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Patrice Miles
Lenny
Comfort, what is that? The dictionary says, “a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint”. I think comfort is different for every person. For some it might be a comfortable bed at night, for others it might be a favorite food or maybe a pair of comfy house shoes on a cold morning. It is so easy to find comfort in things. But what happens when they are taken away or you loose them? I crave them! I wish I had never had a Temperpedic bed. I wish I had never tasted hot Krispie Kreme doughnuts. I wish I had never owned a pair of plush soft house shoes. If I had never experienced these things then I would never have known the comfort they brought me and then I wouldn’t crave them.
My life in Nigeria is so hard some days because of the comforts I experienced years ago in America. I ask myself, “Does God want us to be comfortable?” If everyday I have everything that makes me comfortable, then what would I need Jesus for? Do you think there are people out there that live a life with every worldly comfort their heart desires? Do you think they are satisfied or do you think they still crave something more and better? I am under the conclusion that no matter how much comfort we have we are never satisfied. Why? Because we were not made for this world so no worldly thing is ever going to satisfy us.
Temporarily we are satisfied but eventually the Temperpedic bed isn’t good enough and I need the latest version. The Krispie Kreme doughnuts are getting smaller and they weren’t hot last time. Oh and those plush house shoes are so worn out now and I can’t seem to find a pair like them again. So have you come to the realization that you are never going to be satisfied with any worldly thing? If so, how has this affected your life? What are you doing to find satisfaction in this temporary home called Earth? I would love to hear from you!
The Tiv people are the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria. We have a small Tiv camp about one hour away from Egbe that suffers from severe poverty. Their camp is across from a stream that can only be crossed during dry season. Otherwise you have to use a small rope bridge. The small stream is their only source of water and most live in huts. They have a four room elementary school and they have hired four teachers to teach 150 children.
We recently did a HIV/AIDS outreach with Pastor Alabi at Spring of Life. We were able to screen over 120 people and only two were positive. We also de-wormed 150 children while giving them each an exercise book and pencil. Nurses that were visiting from the U.S. were able to take B.P. and other vitals of 45 people while our pastors counseled each person. We saw about five with very high blood pressure, one pregnant women who hadn’t felt her baby move in many days, a women with severe burns, and an older women who seemed to have severe heart problems. All were referred to the hospital for further diagnoses.
Recently an 8 year old boy name Damilola came with his mother for an interview. His mother looked tired and exhausted as well as very thin. Damilola was dirty and his clothes were torn and ragged. She was annoyed with our questions but more out of exhaustion then frustration. Damilola couldn’t understand my English or any of our staff’s English. He couldn’t read or write. When we visited the house, the structure looked like it was days away from caving in. A few old doorframes were literally holding the roof in place. They truly were voiceless and exhausted.
Our staff were so excited, but knew that Damilola would not be able to cope in school yet. We started looking for a teacher that would have the patience to work with him one on one so he could eventually go to school. God sent us an angel who is the daughter of one of our housing compound workers, Oyibosay. She had taught primary school for many years and had recently lost the job. She is a miracle story herself as she was recently heading to heaven with congenital arrhythmia of the heart. Through donations toward a pacemaker she was given a second chance at life. Now she is helping a little boy who is also being given a second chance.
To many times I have taken two steps forward and then looked back and thought “What if everything fails? Did I hear you correctly God? Is this your will or mine?” My life continues to be a life of stepping out in the dark in faith not knowing where the next step is, how high it might be or if it even exists. It is so out of my character to step blindly trusting what God says in Jeremiah 29:11. I like to plan everything and have control. It stresses me out to rely or trust on anyone but myself because people let me down everyday.
I have recognized this about myself and release the steering wheel of life back to God much quicker now a days. I then get mad at my self and ask “Why did I even try and touch the steering wheel? ” Paul says it great in Romans 7:15, that he continues to do what he doesn’t want to do b/c of his flesh.
“Ahhhhh….. Their you are! Sorry, I was so focused on my plan and trying to control everything again and I didn’t see you there. I forget that you promised in Deuteronomy 31:6 that I will never be alone.” I unlock the door, scoot over and my heavenly, beautiful, graceful, merciful, forgiving, smiling Father sits down and puts both hands on the steering wheel and starts to drive.
I am so excited to send these awesome pictures to you of the new C.A.R.E. Africa Educational Center. Our staff have been praying and praying for months for a building for C.A.R.E. Africa. Currently we have been housed in the hospital compound in a 10×10 office at the Spring of Life clinic. The hospital and Pastor Alabi have graciously let us use this space for our office, weekly caretaker meetings, monthly child celebrations, Saturday weekly discipleship and weekly staff meetings. We have grown so much that we were starting to dominate the space and the kids coming and going was just too much.
We are excited that God answered our prayers with this building that has 6 class rooms, 4 administrative offices, one large hall and one small hall and a playground area. We will be able to host our AWANA program here and have the space we have needed for so long to break into small groups for team time. We will also be able to split the small kids and the big kids up for the council time now.
Last but not least we desire to open an IJMB course for secondary school graduates that scored too low on their WAEC/JAMB/NECO. This course with the passing of the IJMB exam will allow them direct admittance to 200 levels in University. This is another opportunity for secondary school graduates that are currently not available in Egbe.
The Egbe MK School has undergone a major transformation for year 2017! We are no longer just providing a source of education for missionary kids, but have expanded to serve a larger group. Our compound school now offers enrollment to the children of Nigerian Doctors and Professionals serving and living at ECWA Hospital Egbe. With this change we also had to change our name and our space. Therefore, the Egbe MK School is now Egbe International School, and has moved from our small, two room school house to a much bigger space with 3 classrooms, a large multipurpose room, and a kitchen!
We currently have seven students: one Kindergartener, one 3rd grader, three 5th graders, and one 8th grader. So, when the decision was made to expand the school I quickly decided I needed help in teaching the diversity of students and grade levels. Therefore, I have hired two Nigerian professional teachers Auntie Victoria Alabi…
Miles In Missions 