Our Search for a home for the Lighthouse. Part 3

We returned from Thammasart University on 8 May 2009 determined to seek God’s Will whether to reconsider this property near Payap University.  By then, most of us had already lost faith in the property agent.

While Gade was still in Bangkok, the stretch of the 2nd ring road outside Payap University became the focus of our search.  As we searched, we remembered P’Dim’s property which was offered to us to build a student centre 2 years ago when the church was still in its infancy.  There were no baptized members at the time.  Habitat for Humanity was willing to foot the building costs and we would repay them slowly over time.

On 15 May 2009, Gade returned to Chiangmai and we looked at P’Dim’s land in JaReunSook Village [257 wa] 300m from Road to Doi Saket after the 3 corner market.  Another piece 1 km in from this piece [350wa].  Pimuk 3 [102 wa] just in sight of the Paradon International house and the Payap Law Faculty.  Another piece adjacent from Payap [290wa] and the original house we wanted behind Payap Net [70wa]  *1 wa = 4sqm.

Sunday, 17 May 2009 was our day of decision.  Which piece of land should we choose?  We narrowed it down to P’Dim’s land in JaReunSook village, the 350wa piece and the house behind Payap Net.  We drove out as a church to see the places again and we came back for a church meeting.  After prayer and deliberating the strengths and weaknesses of each plot, we chose the 257wa plot belonging to P’Dim in JaReunSook Village.

Monday, 18 May 2009.  We met P’Dim at her house.  She immediately gave us the title deeds to the land.  To anyone who knows about purchasing land, that is rarely done.  We hadn’t even paid her yet.

Tuesday, 19 May 2009.  Talked to my colleague Aj. Udom, Law Professor who gave us good advice on not transferring the land right away but signing an Sales agreement with the intent to transfer the property once the foundation had been set up.  He also suggested that we go to the land office to check how much tax we would have to pay.  That was truly a godsend as we would find out soon.

We met 2 architects who gave us some idea of the costs to build.  The 1st was Eld Anuporn of 1st Church, Chiangmai.  He said based on our rough sketch, it would probably cost 6 million bt. [10,000bt / sqm] The silence was deafening as our enthusiasm suddenly left us.

Thursday, 21 May 2009.  Going to the Land Office, we found out that if we transferred the land after 10 July 2009, the tax would only be 24,500bt.  However, if we decided to transfer there and then, the tax payable would be 83,500bt.  Truly God had good timing.  If we had taken the land 2 years earlier, the tax would have been even higher.

What were we going to do?  Had we “bitten off more than we could chew?”  What was the realistic amount that we could afford with our current members?