For those of you that have been following our progress, we have raised an incredible CAD 96,323 towards our GoFundMe! We've still got a long way to go before we can build our new shelter, but we're excited to announce that we have finally purchased the land!
This beautiful plot of land is 1.6 acres (6720 square meters).
The land is located just down the road from Focus and Captain's house and is 5km from the high school and only 2.5km away from the elementary school. One of the great things about this particular plot of land is that it is not prone to flooding, which is a huge plus considering the monsoon season can be very unforgiving.
After experiencing another major drought, Thai farmers are now dealing with a new challenge; the flooding. The flooding has been minimal compared to previous years. A few years back, the flooding was so bad that we had to take a boat to the gym. This year, only a few roads have been closed. However, some farmers are in danger of losing their crops due to the flooding.
The flooding has been a big issue since I can remember, and it is mostly due to the heavy rains of the monsoon season, deforestation for hasty development, and the lack of a proper drainage system and road maintenance here.
The spirit in Isaan is strong. People here have a glass half full philosophy on life and try to make the most of difficult times. No matter where you go these days, you will find people fishing. Men's dad has been getting up at 4 am to go fishing before work and has shared his catch with us.
It has been far more challenging than usual to get the kids from school, to the gym, to home, and back again, but like always, we make it work. We really do not like to have the kids in the back of the truck during a torrential downpour or a flash flood. The kids, however, no matter how drenched they get, never seem to complain. Now that we have purchased the land, we are hoping to get the house built before the start of another monsoon season next year.
We are so thankful for everyone who has shown and continues to show their support for our cause. It truly means the world to us.
We have linked our GoFundMe page down below so you can keep track of our progress.