage was born. For the whole plan download our executive summary here.

Purchasing land to live on and farm is an important step toward financial independence for this orphanage. It's also a step forward in aiding the entire community as well as we get closer to implementing socially conscious businesses that will provide jobs, and essential resources such as clean water, clean energy, microfinance, and education to an impoverished tribal village.

That's where you come in. We really don't plan to be doing this forever but right now we're asking for your help to buy this land. If we don't finish paying it off this year we forfeit on our agreement and lose all the money invested last year as well as a place for the children to live.

The land as it currently stands.

We still have to raise $8225 to reach our goal.

To be eligible to win this iPod you need to make a donation.Yeah, I know, you give in lots of places, you don't have a lot of money, there's a recession on, and it seems draconian to insist that you donate to win. Me too.

Think about it this way. If one hundred people see this and one of them can afford to donate $50 that's awesome, that's more than we had before. But if each of those 100 people all donated just 5 dollars, we would have $500. Which do you think is better in the long run?

The point, after all, is to help these kids that no one wants and who have no one. They will continue to have no one unless each one of you reading this steps up and chooses to do one small thing that will have a ripple effect for years and generations to come.

And if the thought of your $5 today, or whatever you can afford, being part of changing the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of kids weren't enough of an incentive, you are also eligible for all of the other great prizes we are giving away too.

After donating, you get a second chance to win if you support our friends at Blue Fern Cottage who donated this prize and leave a comment on their facebook page saying, "I donated to The Charis Project". You get a 3rd chance to win if, after donating, you go ahead and tweet this contest using the hashtag #thecharisproject.

Winners will be chosen at random from all entries after the contest closes shortly before midnight on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

(If you already donated, thank-you so much. You are already eligible.)

To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

Birthing Path's Childbirth Class Giveaway - Building a self sustaining orphanage

2011-09-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Teresa's baby. Everyone say awww!

(Full disclosure, I have been friends with this woman for most of my life. She's doing this giveaway because she is a very good and generous friend. I hope you all have a friend like this in your life. She feeds my soul in the very best ways.)Ok, parenthetical gushing aside. You are all going to wish you lived in Canada for this one.

Teresa is a certified Bradley Method Instructor. Her 2 children were birthed at home with midwives in attendance. She is strong and gentle and wise and you would be very, very lucky to be in her class if you were having a baby for the first time.

In her own words.

Preparation is the key to a safe and treasured birth. I offer small, personal, interactive childbirth classes that are about educating parents, supporting moms and helping dads as they journey on this path of birthing a child. The 12 weekly classes focus on nutrition, relaxation, exercise and education, ensuring ample time to ask questions and put into practice all that is learned. Birth is so much more than a physical act, it demands all of a mom's emotional and mental resources. Whom she chooses to support her in this will be drawn into the journey of exploring life in a new way. I am glad to be a small part of helping you have the best experience you can.I teach in Calgary and Red Deer, Alberta.

Teresa has donated tuition to one of her classes. The value of this gift is $375.The bummer is that you have to live in either Red Deer or Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

But I know a lot of you do live there, or know someone who does. This prize is transferable. So you can win it for someone else you know. Do you know anyone in Calgary or Red Deer who is expecting right now? Enter to win and give it to her.

How do you enter?

As you know, we need to raise $10,000 to finish building an orphanage by September 30. Why we need to build an orphanage.

We need your help.

Please help us tell our story to more and more people. Every tweet using the hash tag #thecharisproject with a link to one of these posts, or share of our facebook page, or cause is eligible to win one of these cool prizes. So is every donation.

Winners will be chosen at random from all entries after the contest closes shortly before midnight on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

Because the prize is regional, we're going to run this giveaway a little differently. You need to either leave a comment on her facebook page saying "I tweeted about/donated to/shared on facebook The Charis Project." Obviously you should do one of those things first. She will choose a winner from that group. It must be a comment, not a like.

You are still eligible to win all the other prizes as well as this one.To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

Secret Agent Josephine's ABC's - Building a Self Sustaining Orphanage

2011-09-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

If you've been around blogging for a while you've probably run into Secret Agent Josephine, the blog authored by Brenda Ponnay. Your kids have probably looked over your shoulder at all the pictures of happy children doing colorful art projects and asked, "Why aren't you like that lady mom? We want to live with her. She's fun!"

She's kind too. This is not the first time she has helped The Charis Project out with a donation.Brenda shares her crafty and artistic design ideas for parents and kids in many places online. We've made a lot of them here at our house.

Especially popular have been the alphabet cards she designed for her own daughter, Bug, when she was learning the alphabet. Every drawing is special, you will love them all.Just this summer she released the book - Secret Agent Josephine's ABC's based on the cards she designed.

Photo credit to Heather of OMSH

You could win a copy of Secret Agent Josephine's ABC's, here's how.

As you know, we need to raise $10,000 to finish building an orphanage by September 30. Why we need to build an orphanage.

We need your help.

Please help us tell our story to more and more people. Every tweet using the hash tag #thecharisproject with a link to one of these posts, or share of our facebook page, or cause is eligible to win one of these cool prizes. So is every donation.

Winners will be chosen at random from all entries after the contest closes shortly before midnight on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

A tree landed on the roof!

2011-09-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

$1495. That's a fish farming operation right there. Or the cost of the balance on the fish pond land and starting a new farm. Or 3/4 of the cost of building. Or 1/4 of the balance owing on the land. Any way you count it, it's significant progress.

You guys rock. Thank-you.Only $8,505 to go.

Yesterday a tree fell onto the roof of the boys room in the Doi Muser Charis Home, at 3am while they were all sleeping inside.

the roof before a tree landed on it

No one is badly hurt. Thank God!Good thing by next week we're going to have all the money we need to build them a new place to live isn't it? (Please oh please oh please let it be so.) It's been unusually rainy and wet this year. I wonder were the boys will stay now that the roof is damaged.

Please keep on helping, keep on tweeting. Go ahead and blog about it.

It may seem like a big task and a lot of money, but if we all pitch in to help it's not that big after all. Just $5, times all of the people you know and I know, and they know and we have a new home for these kids. Please do what you can?

We have so many cool prizes that some great businesses and people have donated to help make this fun. Check out the bottom of this post to see them. Every donation, retweet using the hashtag #thecharisproject, and facebook share of our page, or our cause, is eligible to win a prize. Winners will be chosen at random from all entries after the contest closes shortly before midnight on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

Mr. Rayz Music for Kids Giveaway - Building a Self Sustaining Orphanage

2011-09-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

As I type this the current total is about $1300. We're off to a really good start. Thank-you all.

We still have $8700 to go.

Today's featured prize is offered by a very dear friend of The Charis Project. Ray, or Mr. Ray as he calls himself on stage, is a children's entertainer based out of Calgary Alberta. He specializes in mini concerts for toddlers, world music, ethnic instruments and getting the kids moving, dancing and singing. He has been a featured performer at the Calgary zoo, so many local festivals I've forgotten them all, and on CBC. That's the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for all you non-canucks. It's a very big network, in Canada.

The songs he writes grab kids attention and get them singing along with the silliness and fun. He also does shows at local shelters for kids escaping domestic violence and uses his cuddle bunnies to help them heal and learn empathy, tying it into talking about the children at the Charis Home. At every concert Mr. Ray tells people about The Charis Project, shows our little video, and offers people the chance to donate to support us. See, amazing guy.

Mr. Ray has given us 6 copies of his latest album Hello World to give away. Click the link to give it a listen. See? Totally fun. Mom's will love the song Put it Away and The Days of the Week song helps kids learn the order of the day in the week.

Mr. Ray is also offering a free 45min in home Mr Ray concert experience for Calgary residents. This normally retails for $200. Obviously this is limited to people who live in Calgary. But it is transferable, so if you have a friend in Calgary with kids who wants to throw the most awesome party ever, you can enter to win it for them.

So, how do you win?

As you know, we need to raise $10,000 to finish building an orphanage by September 30. Why we need to build an orphanage.We need your help.To enter to win one of the 6 cds you can make a donation to our cause, it doesn't matter how much.
You can also tweet using the hash tag #thecharisproject with a link to one of these posts, or share our facebook page, or cause.Winners will be chosen at random from all entries after the contest closes shortly before midnight on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

To enter to win the in home concert you must go to Mr. Rays facebook page and post, "I donated to The Charis Project. I want to win an in home concert experience from Mr. Ray." on his wall. Obviously, we'll check to see that you actually did. If you've already made a donation there's no need to make another, just post to the wall.

**** Stay posted for a chance to purchase MR. RAYZ album Hello World for a discounted price next week, with proceeds going to support The Charis Project. Tuesday to Thursday next week you can also download the album for the special discount price of $9 with $5 going to The Charis Project!

To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

Why do we need to build an orphanage? updated

2011-08-31T20:03:00.001-07:00

Do you know what happens to a child in South East Asia when her parents separate?

Do you know what happens to a boy when his mother marries a new husband?

Have you read Grimms Fairy tales?

Take the worst step parent story in a fairy tale and multiply it by at least 100 and you will get an idea of what happens to kids in these situations.

Stepparents don’t care for stepchildren at all. Children are treated like servants, sent out to beg, or sell flowers, or cigarettes, or their bodies to earn the family money. They are beaten, abused and abandoned.

There is a boy in our care who came to us after his stepmother passed away. He has scars from the day she took a break from beating him and poured hot cooking oil on his head instead. His vision is impaired because of it. His name is Suchart and he has the sweetest smile, plays the longest and laughs the loudest. He wants to be a doctor some day.

Suchart

The worse the poverty the worse these children are treated and it’s an entrenched cultural norm that will take time to change, time and generations.

So what can be done? What can you do?

For starters, we care for the children. We give them a home. We give them a chance. We get them medical attention and school and proper food. We find people who genuinely care about them to care for them.

But we don’t stop there because that doesn’t change anything for any other kids. It doesn’t address the source of the problem.So we use that orphanage to change the community. We help it to establish businesses that provide an income to take care of the children and also provide jobs and resources to the surrounding community. We hire villagers to work in the businesses, things like farming, producing traditional handcrafts, microfinance, clean water and energy, and entrepreneurial education. See Building a Self Sustaining Orphanage

We figure out how taking care of the kids no one wants can be the means to bring change in the community as well, and then we go ahead and do it.

Phase 1 is to finish building a home for them and get the farm up and running to raise food for them to eat and to sell. For details on the next 4 stages you can download our executive summary here.

We're halfway to owning the land outright, to use as we need. If we don't get the rest in time for Aaron to pay it off on his next trip to Thailand in October we will default on our contract and lose everything we invested in last year. The kids will continue to be without a permanent home and their existence will continue to be on a subsistence level, dependent on the whims of the western donor.

It's crunch time. We need you.

Please donate now to help us get there. Every little bit counts.

Update: It is midnight September 30, 2011 and The Orphanage is Funded! It's amazing. Thank-you all. Please go vote for us at Giving of Life so we're eligible to win a $50,000 grant. It literally takes a second. Go ahead and keep donating too, we're going to need it for phase 2 of our plan.

We have so many cool prizes that some great businesses and people have donated to help make this fun. I want to feature each individually so check out the links below so see more and how to enter to win a prize. Every donation, retweet using the hashtag #thecharisproject, and facebook share of our page, or our cause, is eligible to win a prize.

Winners will be chosen at random from all entries after the contest closes shortly before midnight on Saturday, September 10, 2011. (Update-All of the prizes below are given away. But there is another giveawayuntil September 30th. Go here to see the great prizes.)

