A Minnesota man who was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and given just months to live received some shocking news after taking on a project to renovate an abandoned church (Video below).

Greg Thomas was diagnosed with stage IV cancer at the age of 57. Doctors told him that he had just months to live and told his family that they should begin planning his funeral.

Following his diagnosis, Thomas began taking walks every day to an abandoned church with his dog. Every day, he would go sit on the church steps and pray.

According to LittleThings, the church was built more than 150 years ago by Czech settlers and has been abandoned for more than a century.

Thomas tried to open the church several times, but was unable to get inside. Eventually, he talked to the church’s neighbor, who directed him to the man responsible for the upkeep of the church’s cemetery. Finally, he was able to enter the church.

Once inside, Greg saw that, while the church was still preserved from the 1800’s, it needed a lot of work. He made it his mission to restore the church, starting with a new paint job on the outside.

Despite Greg’s deteriorating health and the fact that he was eating through a feeding tube, he took on the project of renovating the church.

Now, three years since Thomas’ diagnosis, he got some unbelievable news — his cancer is in remission.

Grateful for getting another chance, Thomas plans to continue the church renovations.

“This is my way of saying thank you,” Thomas told WAVY through tears.

See a video of Greg’s story below: