Miles In Missions

Over the past two years C.A.R.E. Africa has continued down the path of Family Preservation even though it has been harder than we thought. Too many times we have come across families that truly cannot care for their child. Grandma is too old to empower, Dad is an alcoholic, mom is dead, or Mom is widow with too many children and several are neglected. Aunts and Uncles deny the child or have their own set of issues and cannot help. It can feel hopeless at times.

We were blessed several months ago with a women from Titi’s church volunteering to be a foster parent for one child. She really wanted a boy who was between the ages of 10-14 because she felt at that age they were still moldable. Emma and I prayed and prayed and kept being led back to Success. Success was 15 living with a grandma who could not work and Aunt who hadn’t been paid by the government in months. Dad was in the town living as a drunk and contributed nothing to the family. After several meetings with Success, Grandma and Beatrice the day had come to move Success. When we arrived to the house, Success our jokester, was soooo quite. He looked like a scarecrow. 

One week later we went back for his one week review and the picture says it all. You can see the smile. Beatrice said he still had a lot to work on but things were going well. We were so disappointment when we got the call a week later that Success had taken a turn for the worst and had lied and then tried to walk home. I immediately was frustrated but knew we couldn’t make this happen by force. I only looked at the situation as a failed attempt.

I went to the house with Success to pick his load and we met with Beatrice. I thanked her so much for the time and money she had invested into Success. I asked him if he had anything to say, expecting him to say nothing. He said “Thank you for teaching me to pray before I go to bed at night. I didn’t do that before I came here. Thank you for showing me how to work around the house.” Wow! I was blown away. Here I was shouting at God in my head asking him why he had us go through all of this for only two weeks of foster care. I was looking at the whole situation as a big failure while God was looking down laughing and saying it happened just the way he wanted it.

How many times do we look at a situation that didn’t work out the way we thought is should and think it is a failure? We are saying that God doesn’t know what he is doing, that he is not in control. The situation above was such an eye opener for me. So many times I look into situations and don’t acknowledge that God is in control. There is so much going on outside of the situation that I will never know or understand. Success only spent two weeks in foster care but his words say a seed was planted. Maybe that was all God wanted, a seed planted? I may never know or understand what those two weeks were about, but God does, and I can rest in that. God continues to work with me on resting in him in all situations and not carrying the burden of control. When I actually release that burden and get in the passenger seat, the view is so much sweeter! You should try it!

Over two years ago we had an Ebola scare at the hospital. A patient came into the reception area in our OPD (Out Patient Department) and vomited everywhere. She had all the signs of Ebola and Nigeria was in the heart of the Ebola crisis at that time. The staff tried their best too isolate her in a make shift isolation ward we had set up. We waited anxiously for her lab results to come back from  Lakoja, a town four hours away. The stress of wondering if she had contaminated so many around her was consuming us as we waited. Doctors who had been in the area tried to isolate themselves from the other missionaries just in case. Missionaries that were on their way back to Egbe, were told to stay where they were until the results came back. We all sat and waiting. We were relieved when we heard the word that she was negative for Ebola.

Since then Lassa Fever has increased and we have always had TB cases where Isolation of the patient from the other patients has been a necessary. We are happy that donations came into support the rehab of our old lab into a new Isolation Ward. This Ward will also house a nursing library and a nursing changing area. Thanks to all those who donated time and money to see this project competed. We have many more projects that need to be completed. If you or anyone you know would like to donate to a project or come and serve ion our medical on construction team, please email me at Patrice.Miles@sim.org.

C.A.R.E. Africa has grown and it was recommended by a leader in the town that we meet with the King to share our ministry. I trusted this leader and knew he knew best but was also hesitant. First I am a female leader in a male dominant culture. Second, he is the King!! I was anxious to say the least. What would he ask me? What would he want to know? I was checking all my i’s and dotting all my t’s. I knew we had filed all the proper paperwork with the Nigerian government and SIM, but what if the King didn’t like what we were doing?

We arrived to his house and sat on his front porch waiting for him to join us. I anxiously awaited the questions that would be asked. When he sat down there was silence. I am still learning in this culture when it is OK as a female to talk, look someone in the eyes, curtsey, shake someone’s hand or just stay quite. I was praying the whole time for the Holy Spirit to lead the conversation. I felt he was urging me to speak so I started to talk about how I arrived to Egbe and how God put C.A.R.E. on my heart. I was brief, gave him a book to keep that explained everything and was going to be on my way. Luckily my husband was there with me and he elaborated on a few things which brought back some memories for the King.

Then God showed up and showed off as he does so much in my life. The King began to tell a story of how he was orphaned at age 11. He was blessed that some missionaries came alongside him and helped him through life. He credits who he is today because some missionaries cared enough about an orphan who is now the Ilegbe of Egbe. He said that my ministry brings tears to his eyes. I was doing everything I could to keep from crying myself. I serve an amazing God and even though I know he already approves of me, the town of Egbe now approves too! Thank you God!