To say the least, I was a bit anxious going into this morning's fire safety inspection at the H88.  We've invested a lot of time and enery and (let's not forget) money into this project... So to have everything come together in a one-hour inspection (albeit just one hour among many that came before and many that may have to come after) is understandably significant.

But now that it's done (since a half-hour ago), I have to say that I'm feeling pretty good about things.

Of course, we still don't have any definitive answers -- and probably won't for at least a week... But things went about as well as we could have expected.  There were no major glitches discovered -- though let me assure you, citizens of Amsterdam and members of Zolder50, that your safety is of the highest priority for the Gemeente.  No stone was left unturned, no doorframe or passageway was left unmeasured.  Permits to renovate for fire safety were cross-checked with permits to alter a historical landmark which were cross-checked with certificates for building materials which were cross-checked with officially-licensed architectural drawings... City bureaucrats take their jobs very seriously.  Even so, it seems that everything -- or at least all of the most important things -- checked out.  The under-administrator now has to take his findings back to the over-administrator in his office, and then they will render their decision.  It was comforting to learn that they will grant their permission for whatever number of people can safely use the facility simultaneously (i.e. it's not a simple "yes / no" decision on our application).  If the space is suited for 120 people (which it should be, based on all of the standards that were used for our renovations), then we will be granted permission for 120 people.  If the space is suited for 150 people (which it probably won't be -- though we can always hope!), we will be granted permission for 150 people.  And if the space is suited for 100 people, then we will be granted permission for 100 people... in which case we'll have to figure out how we want to go about bringing the facility up to the contractually-guaranteed level of 120 and conducting the regular work of the church in the meantime.

Your continued prayer support would be greatly appreciated and highly useful during this period of collectively holding our breath to wait and see what happens next.

In any event, I've been encouraged to remember that God is taking care of our church.  Early this morning, before heading out to the H88 for the big inspection, I believe I was providentially led to read Proverbs chapter 21 -- which is chock-full of reassuring promises in the face of our present circumstances.  Verse 1 says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases."  Verse 5 offers hope and patience, even in the midst of a long drawn-out process:  "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty."  And the chapter ends with two great verses of reassurance and reminder for who holds the keys to any door:  "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.  The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord."