Journey Church Orlando recently helped a local elementary school fulfill its dreams. The church raised money to help English Estates Elementary build a library. 

Helping Build Dreams

In a report with Click Orlando, the church's lead pastor surprised the school with a check worth $30,000. 

Pastor JJ Vasquez told the news outlet that he promised to give the school $5,000. The pastor said that their generous congregation surpassed expectations. 

He added that it was because of them that this donation was made a reality. 

The lead pastor pointed out that people wanted to make a difference. Sometimes they needed the opportunity to do so. 

He explained that his congregation saw that donating this money was their chance to do something for the school. Vasquez added that donating was not hard for his church.

Opportunity to Help

Pastor Vasquez told the news outlet that his congregation wanted to help their local community in any way they could. 

The pastor said that people wanted to positively influence in challenging times such as this. 

God's Plans Are Always Better

Principal Nancy Urban received the check on behalf of the school. Pastor Vasquez presented her with the donation during the church's worship service. 

She thanked the lead pastor and the donors for their generosity. Urban said that the donation was timely since the school's media center was due for renovation. 

The principal explained that the school suffered budget cuts this year, which meant that they had to shelve the renovation plans for the media center. 

With the church's donation, the school was now able to repaint and redecorate the center. She added that they would upgrade the media center's computers. 

She shared that she attended English Estates Elementary as a child. It was always her dream to give back to the institution. 

The principal said that the school helped shape her childhood. She added that the institution's values influenced her desire to become an educator and help children.

Urban said that she felt like the school was her home. She stated that she had dreams of being a teacher before. 

The principal shared that her plan did not work out. 

She reiterated that sometimes God had a different path for people, which differed from their plans. In her case, God did not want her to be a teacher. Instead, God called her to be a principal. 

Urban said that she was thankful for what God had planned for her. 

Leading People to Christ

The lead pastor told the news outlet that as a faith leader, his duty was to help improve the people's lives in the community. He said that his church worked to bring Christ to others. 

He urged the congregation to help out their local community before they went out to change the world. Vasquez explained that he saw the opportunity to help one of their own when the school needed help. 

The pastor said that he preaches because he wanted to make Christ accessible to others. 

The church thanked its donors for their support on their Facebook page. 

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