We've waited ten years. It's time to party!
Under a spectacular supermoon, and with the enhancements of fireworks down the road for the Thai festival of lights known as Loi Krathong, (neither of which we could have arranged for ourselves, and I'll come back to this), we spent a truly mystical evening over at our new property last night.
We were marking the long-awaited arrival of the <insert drum roll here> LAND DEED!!!!!! This elusive piece of paper is the necessary documentation that allows us to legally begin developing this property to house our gathered family, making us both compliant with Thai law and securing a stable future.
Just by way of a brief recap. Currently New Family Foundation operates from property owned by the Korean Methodist Church who has generously allowed us to welcome the children and retrofit existing structures to house them. This property is considered 'King's land' however, and, while it's permitted to do many things with it, including meeting for religious activities, children's welfare homes are required to operate on deeded property. We have been granted as 'letter of permit' that makes our current situation legal, but not permanent. There is an expectation that we are actively working towards securing deeded property to build our own place.
And 'actively working toward' is exactly what we've been doing over the past ten years.
It's hard to summarize all that has gone into this journey; all the meetings, all the letters, all the inquiries, all the mapping out of property lines, all the discussions, all the considering of other alternatives, all the dreams, all the pictures taken and building plans drawn, all the prayers, all the frustrations, all the doubts, all the tears, all the begging, pleading prayers, and then, all the prayers of complete surrender to the timing, plans and purposes of a loving God who knows what these children need.
We gathered under the sala that has already been built there (in faith) and tried our best to express the enormity of our gratitude, and the excitement of hope for the future. Then we broke open the snacks and gathered out in the open spaces already excavated (in faith) under the a brilliant moon, and enjoyed a truly over-the-top fireworks display put on by a rather large contingent of Chinese celebrants who set it all up (just for us) a little bit down the road.
And also the lanterns. Can hardly describe it!!! Am I wrong in thinking God timed it just right?
Children laughing, squealing, pointing, some of them seeing fireworks for the very first time. Running back to tell those of us sitting back on the bench, how it exciting it all was - "Boom! Boom! - and running back up the little hill again where they were jumping and clutching one another, and living their best lives.
And it was like all the wild gratitude we had inside of us was filling up the wide sky with joy and hope and more-than-we-can-ask-or-imagine expectation of all God has in mind for us.
Boom-boom! Yes, point it out, point at all God has done, is doing, will do according to His power that is at work in us. To Him be all the glory! Always and forever. Amen and amen.
["A long obedience in the same direction" is a quote attributed to the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who, being an outspoken atheist and a fervent critic of Christianity, ironically has captured the essence of what it means to be a faithful follower of Jesus. See also the book of the same title by Eugene Peterson.]
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