A good Samaritan in Miami has made a much-needed donation just days after air conditioners were stolen from a local church and left vulnerable to scorching heat.
With average temperatures in the low 80s Fahrenheit, the Gospel Arena International Mission congregation experienced sweltering heat.
“It was very hot on Sunday,” Minister Alex Alexander said. Said 7News Miami.
Pastor Junior Thompson reportedly broke out in a sweat during the sermon.
“He preached for about 45 minutes in his suit, and he was really [piping hot] “At church,” Alexander recalled.
He added that “God still brought us here” and that people are attending church anyway.
“Everybody was sweating and fanning themselves,” the Rev. Emmanuel Bryant said.
At first, church officials thought that the air conditioner had simply broken down, but it was only after checking outside that they discovered that two of the three units were broken, and the remaining one had been tampered with and damaged.
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“We pray for the perpetrator. We pray for his family,” Alexander said.
“We don’t want these people to come to harm, because clearly there are serious issues that need to be addressed,” Joseph Wade added.
Leaders were shocked when the church received a quote of $20,000 to repair and replace the damaged and stolen property.
“It’s just heartbreaking for us to find out we no longer have air conditioning and find out how much it’s going to cost to replace,” Bryant said.
But after seeing a 7News article about the theft, a kind stranger stepped up.
“Because of this news, someone called me today and said, ‘I’d like to sponsor both units,'” Thompson told the outlet.
Two brand new air conditioning units have been delivered to the church, with a third still on its way.
“I thank God for the donations we’ve received from people I don’t know,” Thompson said, “I mean, I’ve never had any contact with these people, but we love the community and we’re here for the community, so I thank God for our blessings coming back to us.”
The donor requested to remain anonymous, but the church wanted everyone to know about the donor’s good deed.
“Thank you guys. Channel 7 News, thank you for the work you do,” Thompson said. “Look around you. You see it now. Two brand new units, better than what we had.”
