He Knew Before We Did

Friday had finally arrived at QUEACH Orphanage, and it had already been a hectic week.

There had been renovations to oversee, gardens to tidy, landscaping to finish, and many workmen coming and going.

Then, on top of everything else, the director was thinking ahead to the Sabbath. Because the chapel is right there on the property, there was still a lot to clean and prepare before the Sabbath arrived.

Then came the tomatoes.

The cook came to tell her that the rats had gotten into the tomatoes. Despite their efforts to control the pests, an entire crate had been damaged. Most of the tomatoes were no longer usable.

It may sound like a small problem, but in that moment, it wasn't.

Those tomatoes were needed for cooking the weekend meals. The budget was already very tight, and replacing an entire crate meant another trip to the market.

More money and more precious time, two things that the director didn't feel she had much of.

She was overwhelmed, so she began to pray, but it wasn't a polished, peaceful prayer.

It was more of a frustrated conversation with God.

"I don't need this. Why couldn't You have stopped the rats? I have so much to do."

Sometimes our prayers look like that because we're so overwhelmed by what is right in front of us that we forget who is already ahead of us.

Afterward, she stepped outside into the garden, hoping to find a little peace. And as she walked, she continued tidying and preparing for the Sabbath.

On her way out, she noticed a tall woman standing at the reception desk, and so she asked whether the woman had been helped.

"Yes," she was told.

So she continued on with her work, not giving the interaction a second thought.

A little later, as she walked back into the home, she passed the same woman. This time, the woman was carrying an empty sack. The director assumed perhaps she had brought some secondhand clothing for the children. She didn't think much more about it.

Until she went back inside to figure out what they were going to do about the tomatoes.

And then she looked to her left.

There, sitting in the home, was a crate full of perfectly good tomatoes. Exactly what they needed, and exactly what they had just lost.

The director was stunned.

She hadn't asked anyone to bring tomatoes. She hadn't had time to go to the market. She hadn't made arrangements for a replacement. Yet the provision was already there.

God knew.

Before the rats got into the tomatoes, God knew.

Before the director realized there was going to be a need, God knew.

Before she even finished her frustrated prayer, the answer was already on its way.What an incredible reminder that our Father is not surprised by the things that surprise us. He is already there.

At QUEACH Orphanage, stories like this one have become more than memories, but reminders of God's faithfulness.

The children are cared for day after day. Meals need to be provided. The home needs to be maintained. School and everyday needs continue. There are always things that need to be done. And sometimes the needs can feel bigger than the resources available. But stories like the tomatoes remind us that nothing is too big, or too small, for God to care about.

He cares about the big things. He cares about the seemingly insignificant things. And He is able to provide in ways we could never anticipate.

You Are Part of That Provision

Your generosity helps provide the practical, everyday resources needed to care for the children and keep the home running.

What may feel like a simple gift on your end can become something deeply meaningful on theirs. A meal. A school need. A household expense. A repair. A need met at just the right time.

We may not always get to see exactly where every gift ends up, but we can trust that God can use what we place in His hands.

And just as He provided those tomatoes before the need was even understood, we pray that He will continue to provide for every need at QUEACH Orphanage.

Would you consider giving this month to help provide for the children and the home?

Your gift helps make sure that QUEACH has resources available when needs arise, and allows this ministry to continue caring for these children in the name of Jesus.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."

- Philippians 4:19