Heartstamped copper necklace, Abundant Love by Christy Klein Originals

Secret Agent Josephine's ABC's a children's book by Brenda Ponney

6 copies of Mr. Ray's new album Hello World and an exclusive in home concert experience open to Calgary residents. (Valued at $200)

Free Childbirth Preparation Class from Birthing Paths Childbirth Classes - Valued at $375

iPod nano 8G - Courtesy of Blue Fern Cottage

11x14 Custom Canvas Print by Easy Canvas Prints.com

Good News to the Poor Package and Gemstone Giveaway

To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

Building a Self Sustaining Orphanage

2011-08-31T16:07:00.000-07:00

In 2007 we discovered a group of refugee kids in crisis in Thailand and asked for donations to help to take care of them. People responded and it was heartwarming and overwhelming to see how many of you gave so a lot of really wonderful little kids in Thailand could have a safe place to live, be able to go to school and be taken care of by warm and loving people who really care about them.

But once the crisis had passed we had all these kids to take care of, and we still needed to ask for money every month to care for them and we weren't doing much to help any one else or any other kids.

We thought, there has to be a better way.

So we started the exciting work of figuring out how we can maximize our impact in that region and make it so that our care for children is also something we can use to bring development and change to the communities and villages where these kids are from.

This is where the idea of a self sustaining orphanage was born.

What if an orphanage didn't need to rely on donations to survive? What if it could not only care for children in need but also revitalize the community through socially conscious business practices.

Our goal is to bring this Charis Home to the point where they don't need us at all and are thriving and self supporting. It's our further goal to replicate this model so that other struggling orphanages can become self sustaining and a source of life to the community they are in as well. It's our further, further goal to dispense with the orphanage altogether and move to a more broad spectrum community solution in time based upon this model. Essentially, we're trying to put ourselves out of business.

Well, that's the vision, the short version. (For a copy of our executive summary go here.)

Last year you helped us to raise $7000 to buy a truck for the Charis Home so the kids could have a safe way to get to school and back, and to a doctor when they are sick.

Do you know what those smart, smart people are doing with the truck you helped purchase? They are running a transport business. When the truck isn't in use to drive children places they use it to transport crops to market for local farmers, they use it as a taxi to give other people rides. They charge for their services and as a result they need less money from us than they did a year ago.

Once they have a building of their own and an operating farm they will be almost completely independent. They will be in a position to start investing in ore business opportunities to help start the hostel in the nearby village. Imagine, orphanages that can afford to fund other start up orphanages.

Here's what we need to get there.

We need $10,000 by September 30.

We owe $6000 still on the land we purchased last December. We received a very generous donation for the first half, which we thought would be the full amount but that land was so remote it would have cost $12,000 more to develop it. The land we decided to purchase was initially more expensive, but ultimately much cheaper, for starters, we don't have to build a road to it, or set up utilities. Also it's in a very good community.

They have already graded and prepared the land for buildings.

We estimate the cost of building an orphanage to be $2000.

We estimate the cost of starting a biointensive farm that will provide food for the children and to sell at local markets to be about $500.

We owe a remaining $700 on a smaller piece of land nearby with a fish pond on it that we are going to teach the business manager at the home to use for aquaponics, which is essentially using fish pond water for fertilizer and plants for filtration and growing two crops in one really quickly, and really efficiently.

It will take another $1300 estimated to actually set up the aquaponics system.

If we can't pay off the land at least by the time Aaron goes to Thailand again in October we forfeit it and the money already put into it. We can't afford a loss like that. The kids can't afford a loss like that. They are living in a rented storage facility waiting for their permanent home to be built.

Will you help us?

Like I said, there are prizes. I will be telling you about them over the next 2 weeks. (Teaser... Ipod anyone?) To win you have to make a donation and leave a message on our facebook wall saying you donated, which is where paypal will send you when you are finished. Some prizes will have a way to enter a 2nd time which I will tell you about. Some prizes are regional. We will draw winners at random from all of the entries after the fundraiser ends just before midnight September 10, 2011.

We can not do this alone. Please tweet, share on facebook, and tell your friends about the chance to help any way you can. You never know who will be interested unless you ask them. I always go into these things feeling like it's impossible, it's too much, and it won't happen. So far, you have always proved me wrong. So I'm counting on you guys to do your magic yet another time for the sake of these kids.

Thank-you so, so much.

To find out if we're legit check our Guidestar Profile. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

Building a Self Sustaining Orphanage - Christy Klein Originals Giveaway

2011-08-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

We are so excited about the things that have been donated this year for our build an orphanage fundraiser.

See for yourself.

Hand-Stamped Copper Heart Necklace - Abundant Love

Christy, the woman behind Christy Klein Originals, has been a great supporter of The Charis Project. Look at this fabulous creation of hers that she donated.

Look at the gorgeousness. I love the blurb she wrote about it in her shop too. I want to be the woman she made this for.

I know, you are asking yourself how you can enter to win this lovely necklace.As you know, we need to raise $10,000 to finish building an orphanage by September 30. Why we need to build an orphanage.We need your help.To enter to win this lovely prize you can make a donation to our cause, it doesn't matter how much.

You can also tweet using the hash tag #thecharisproject with a link to one of these posts, or share our facebook page, or cause.Winners will be chosen at random from all entries after the contest closes shortly before midnight on Saturday, September 10, 2011.

To find out that we're legit check our Guidestar Profile, or, come with us to Thailand. If you don't like paypal you can donate through our causes page.

Sponsor a Pastor

2011-03-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Charis Home would not exist if it were not for the dedication and hard work of our in country workers. They do the hard work of caring for many. many children. They cook, clean, parent, and organize in ways that you and I can't really imagine.

We sit in our comfortable homes, on chairs nonetheless, with our comfortable lives and we say to ourselves what a good job they are doing. A mental pat on the back.

We have had lives that are much less hard and traumatic than theirs, most of us.

We haven't grown up in a war zone. We haven't faced hard, hard crippling poverty day after day. We don't have people look down on us, reject us and spit on us if we choose to do good for someone else. We don't usually have to put our families and relationships on the line in order to do what our friends are doing over in Thailand.

