Pastor Derrick Ross could not believe it. A man who had been an usher for 15 years at Celebration Church, left him speechless — a rarity for the pastor who is accustomed to ministering to massive audiences.
The man, Dennis Erickson, had no spouse, kids, or family, so he left the church his most prized possessions. Erickson left the church his two-story home, collection of historic vintage cars, and literally thousands of beautiful model cars.
It was an unfathomable gesture.
“Dennis left more than a gift of money. He truly left his life to us,” Ross told CBS. When he walked into the home and saw all that had been left to the church, he was overcome.
“A lot went through my mind. Not much came out of my mouth,” Ross said. “For a guy who talks a lot, it was not often that I’m found at a lack of words. And yet, it was in that moment that I became overwhelmed with his generosity.”
The 69-year-old passed over 32,000 wonderfully preserved model cars. The engineer spent much of his life making cases and shelves to show them off throughout his house. Truly a sight to be seen. Cars tucked away in the living room, bathroom, closets, basement, and beds.
Erickson also gave them his five beautiful classic cars, including a 1959 Edsel and 1931 Ford Model A. The church fulfilled Erickson's wishes and auctioned everything off. They've raised $400,000 already, but the house could sell for another $750,000. All of the money will go to building more classrooms and expanding the church — its congregation has doubled in size over the past year.
Whether it's a church, a teacher, a kind stranger, or friend — people have a way of touching us in ways even they don't expect!
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