(ETH) – A heartwarming story coming out of Georgia has made headlines today as a pregnant waitress who works at a Waffle House restaurant in the state has testified that she wants to start going to church again after receiving more than $12,000 in donations following an encounter with a local pastor in the region.
The entire account was revealed in an interview with WXIA-TV last week, where Bishop Eusebio Phelps, the pastor of New Faith Christian Church in the Atlanta suburb of Stockbridge, spoke of a conversation that he had with Waffle House waitress Hannah Hill over the phone when he recently placed an order.
“She was so nice over the telephone, and when I got there I paid for my food and I told her to keep the change,” the bishop was quoted as saying. The Bishop stated that upon meeting her in person, he realized that she was pregnant. “I was just really urged to give her the rest of the money that I had in my wallet, which was around $40,” he said. According to the Christian Post:
“And so I gave her the $40 and I told her that I just wanted to be able to bless her so she could buy something for the baby.” After giving Hill a $40 tip, Phelps’ conversation with her continued. Hill explained to Phelps that she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant and was planning to name her son Samuel. “Well, we lost our son Samuel seven years ago in Atlanta,” Phelps explained. “It’s coming up on the anniversary.
I went home, I told my wife what happened. … My wife and I were talking. I was like ‘Listen, I wanna raise $1,000 to give to Hannah so she can buy whatever she needs for the baby.” Phelps then went to Facebook and informed his friends and followers of his encounter with Hill. He shared his goal of raising $1,000 for Hill.
Phelps had soon exceeded his expectations by the next morning. Phelps had soon raised $6,500 for Hill and had planned to surprise her with the money at Waffle House. But, it ended up being her night off. Eventually, Phelps was able to reach Hill’s roommate, who woke up the sleeping waitress. Hill and her roommate began to embark on the 40-minute drive to Waffle House. In that process of time, donations for Hill surpassed $12,000.
When Hill arrived at Waffle House, a “surprise baby shower.” was set up by Phelps Hill stated to the news outlet that she has been living with her mom and trying to make ends meet. She is currently living apart from her baby’s father at the moment. “I had a lot going on, and I don’t really pray that often,” Hill proclaimed. “I’m not necessarily that religious. I wasn’t raised in the Church, don’t go to church a lot, haven’t opened a Bible in forever.”
“But lately I’ve been praying,” she added. Hill was so moved by the generosity of the Bishop and those who gave that it made her eager to “get back in church.” According to Hill, the donations came even though she never told anyone, including Phelps, about the depths of her struggles. “God knew. He felt it on his heart,” she stressed. According to the report, Hill plans on using the money donated to her to get a car and move into a place with her roommate as well as her child’s father.