If the work of caring for children and transforming communities is to continue we need to support and encourage the people on the front lines as we never have before.

Today is a crisis moment. People are on the edge over there, and I am asking you to please consider helping them.

Did you know that it only takes $100/month to fully support a pastor and his family? That's like, less than a smartphone service bill. But even $10 a month will help, it's a place to start. !0 people here helping on person there, and his family. Do you know 10 people who could afford $10/month?

If you can help, please do. It's important, it will make a difference.

Love Carrien

It's About One

2011-01-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a limit. I pray for those who have not yet found theirs that they never will, for when it is reached, in most cases, the majority of humans will do things they truly do not want to do. Throughout the world, poverty is the lever that drives people to such desperation. However it is not poverty alone that causes the worst things. Those require people willing to exploit desperation to their own advantage. No matter what brought them to that state, such behavior can really only be called for what it is. Evil. One manifestation of this combination of factors is when people sell their children.

Throughout my time in Southeast Asia, I have seen all levels of this trade. From the poor villages where prostitutes and slave workers come from, to the high rises and pleasure districts where no one sees the workers living like rats in the foundations or the pain in the eyes of the boys, girls, women and men for that matter who never wanted to be there. In between these two places are fields of abuse, lies, suffering and broken dreams.

Being confronted with a system of exploitation so large, so powerful, and so degrading, pushes many to another kind of desperation, that of giving up hope. This is until you meet them. This more than anything makes it clear that confronting this is not about nameless suffering masses, but about that one girl, that one boy. It’s about that one man on the job sight who is only paid in beatings because he isn’t a citizen and has no rights. It’s about that one bar girl who was sold by her drug addicted father when she was 14 and now is very good at giving the impression she likes foreign men putting their hands all over her. It’s about that one kid on the street selling flowers to profit her owner when she should be in school. It’s about that one boy begging so he can give what he makes to some gang and maybe get enough to eat today. Soon it is hard to think of them as them, but rather as one of our own, as in fact they are.

Do one good thing for just one of these and you have already changed the world for the better.

For this I am thankful for the chance to do all we have done with Chala and his peoples in Tak province and to all those who have made it possible. However small your actions may seem, your partnership has kept children off the street, out of the hands of pimps and free from slavery. We all look forward to working side by side as we expand to change ever more lives and set ever more captives free. The light does indeed shine in the darkness and the darkness shall not overcome it.

This is Pantawat

2010-12-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

He is 11 year old and he doesn't even have an answer for the question of what he wants to be when he grows up. In the Thailand heat he has to wear a jacket all the time because it's very easy for him to get sick.

The kids tell us their own story. It's not hard to read between the lines with grownup eyes to see the truth.

"My mother worked in Bangkok until she got pregnant with me. My mom did not tell me who my father is. My mom was very poor. I'm very happy to stay with Chala."

Will you partner with us in helping him?

Just $10/month from you will help us do so much for him, like pay for medicine.

Please help?

To Do for 2011 - Rescue a Child

2010-12-11T01:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wish that we at The Charis Project had a more flashy story. I follow a lot of organizations, and people, who do extraordinary things and they have amazing stories to tell.

Sometimes I forget that our story is anything other than routine. Maybe you do too.

You know, we just take care of kids. We take care of abandoned, forgotten, and orphaned kids. Every month they need more food. Every month they need toothbrushes, shampoo, to visit the doctor, or get another pair of shoes because their feet grew larger once again. (And we work hard in their communities to bring the changes that will keep other kids safe, and with their families in the long run.)

Every month that we take care of them is another month that they live, another month that they are safe from the clutches of people who would exploit them, sell their bodies for a pittance and their labor for less.

Every month that they stay at a Charis Home, they stay rescued. If we quit, they go back to where they were before, and they aren't rescued after all.

Some times I lose sight of the miracle I'm witness to, just as we parents often do. Every baby we're given is an amazing blessing, a precious gift. Then we get used to having them around, and start to feel that they always will be, we stop treasuring and just get through, our life one more commonplace story in a thousand similar stories.

But it is a miracle. Because of The Charis Project kids are safe, kids are loved, kids are taught and fed and given a future. Kids that have no one who can take care of them without us. Without you.

You, here, you make the difference to a kid there, in Thailand, a dirty, scruffy, frightened kid who has pain in their belly and loss in their eyes.

Will you help make a difference for another year? Will you help us to take care of them month after month, to stay rescued?

Our goal is to start 2011 with 300 people committed to giving $10 each per month. That's just 10 people a day signing up. If everyone who came to this sight every day signed up we could reach our goal in less than a week.

If that happens we can take care of more kids, support more homes, start a school for children whose parents are migrant workers, build a safe hostel for them to stay and continue studying if their parents have to move around for work.

$10/month.

Could you drink 2 fewer starbucks lattes to rescue a child in need? Would you?

We can't do it without you.

The Charis Project from Charis Project on Vimeo.

2011 to do list: Rescue a Child

Meet Suchart

2010-12-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

This is Suchart. He is 11 years old.

When he grows up he would like to be a doctor and give treatment to kids who have burnt heads like him.

Suchart was burnt by cooking oil with a heating pan, he can't see clearly now. His step-mother, who has since passed away, was violently abusive. Many step parents are where he comes from.

Now he lives at the Charis Home and we are taking care of him and getting him medical treatment.

Ashley was at the home this September. She met Suchart and said this about him.

He has that story (of abuse), and then he's the kid who laughs and runs around more than any of the others. He chased me for an hour. I tickled him. When I began to get tired I made a lot of outrageous motions and he was one of the first kids to mimic me. The new game was mimic every move Ashley makes. He has an incredible smile when he laughs, very playful.

We can't do this without you.

Please consider giving just $10/month for 2011 to support The Charis Project? Our goal is 300 people by January 1st.

