Pastor Rod Bell, Jr. said the $11,000 in the safe came from a silent auction held Saturday night. He got the word about the break-in Monday morning.
"When I was informed, I prayed a prayer of Thanksgiving to the Lord," said Bell. "And I said, okay, the next thing is 'Lord, teach me to love whoever did this and to trust you to make up the difference for our school.'"
Bell said school officials made a determination at Christmas to keep the school open, despite the fact they had lost almost a quarter of the students enrolled. The struggling economy forced a number of parents to remove their children from the private school. Currently, 83 students are enrolled at Maranatha.
The money from the auction was allocated for the school's operating expenses through the end of May. Bell said that included the teacher payroll.
Oakwood police are investigating. Chief Randall Moon said Monday afternoon there are no suspects at this time.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/5/220293