Faith First - Eva Von Tiele-winckler

1866–1930

A German orphanage with a hundred children was facing a food shortage. They generally grew their own potatoes, but the previous year’s crop had been badly stored, and by March they had nothing edible left, with several months until their next harvest. An inquiry was sent to a neighboring farmer: How much would it cost for x amount of food? He misunderstood the message and brought wagons full of produce. The leaders explained they had no money to pay him. No problem—he could wait until May 1.

This was a great blessing, but as the weeks passed, the orphanage still lacked the money to pay that bill . . . so they prayed about it each day, trusting that God would provide three hundred German marks to pay that bill. And when the mail arrived on May 1, it contained a sum of 304 marks.

Eva von Tiele-Winckler had many stories like that from the network of forty orphanages she founded throughout Germany, housing about two thousand children. Yes, she was born into a noble family with affluent connections, but it took Eva years of prayer and pleading before her own father would help her. Caring for the poor just didn’t fit his Prussian sensibilities, yet his daughter was called to it. At age seventeen, as she described it later, she encountered Christ and her charitable calling simultaneously. “I was changed in a moment from an unbeliever without knowledge of salvation into a follower of Christ. At the same time He who is love poured into my heart a deep love for the poor and forsaken ones and gave me a vivid impression of the great need.”

As she started orphanages, new needs came to light, and new resources arose to meet those needs. Often money arrived in the nick of time. Evicted from its building, one orphanage received a beautiful summer home from a widow who no longer needed it. Eva’s work spanned some very difficult times in Germany—money was tight for everyone—but the Lord kept providing regardless.

Perhaps you’ve been through some tough times yourself. These times teach us to trust God more. So let your material needs drive you to your knees in prayer.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Philippians 4:6