By Jeff Brumley
Christmas came early for Africa Lighthouse Baptist Temple in the form of an anonymous donation that will pay off the church mortgage.
The donation to the Albemarle County, Va., congregation was discovered by a church staffer who was opening mail, including what looked like a normal Christmas card, television station NBC29 reported.
“She opened it up … and in the middle she found a check,” Pastor Peter Chege told the station. “And it was not a check for $1,000 or $2,000, but a check for $52,000.”
Chege told the station it would have taken the church 10 years to raise that much money on its own. He said the congregation is one year into a fundraising campaign to pay off its mortgage.
“We now have our own piece of land,” church member Laura Kesavuka told the station. “We pray in peace, and in our own language, and we are truly grateful.”
Chege, who emigrated from Kenya nine years ago, said the donation also will help the church’s ministry helping African immigrants in central Virginia.
“We help them with their first cellphone, we help them even get cars, learn to drive, learn English lessons, apply for a job,” he said. “Now we have a home, we have base from where we can operate and grow and launch more into the community.”