View across Chiang Mai from Wat  Phra That Doi Suthep (temple below)

Well, what a week. It hasn’t quite sunk in that our first project, step one, is almost complete.

Wat Umong, a  place in the forest to meditate

Step two is to keep fundraising for sensory equipment for Hope Home.

Offerings line every street and temple

Our charity was launched a mere month ago. As I sit over coffee I would just like to share with you want we have achieved in this time, accompanied by a few photos from Raising Hope and Joys time in Chiang Mai.

 Loy Krathong, a festival honouring the water spirits and end of the rainy season

I have as ever been humbled throughout. It is wonderful to have friends and families loyalty but Raising Hope and Joy was met with more than that, it was met with excitement, enthusiasm, belief and spirit. ‘I’ became ‘we’ and the miriad of skills needed to run any venture became shared between many hands, many talents. Since then we have more hands on board, and our thanks goes out to you all.

So, a website, a bank account, a first trustees meeting, 143 face book likes, £245, a paint brush and a lot of blue paint later and how do we feel?

For me if I just begin to think of each person that has supported us so far, be it a face book ‘like’, an offer of promotion, a donation, comments on our wall of Hope and Joy, tweets from other charities supporting us, my Dad writing to his local paper, my family video skyping me when the paint fumes all get a bit much, I am filled, in honesty, with joy.

‘Krathong’  the flowers and lights floated on the river to thank Phra Mae Khong Kha, the goddess of water for forgiveness for polluting her waters.

So what have we learnt? The key learning for me, is one of time. The joy of setting up a charity is that it is through choice. I believe the more enjoyable it is for all involved, the more that will be achieved. There are not the boundaries of deadlines, bills and hierarchies but it can be easy to be stuck in a mindset of everything needing to happen yesterday.

I have been known to be a bit of a solo ‘spitfire’, to become instead a community and to truly work as a team, one that at times sits on me, is what I believe will give this charity longevity. ‘This is not a mountain you have to climb’ were the words given to me by a very dear friend this week.

Three hundred steps up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

On my first trip to Thailand, it seemed as if there was Thai magic, things would seemingly appear as you needed them. What in fact was happening was that I was slowing down, living in the moment. There is no magic (sorry) but as soon as we get stressed about when or how something will happen, we miss what is right in front of us. Stepping out of my own culture for a time is certainly helping me to see even more clearly the aims and objectives of our charity.

There are things I hoped to do that I have not done, there are things I didn’t plan to do that have happened, but all that matters is that we have begun. So as I finish a few stars, and touch up a few edges, I hope you have enjoyed the one thing I do best, an honest open account of a journey. See you for the final blog, with a room full of stars. 

Making a wish, thousands of lantern are let into the sky

 You just know I have to say it, go on, in chorus,

to have hope we have joy, to have joy we have hope.

xXx