To Do for 2011-Rescue a Child

Stories from the Charis Home - 1

2010-12-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

Therese Wall has served on our board of directors for more than a year, but hadn't been to see the Charis Home until this past September. This is her story.

That's Therese on the right

I was blessed to be one of twelve people (and among the team my daughter Jessica) to visit the Charis Home this past September. My husband and I have five children of our own, are board members of The Charis Project, and have known the Blue family and Aaron for about 20 years. When we learned about the needs of the orphanage from Aaron and Carrien, we wanted to help in any way possible. We plan to continue to assist in whatever capacity afforded to us, especially praying for this venture.

Now, being an American and from a more affluent society (as compared to most of the world) the physical living conditions these children deal with daily do seem difficult, but the emotional issues they cope with are not as obvious, such as abandonment and loneliness. Most of us will never have to face the circumstances they have to live through. It’s hard for us on the other side of the world to comprehend their situation. Thank the Lord for people like Chala! All the kids were well cared for and when I met Chala and the caretakers I could see why.

Sports in the mist

In those few days we were with them we shared prayers, teaching, gifts, supplies, and even a spaghetti dinner! On our first day we all climbed into a couple trucks and whisked the children away to a field where they could try out some of the play equipment a member of the team had brought. Bats, balls, jump ropes, and frisbees soon were flying and everyone enjoyed the time together, even though language was a challenge! But, soccer and ball games are languages everyone can understand.

If I could sum up my experience at the orphanage in a word it would be “contrast”. Physically, the orphanage building blends into the other buildings nearby. It doesn’t look much different. But spiritually, it’s a refuge and a place where you most definitely sense the Holy Spirit’s presence. You can see it on the faces of the children and care takers, and when you talk with Chala. I can see why the “enemy” would feel threatened. It’s one of those places where the spiritual battle lines, which we usually don’t detect, are more easily perceived.

While we were only able to stay a few days, in that short time we hopefully gained a better understanding of the challenges they face and learned how better to meet their immediate needs.

I Saw

2010-12-01T01:03:00.000-08:00

I saw the truck you bought! It was splattered with mud and full of squealing kids. Aaron, the object of much laughter and gyration, scooted up behind it on the motorcye. We followed in a rented van and admired the way the truck took the dips, bumps, and turns of the gutted road that led to the playing field of the mountainschool. Not even one kid came close to bouncing out! It is a hearty little truck with no seat belts or car seats - a sort of open aired, Thai style station wagon that can move a crowd and does so regularly. As a mother of 9, who has spent over 35 years strapping kids into weight appropriate seat restraints and air bagged vehicles, it takes a bit of getting used to seeing the way the children of the world get around - especially when they’re blessed enough to have a truck to call their own.

I saw the shoes you bought! They, too, were full of squealing kids skidding through mud, sloshing in puddles, tromping on patches of tiny thistles, and skipping across jagged rocks. At the playing field we unloaded a cache of good ole American sports equipment. With a few vague instructions and laughable demonstrations, we commenced getting our butts kicked, in the jungle mist, by a gang of orphans who just happened to be naturals at wiffle ball, baseball, football, jump rope, and Frisbee.

We assumed they’d dominate in soccer, but wiffle ball? I thoroughly believe this wouldn’t have happened if they were shoeless. They were like pellets shot out of b-b guns, ricocheting everywhere! It was fantastic!

I saw the beds you bought! A solid sheet of wood on a sturdy metal frame creates a man-sized space, with a blanket and a doll, and becomes a place to belong; a place in the quiet dark to let tears fall, a place to ache when you are sick, a place to scatter books, and lay around or play with friends. I saw them lined up in the cinderblock rooms. The wide metal roll-up doors let anyone passing by look in. I looked, but didn’t enter. It wasn’t a place for trespassers. The beds form a wood and metal mosquito net fortress - a kind of holy place where little children from jungle strife come in and find rest.

I saw the land that might be bought! A small city on a hill could be built there. A flat space, covered now in jungle, waits at the top of the steep and deeply rutted road. There is land for planting, for animals,

for outbuildings and a home. The view is amazing! A 360-degree panoramic falls away and wave after wave of jungle-mountains roll off into the distance. It seems the perfect place for children, who have lost everything, to, one day, look back and say, “This is a place of redemption. It is the place I grew up. It is my home.” We stood in a little clearing, swatting mosquitoes and wondering about snakes and tigers, praising God and asking for wisdom. We asked Him to bless the land to be prosperous and safe for all who would call it home.

I saw what The Charis Project looks like in Thailand! I’m Aaron’s mom and I know what it looks like in Aaron and Carrien’s home and in the way they live their lives. I know what it looks like in the newsletters and on the website and in all of your generous donations. And now I know what it looks like in the smudged faces of little kids living in the rough, filling their bellies with rice and veggies, and finding a safe place to call home.

That's me handing out gifts

I know what it looks like in the commitment of Chala and in the staff who have become aunties and uncles.

Judah, A Charis House parent

Children are a blessing from God; an actual inheritance He bestows on the world. Blessed are the people who receive them as such, for they are stewards of God’s great wealth.

Well done, Charis Project. ~ Patti Blue ~

Would You do Something?

2010-10-18T01:01:00.000-07:00

We made a slide show this week. Check it out.

The Charis Project from Charis Project on Vimeo.

What do you think?

This is Really Happening

2010-09-30T00:39:00.000-07:00

We've worked for 2 years now to take care of these kids and to build the charis project to support their communities and we've known why we're doing it.

But there was something about this trip, about the team who came to play with them and teach them and love them that made it all seem real for the first time.

This is really happening. We're really doing this. These kids are being loved and taken care of in a way that they wouldn't be if it hadn't been for all of you, and for all of the hard work that has gone into it so far.

Thank-you.

We have so many really great opportunities that continue to open up to us over there. We need even more people to be involved on this end if we are going to be able to take advantage of them.

So if you want to do some really cool stuff, stay posted, there's more to come.

Hill Tribe Hospitality

2010-09-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

If you visit a hill tribe village in northern Thailand, they may just make a special meal to honor your arrival.

that's a dead dog in that bag in the back ground

It's because they are so happy you came.

Burning the hair off the dog

No really, they are glad you came.

A crowd gathers to watch as they cut it up

They are making this special meal, just for you.

Quartered dog pieces, ready for the fire

Doesn't that look good?

None of it is wasted. Here they are cutting up the rest

But you will find that with enough chili and lime, and the skilled hands of a cook who must be creative with what he has because there are so few options, that a lot of things you wouldn't normally eat can be really tasty after all.

It was excellent. Move over Anthony Bourdain.

This Week's Outpouring of Love

2010-08-22T00:11:00.000-07:00

First, a progress report on Project Buy the Orphanage a Truck. As of this morning the total donated is $3280. That's more than halfway to our goal of $6000. I'm blown away. I really didn't think this was going to happen short of a miracle. Now, I think it just might. You guys are the miracle. Thanks.

Those 40 kids have lost parents, lived through war, and all sorts of other unmentionable things. And now you guys are stepping up and taking care of them in ways that really make a difference.

Now for today's story. It starts with a little girl named Cordelia, age 4. Her parents sponsor one of the children at Charis Home. After this Christmas when you guys helped us buy them real beds and shoes and warmer clothes, her mom showed her the pictures of them. She wanted to know why they didn't get any toys.

Her mom tells me that what followed was a long conversation where she tried to explain poverty and how the kids were really happy to get beds and clothes for Christmas. Cordelia still thought it wrong that those kid don't have toys to play with.

So this is what arrived in the mail yesterday for Aaron to deliver next week to the kids who live at Charis Home.

Her mom and several other sewers got together and made 40 of these adorable dolls. One for each child.

If that's not love, I don't know what is.

Thank-you Joy for organizing this and to all of you who sewed dolls. I know some kids who are going to be thrilled.

Announcing New Prizes and an Extension

2010-06-14T00:18:00.000-07:00

$4519

I just spent several minutes adding everything that has come in in the past week. We're at $4519! That's amazing! I'm a little emotional right now. I'm truly amazed and humbled that so many people have taken a moment to help with all of the other things going on in the world. That you would notice and care about these little kids, who have no political clout, and nothing to capture the world's attention blesses me so much.

And I think we can make it. We're so close now.

I'm extending the giveaway and deadline until midnight this Thursday June 17. We realized that even though Aaron leaves tomorrow night, he won't actually reach the orphanage until Friday. Thanks to Western Union, we can wire it all him that day in country.

We can do this people! I really think we can now.

So we have another fabulous giveaway. Brenda, the remarkably creative and sweet blogger behind Secret Agent Josephine got back to me this weekend and offered to donate a prize. She pretty much just offered anything in her shop and a few things that aren't listed there as well.

Aren't these adorable?

I feel completely unqualified to choose, so I asked Brenda to just pick something. I don't know yet what she will choose, but I know it will be awesome.

To enter to win a prize from Brenda please click on this link Project Buy the Orphanage a Truck and enter to win on that post. Remember every tweet, link, donation or facebook moment is an entry. Please leave a comment for each one so you can get all of your entries. except, donations are automatic entries anyway, don't comment about those if you don't want to.

Also, we have some prizes that are only useful if you live in SoCal, but I thought I would put them up here because I know some of you are nearby.

Generously donated by DoubleTree Golf Resort San Diego:

A round of golf for 4 people- estimated value is $200. (Mondays to Thursdays only, advance tee time reservations required.)

The Terrace’s Café breakfast for Two at the DoubleTree Golf Resort.

Also we have a custom made Pamper Basket with aromatic soaps, lotions etc.

and a few bottles of wine donated by the South Coast Winery in Temecula, recognized as the best winery in California for the second consecutive year. (My neighbor is a head chef there. If you ever go ask for Mike, he will make your mouth happy.)

To get one of these local prizes click on this link and make a minimum $25 donation.

Donate to the Charis Project

Every $25 will be automatically entered into a draw for these great prizes! The winners will be chosen at the orphanage Friday June 18. The cut off date to enter is Thursday June 17 at 12am pacific time. Winners will be notified a week following.

I love you all. Thanks so much for your help on this.

Help us Buy a truck? *giveaway**

2010-06-07T00:09:00.000-07:00

In a week and one day Aaron will board a plane for Thailand. One problem, we still haven't raised the $6000 we need to buy a truck so the kids can get to school safely. (Please scroll down for the story. To learn more about The Charis Project please visit our website.)

So, in the interest of making things fun I started asking some friends of mine to donate prizes for everyone who helps us to reach our goal.

The first person I thought of was Christy from Wired to the Whimsy. I'm so glad for twitter, I would never have met her otherwise. She got back to me within seconds and donated this gorgeous bracelet that she was going to list in her shop.

Isn't it pretty?

Next up we have 2 completely handwoven bags, made by Karen woman on hand looms made of sticks. Like this.

These are the most comfortable bags you have ever worn. You'll have to trust me on this, but I've used a lot of bags, and this super wide woven shoulder strap distributes weight all over your shoulder and back and makes it feel like it weighs barely anything. They are really strong too. The Karen use them for work; to haul wood, tools, chicken feed, etc.

The pouch is really nice and roomy. I've used mine for everything from diapers to books to beach items. You can't wear this bag somewhere without someone stopping to ask you where you got it.

You can see why. Look at the detailed embroidery on this one.

I only have a detail shot of the fringe on this one, because I was shooting just before the sun went down and the others came out all blurry. But you can see the colors in it.

I hope to have even more prizes to add over this coming week. Please contact me if you would like to donate a prize. I will of course tell everyone how awesome you are and link to your store if you have one. :)

There are 4 ways you can enter to win one of these great prizes.

1. Post a link to this page on twitter.
2. Post a link on facebook.
3. Post a link to this page in a blog post.
4. Make a donation. (Size doesn't matter. Every little bit helps. 600 people giving $10 each would reach our goal.)

(The Charis Project is a registered corporation in the state of California with non-profit 501c3 status currently pending IRS approval.)

Please leave a separate comment for each way that you enter to win. Aaron will have the orphanage kids draw numbers as soon as he gets there and those comments will be winners.

****Super Special Bonus Prize****

There will be a separate draw for everyone who makes a donation and Aaron will bring home a surprise prize that is somewhat customized to the winner. i.e. If you think it would be awesome to get working crossbow handcrafted in a tribal village that you can actually use to hunt squirrels for food, he can get you that. OR if you want something cool from a Thai street market, he can get you that too.

And now, to remind everyone why this is so important here is the original post telling why we need this so badly.

**************

Imagine kissing your kids goodbye, checking their backpacks and school uniforms, and sending them on their way to school. You watch and wave and they head off down the road.

Only, you have almost 40 kids, and the road they walk 3-4 miles on, there and back, is a more like a secondary highway, with no shoulder, and no sidewalks, and this is Thailand where people drive, well, let's just say they believe that they are coming back again if they die and aren't as cautious as we in the west might think appropriate.

Then imagine one of your kids gets sick in the middle of the night and needs to get to a hospital. Only, you have no car that can take them. Instead you have to hire a truck and a driver to take you there, and back again later. This eats into your already very limited resources for basic things like food and water, not to mention medical bills.

Now imagine that one day one of your kids, on that road walking to school, is hit by a person on a motorcycle and has a broken arm. Now you have to hire a truck to get your child to a hospital, pay the medical bills and worry that someone will show up on your door and accuse you of negligence, since a child was injured in your care, and take away all your kids.

Except, we're not imagining anymore. This is real. A child really was hurt and this is a problem. The kids in the Charis Home walk to school every day on this road, and every day they are in danger of being hurt and everything we have worked so hard to build is in danger of dissolving if something bad happens to one of the kids. The government could just shut the home down.

We need a truck, something to use to drive the children safely to school, to haul rice, to get kids to the hospital. We can buy one for about $6000 US.

This has been a need for a long time, and we have been asking for help, but we haven't gotten very much response this time I'm afraid. So we're turning to you, dear internet, and all the people who are out there who care and can help spread the word.

It would be such an answer to prayer if when Aaron goes back to Thailand on June 15 he could take enough with him to purchase a truck, and end one of the biggest worries we have over the kids safety.

If you can give, please click the link.

(I know, how could this be safer? But it is. It's how everyone in Thailand gets around and it's way better than getting hit by a car. PS. These photos are from Aaron's last visit when he hired a truck for one day to drive the kids to school.)

We have a TRUCK!!!!!!

2010-04-14T00:23:00.000-07:00

Thank-you everyone who made this possible.

Do you see the rain cover?

These kids fell asleep on the drive home from a doctor visit

Just this one thing has already really affected these kids quality of life.

Thank-you to everyone who tweeted, shared, donated and helped us to get this for them.

You guys rock.

They Have Beds!

2010-01-29T00:06:00.000-08:00

You did this.

You made this possible.

Thanks to your generosity in December we were able to send enough money for all of the children to have beds, and warm clothes and new shoes.

This wouldn't have happened without you, your care, your partnership. Without you there is no Charis Project.

Thank-you for everything.

We're looking forward to some really exciting things in 2010 and we're glad to have you along for the ride.

Christmas at the Charis Home

2009-12-15T23:53:00.000-08:00

Some of you have asked us if there is something extra you could do this Christmas for the kids in the Charis Home. So we asked Chala what they need.

His answer was,"Beds, shoes, and warm clothes."

Boy's Room

The children sleep right now on thin mats on the concrete floor.

It is very cold for them now in this season. Chala has wanted to build them beds for some time. It is illegal for him to harvest bamboo from the forest and he hasn't been able to pay for materials.

Girl's Room

Each bunk bed would sleep two children and costs 2500BHT for a bed of welded steel, which is 500BHT cheaper than the cost of a wood bed.

2500BHT=$75US

Your donation of $75US will get 2 of these children a proper bed. There are at least 30 kids so they need 15 beds.
Chala and Maise sleep on the floor in a corner of the main room, as do Moses and his wife. We would love to give them a bed too.

For those who wish to make a donation in another's name as a gift we will provide an attractive gift card on request.

Yes, it does get cold in Thailand. The kids could really use some warm coats and some good shoes right now.
It costs approximately $15US to buy each child a new coat and a pair of shoes.

Laundry Hanging Outside

This is a great opportunity for kids to get in on the giving action and do something practical that's within their reach.

This is the photo on the gift cards.

Again, we'll provide gift cards upon request.
DONATE NOW!

Warm Clothes and Shoes for one Child

One Bunk Bed

What If?

2009-11-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

This home has been netting pigeons to eat so there is enough food this month.

It was the year 2001, we had been married less than a year and we were at the Door of Faith Orphanage in Mexico talking to DJ and Lynette, the couple who run the whole place. A month earlier we made the choice together that someday, somehow, we wanted to take care of kids who had no one, in a long term meaningful way. Of course, the first thing we thought of was an orphanage. We were there to learn.

I will never forget what DJ said that day.

"The truth is," he said, "I spend most of my days fund raising, trying to raise enough money to keep this whole thing going. We hire people to take care of the kids, because we don't have the time."

Sadly, this is the truth about most orphanages round the world. Those who care enough to devote their lives to such work find most of their time filled up with activities that are not intrinsically valuable to the care of the children. They are constantly dependent on donor money, never knowing if there will be enough.

Needless to say, this reality was less than exciting for us. We wanted to give love and care, not become professional fundraisers.

It's been almost a decade since that day. Today we are really excited, because we think we may have found a solution to this perennial problem. It started with the idea of helping the children's homes to become less dependent on donor money and more self-sustaining. Especially since we started this in a downward global economy.

Plucking the birds before cooking them.

If they could just grow enough food to feed themselves and the kids, their situation would be much more stable. But wait, what if they could sell a little bit of the extra and pay for school fees and medical bills too? Maybe even a truck to get the kids safely to school everyday on roads with no sidewalks. With a little bit of investment, time, and some training, children's homes could function more like family units usually do, working together to live. Beyond that, they could actually run profitable businesses that support them and provide value to the community. People would be hired to work in the businesses that support the homes, rather than to care for the kids.

All kids have chores and responsibilities. The orphanage kids especially need some practical work experience in the types of things that they will find to do as adults to stay alive and support their families. Of course they should learn to grow rice. They are from and will most likely live all their lives in a rice growing culture.

But what if they also learned how to start and run a small business? What if they gained the life skills and tools that would serve them all of their lives?

Are you catching the idea?

Here, I'll lay it out for you.

We want to create an orphanage model that not only supports itself but also supports and transforms it's surrounding community through employment and social benefit through the businesses it runs.

cooking a pre-dinner snack in the yard

Our vision is to take the throw away children of the world, and have the stability to love them and the educational structures that train them to be the leaders that create tomorrow's economy. The very social business structures that provide stability for the kids also provide them an education and the means to long-term stability for themselves. Fund raising, which is a hand to mouth existence, becomes part of the life of the home whether we like it or not. It can cause lifelong dependence and helplessness in the children.

With our model, instead of spending energy and time going out and fund raising, we're harnessing the means of fulfilling the economic requirements for the home as something that is intrinsically valuable to the children. The business structures turn the achievement of financial stability into something that is of great long-term value to the children as well.

Wouldn't that be cool?

Of course, we're not there yet. We need resources to get this all in place. In February the Charis Home in northern Thailand, with 35 Hmong children who are Burmese refugees, will try growing it's own rice for the first time. We need seed money for this project. Also we would like to purchase land to build and farm on rather than rent. Then they can raise animals as well. If you'd like to help please go to our donate page to find out how.

Marble Shark

2009-09-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

Khlong Lan. About 27 miles away from the Thai/Myanmar (Burma) border. Hot and sweaty. 260 miles from Chiang Mai.

The marble shark circles.

The marble shark spots his prey.

From the deep, the marble shark surges toward the unsuspecting seal.

DING! DING! DING! DING! WINNER! WINNER! WINNER!

We together are the champions.

Children's Home - August 9, 2009

2009-08-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

Dark:30 in the morning. Guitar, children singing in Hmong. I have come across 15 time zones; have been traveling on planes, trains, buses, trucks and motorcycles for 40 hours. It has been worth it.

Yesterday afternoon I bumped my way through the gate on the back of Chala's motorcycle.

For the first time I get to see the children's home we have been working so hard to keep alive. I am exhausted, I am stoked, I am trying to keep clear so that I can accurately assess. I am responsible, not only to these children and the families who are daily taking care of them, but to all of the people who have decided to work with us in supporting this home. It is my responsibility to make sure that trust is not betrayed, that the children are well cared for. I am on point.

Raw observations:

35 children ranging from 4-14

About ¼ acre of land 30% of which is taken up by the cast concrete single level house

The children are active

The children look happy

The children look healthy

The adults look tired/hard worked

The property is clean

There are trees and shrubs and vegetables and flowers growing inside the walled property

Dinnertime comes and the children jump to their duties-no yelling or threatening needed

Dishes set out

Food set out

Rice, vegetables, a spiced dish made of fresh caught pigeon

Orderly

Peaceful prayer at the table

Peaceful meal

Orderly, peaceful, efficient cleanup

Net-less volleyball and marbles in the yard interspersed with soccer duels and a brief laughing water fight

No sign of anger-these children are happy to be alive and home

My stomach is too messed up from travel to be able to eat much but the pigeon is really tasty. Chala and his wife insist that I take their bed for the night. They sleep on the floor-I have given up insisting that people not take care of me. I lose consciousness quickly.

The singing shifts into prayer. Prayer for God's peace in the home prayer for God's provision, prayer for God's blessing on my family back home and for God's blessing on all the people who are keeping this home alive. Prayer shifts into questions to me about my home and family. I give them a bit of an English lesson. The children are really stoked when I tell them about all the people who care about them, who are praying for them and who are joyfully giving money so that they have a house and food to eat.

It is working.

RULE

Every Problem Has Solution

2009-01-16T23:20:00.000-08:00

For the problem of poverty, many solutions have been attempted. The answer to these problems has often been non governmental organizations and charities that address a specific goal, such as providing affordable medical care or clean water. Also they often depend on donations. A lot of good comes out of these organizations and they have been responsible for serious positive developments throughout the world. However, these organizations appear to have structural limitations that preclude them from fully addressing the magnitude and diversity of the problem. Being dependent on donations, much time and resources must be spent on raising more funds. Also, the amount of good an organization can do will always be limited by the generosity of others, which, unfortunately fluctuates.

For lasting, continuously increasing gains to be made, the communities that are being helped must become independent and self sustaining. Also, the humanitarian organizations themselves can become independent of outside funding and self sustaining if creative approaches to social business are taken. What is needed is a paradigm shift away from the old fund raising charity model of non-profit organizations toward a more self sufficient social entrepreneurial model. For example, an organization that wanted to provide education about sustainable agriculture could invest in farm land and raise produce to sell for profit that would then be reinvested in more development. All along, the land can be used as laboratory to teach the community about innovative farming techniques as well as providing employment.
Organizations that are built on this model could expand much more readily than organizations that depend on handouts.

There will always be a place for hand outs when there really isn't any other way of providing the resources for a community to sustain itself. If there were no resources at all there would be nothing for a social business to work with. However, it is desirable for the future of humanitarian operations to be shaped by those who make use of entrepreneurial skills, not for profit, but for, massive, lasting social change.