Naam was sixteen when we met her and her mom living under a bridge five years ago. Both of them are “little people” and although Naam had virtually never been to school, her intellect and English were both noteworthy. Our team journeyed with Naam during those first years of friendship through a pregnancy that resulted in the baby being removed to a group home, and several attempts to help her obtain a government ID card for the first time in her life. Although she was a full Thai citizen her mother had failed to register her birth at the district office and the birth records were no longer accessible, so she had no rights to schooling, health care or any sort of government aid… Many things about Naam’s life seemed hopeless, and we began to see her less and less and then nearly not at all for several years.

During the last few months she has began crossing our paths again, along with some new possible leads to get her an ID card. Ajarn Yoon, the pastor of the deaf community who works closely with Sam and Pat, continued advocating for her and was able to start the process of obtaining an ID card through Naam’s extended family, whom she had never met.

Several times members of our team have had opportunities to pray with her, speak truth about who she is in her Father’s eyes, and see God visibly moving on her heart. Meanwhile, her mother was losing her battle with HIV/AIDS and was  being cared for by that extended family. Just recently Pat and Pastor Claire (a friend from the States who has visited multiple times) took Naam to meet with the family caring for her mom, go to the needed government offices together, and finally obtain a government ID card for the first time in her life.

The next day Iven and I saw her on the street and she jumped in front of me (Kashmira), pulled out her ID card with a giant smile and rushed to give me a hug. Personally, I have not been very involved in Naam’s life for several years, but I see and celebrate God working in her life. We are inextricably grateful to God for His faithfulness, and having the perspective of years here we see even clearer the timelessness of His goodness – He never gives up, never gets tired, is always loving, always pursuing.