He Knew the Need Before We Ever Asked

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Sometimes God answers a prayer in such an unexpected way that all we can do is stand back and say, “Only God could have done that.”

At Missions Everywhere, we have the privilege of working with missionaries around the world who faithfully serve in places most of us will never see. Their work takes them into remote villages, difficult circumstances, and communities where basic necessities are hard to come by.

One of those missionaries is Gary Dawson.

Gary and his wife, Marie, have spent decades serving among the Yanomamo people in the Amazon jungle of Venezuela. Gary's family first arrived in 1952 with a desire to bring the light of the Gospel to a people whose lives had long been shaped by fear, spiritual darkness, and strong beliefs in evil spirits and demons.

Today, Gary and Marie continue that work in the village of Cosh.

Gary wears many hats. He shares the Gospel in surrounding villages, but he is also the village mechanic, doctor, teacher, and problem solver. Marie serves as a medical lab technician and teaches the missionary children. Together, they continue serving the people God has entrusted to them.

And that ministry requires fuel.

Gary has a fuel budget of $3,600. That money isn't simply for getting from one place to another. It allows him to purchase diesel and fuel so he can travel by boat and reach remote villages—bringing basic necessities, medicine, assistance, and most importantly, the hope of Jesus.

Recently, Gary came to David with a need. He was hoping that Missions Everywhere might be able to help with the funds needed for his fuel budget.

David didn't have the answer that day.

But he knew who did.

David asked Gary to pray with him. Together, they brought the need before the Lord and asked God to provide the $3,600 that was needed. They prayed, they believed, and David told Gary that he would hear from him.

Then something happened that none of them could have planned.

Last week, a man walked into Captain Dave's Boating World and asked David if he had any old junk motors or parts that he could purchase.

David showed him a pile.

The man went through the motors and parts, decided what he wanted, and the guys at the shop helped load everything onto his trailer.

Then came time to settle up.

The man handed David $3,700.

Exactly when a $3,600 need had been placed before the Lord.

Think about that for a moment.

David and Gary didn't know where the money would come from. They didn't have a fundraising campaign planned. There wasn't a check waiting to be delivered.

But God already knew.

Before Gary shared the need, God knew.

Before David and Gary prayed, God knew.

Before that man ever walked through the doors of Captain Dave's Boating World, God knew.

And He already knew how He was going to provide.

The $3,700 didn't come in the way anyone expected. It came through a pile of old motors and parts sitting at a boat dealership in Anderson, South Carolina.

And that is one of the things we love about serving through Missions Everywhere. The work God is doing isn't limited by geography.

A need in a remote village in the Amazon can be met through something happening right here in South Carolina.

A missionary traveling through the rivers of Venezuela can be supported by someone walking through the doors of a boat dealership.

A pile of old motors can become fuel for a missionary.

And $3,700 can become diesel, transportation, medicine, supplies, and opportunities to carry the Gospel into places that are incredibly difficult to reach.

We often think about provision as something we have to figure out. We make plans, raise money, search for solutions, and try to determine where the resources will come from.

But sometimes God reminds us that He is already working before we even know there is a need.

That doesn't mean every prayer is answered immediately or in exactly the way we expect. But it does remind us that we can trust the One who sees the whole picture when we can only see the need in front of us.

Gary needed $3,600.

God provided $3,700.

And now that fuel can help carry Gary into villages where people are waiting—not only for practical help, medicine, and supplies, but for the hope found in Jesus.

This is what makes Missions Everywhere so exciting.

We get to watch God connect the dots.

We get to be part of something that reaches far beyond our own community, our own country, and even our own understanding.

Sometimes the provision comes from an unexpected place.

Sometimes the answer is sitting in a pile of old boat motors.

And sometimes, we simply get to stand back and watch God say, “I've got this.”

He knew the need before we ever asked.

And He already knew how He would meet it.