Miles In Missions

What is C.A.R.E. Africa? Children At Risk Empowered! When I arrived in Egbe over a year ago, I immediately fell in love with the women in the Guesthouse kitchen. These amazing women, who are now my best friends, always carried a smile and joy in their hearts. Their stories however, would not bring a smile to your face or joy to your heart. Most of them are abandoned mothers who have been abused in one form or another. Their stories are a re-occurring theme I have found with women in Egbe.

This love for my girls in the kitchen and their children put a burden on my heart for abandoned mothers. How could I help empower them? How could I help them to walk closer with the Lord? How could I help and not hurt their situation so they can send their children to school and put food in their mouths. I was overwhelmed with the amount of women and children I came in contact with that have been abandoned in Egbe. I just couldn’t stand by and watch. “God help me to help them!” I prayed for many months. I became frustrated when my desires to help were not met with a clear plan from God. Why was he not helping me to help them. I prayed for God to bring someone to me to help. I needed a local person to this culture that shared the same vision. Someone that could be trusted and that was known in the community. Nothing happened and no one came for months. I continued to pray and he finally answered my prayer with Emmanuel Salako. (Emma)

Emma and I met when we first arrived in Egbe in 2013. He shortly left for school and I heard from him every now and then through phone calls and Facebook. When he returned he came to greet us but only Lenny was home. Lenny asked him how school had been and Emma began to share his vision for orphans and widows in Egbe. Lenny said “Wait! My wife has to hear this.” Once I arrived home I could not believe what I was hearing. Emma’s vision was inline with everything I had journaled and written down for the past 6 months. There were so many similarities that it gave me goose bumps. We agreed to start slow and small and see what God would do.

I am proud to announce C.A.R.E. Africa to you today. Together Emma and I are God’s hands and feet in Egbe. We meet weekly together to explore new opportunities to spread God’s word through empowering needy women and children. We currently have a bead making program that meets on Saturdays. Women come for a 30 minute devotion and then learn the trade of bead making and best business practices. We also have a home care program for orphans. Through a scholarship to school, weekly accountability, tutoring and mentoring of the entire family orphans are able to remain in the home of a family member. Through discipleship and education we are empowering God’s children in Egbe. As we venture down uncharted territory we need your prayers. Please click C.A.R.E. to email me (Patrice) to become one of our prayer partners. We need your prayers for wisdom, local leaders to join us and finances. You can also follow us on our new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/careafrica.