A gift intended for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions has found its way to the offering plate — 40 years after it was first given.

Shirley Boyter grew up at Park Street Baptist Church in Easley and taught third- and fourth-grade Discipleship Training classes there.

Boyter, who now lives in Inman, recently came across a Lottie Moon offering envelope from the early 1970s with $1 enclosed. It was marked, “Third & Fourth Grade Discipleship Training.”

Boyter mailed the envelope to Alton Nix, pastor of Park Street, and enclosed a letter of explanation. “We only had one or two students in the class at the time,” she wrote. “Apparently we took up an offering … but for some reason I took it home with me.

“In going through some items at the house recently, I found this. Since it was taken [at Park Street], I feel like I needed to send it to you so you could put it in the offering there. I apologize that I neglected to do this so many years ago, but I am grateful that God gave me the opportunity to find it and get it back where it belongs.”

Nix, who has served at Park Street for 18 years, said he thought it was “amazing how wonderfully the Lord works things out” and added that he hopes the story will encourage others to support missions. “A gift that was given 30 or 40 years ago is still going for that same purpose,” he said.