amy0b87982ac418
bluewatergigi
dbeville
Patrice Miles
LennyWe had on
ly been in Nigeria a few months and a boy named Samson showed up to play. I just assumed he was a compound kid like the other Nigerian kids. One day Cason told me he saw Samson begging at the hospital gate. The next time he came I asked him questions and found out his mom was in the hospital and had been there for three months. Samson took me to the far back corner of the ward to meet his mom. When I asked about her I found out she had HIV positive. She had defaulted on her drugs and had gotten very sick. She was better now and was unable to pay her hospital bill to be released. The benevolent fund was able to get her bill paid and she was released. I sent them with transport money, a Bible, a picture of Samson and Cason and my phone number. I always wonder where they are and how they are doing?
God put the epidemic of HIV/AIDS on my heart back in 2014 though Samson. Over time I got to know the Spring of Life ministry at Egbe Hospital that assisted me with Samson’s mom. I learned a lot about the stigma that Nigeria has about HIV/AIDS patients. I found out why Samson’s mom was in the back corner and not with the rest of the patients. I found out that so many people have this virus but due to lack of education, religious beliefs and culture practices, they never seek treatment. In addition, they continue to infect others out of their denial. Ultimately they get sick and once they make it to Egbe Hospital, it is too late.
I continued to pray and ask God for guidance on how I could help. C.A.R.E. Africa started and I saw orphan after orphan from AIDS. It is thought that 2 million children in Nigeria are currently orphaned by AIDS. I continued to feel a burden on my heart for the ministry, Spring of Life. As I investigated I found out that we currently had around 300 patients that are on the ARV drugs and that the ministry had almost closed its doors several times due to lack of funds.
My business and marketing mind of course started to run and I saw this challenge before me. I love challenges but this would be the biggest one yet. I have absolutely no experience in the medical field. I didn’t even know the difference between HIV and AIDS. As I started to do my research and found out about NACA, PEPFAR, ART, ARV, HIV, AIDS and many more acronyms I started to think that I was out of my mind. There is no way I could help this ministry unless God showed up and showed me what to do.
Well God showed up and through a lot of prayer and with consultation of SIM and the Egbe Hospital Revitalization team, I have taken on as Project Manager for the Spring of Life Project. What does this mean? Well ultimately my goal is to find a way for this ministry to sustain itself until God call us home. More to come in future blogs. Pray for me as I take on something much bigger than me. I look forward to watching God work as I am truly just a vessel for him to use at Spring of Life Egbe.
Visit us at http://egbehospital.org/spring-of-life-counseling-center/
Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/springoflifeegbe
Donate Directly to Spring of life by clicking Spring of Life
C.A.R.E. Africa D Groups have been such a blessing to our children and our volunteers for almost a year now. Our eyes were opened to how little our children know about salvation, sin, repentance and just the basics. We realized we really needed to start from the Genesis 1:1 in order to truly disciple these kids.
We were excited to find AWANA Nigeria several months ago and have been pursing them ever sense. Visits to JOS, sharing with local pastors, training and more had prepared us to start the program in April. The last thing remaining was uniforms. The Nigerian AWANA version divides the children into 4 separate colored teams which helps with the games, record keeping, council time and team time. It is wonderful but each uniform is 900 Niara each.
The next week I got an email from someone who told me she had soccer supplies she could donate. I expressed my joy in this, but told her that we had bigger needs then that and asked if she new anyone that could help. I explained AWANA and our need for uniforms. I also explained the 5 applications of children wanting to join C.A.R.E. but cannot b/c I don’t have a sponsors for them. She emailed back thanking me for my honesty and said she would take care of all the AWANA uniforms, sponsor a child and reach out to a few churches she knows could probably sponsor a few children too.
We started AWANA last Monday and had 45 children attend. This previous Monday we had 60 show up. We are expecting our club will probably have 100 by the end of the month. We need an AWANA club from the U.S. to sponsor us. If you know of any clubs in the U.S. looking to sponsor a club in Africa can you email me at 
I, Iwarere Oluwatofunmi, I’m writing on behalf of Funke Moses, a women who lives near 3rd ECWA Church, Egbe. She is a married women with 3 kids, although she and her husband are no longer together and he has taken another wife.
Funke has 
I recently was flown to the U.S. for 3 days as a surprise to my mom for her retirement party. As I type this I am looking at my hands that are white and flaky from dry skin. In Nigeria the humidity is so high that my skin doesn’t ever suffer. Only 3 days in the US and my skin needs healing. If my skin reacts so quickly to the difference in locations how can I expect my brain, my heart and my emotions to not react too.
I feel so two faced. I live a life in Nigeria in skirts, hair in a ponytail giving my every thing to the people of Egbe but always on guard for evil lurking at my door. As I step into the U.S. my hair comes down, the pants come on and I get in the rental car with the radio up and wind blowing. I know where I am going and I know I will get there and what to expect. I let my Nigerian guard down but I put up the U.S. guard.
The three days that I spend with family and friends was bittersweet. So many great things going on with everyone but also so many stories of heartbreak and suffering. It doesn’t matter if you live in a 10×10 mud hut in Africa or a 3000 sqft home in the U.S. everyone is suffering from something. Suffering from a hole in their heart that they try to fill with anything that they think will make them happy. That temporary happiness patches the hole but that band aide quickly wears off. John 15:9 says we are not meant for this world so nothing in it is going to fulfill us. Only our relationship with God can fill that hole until we reach our final destination where there will be no more heartbreak and suffering. I am ready are you?
High school kids in Nigeria are very similar to high school kids in the U.S. At age 14,15 & 16 they have no clue what they want to do for the rest of their lives. They may think of something that sounds flashy like an Artist or something that they know makes a lot of money like a Doctor. This is of course is a great goal. When you ask what University do they want to go to and what kind of Doctor or Artist they want to be…you normally get a blank stare. Kids are kids no matter where you are in the world. The difference in Nigeria is that TV, books and movies are not as widely utilized. You would be surprised how many children know the word airplane but have never actually seen one live or as a toy, in a book or even on TV. In the U.S. kids can see a doctor on television or read about them in books and know they have will see blood and wear a white jacket etc. In Nigeria, some have never even seen a doctor before.
An apprenticeship is the only way Nigerian kids can see trades and truly understand what they do and how they work. C.A.R.E. kids are required to complete one during their Holiday breaks. University in Nigeria is very hard to get accepted into and it is very costly. The ones that can afford University tend to graduate with a certificate that they will never use and end up back home with the family barely making ends meet. Learning a trade in Nigeria is a much better option for most. Electricians, welders, plumbers, carpenters, seamstress and many other trades are high in demand in Nigeria.
Our E.H.R. staff have stepped up and taken such pride in our program. Many have made friendships with these kids that have continued over the years. This year we were so excited that the medical side of Egbe joined in with us. We were able to have apprenticeships in Lab, Pharmacy, Records, HIV/AIDS Clinic and our Pastoral Care. Every morning as we make our rounds to check on the kids, their smiles and their mentors smiles show us how much this program is a blessing to both the kids and their mentors. Our C.A.R.E. kids are truly experiencing Jesus in so many different ways through this program. I am just exited that I get to watch it all unfold.
I am so excited to introduce you to the C.A.R.E. Africa team. I had no clue that God had this amazing team already planned out for me when I stepped on Nigerian soil in 2013. I had no clue C.A.R.E. Africa was even in the radar for my life in Nigeria. If you remember, I was supposed to be a stay at home, homeschooling mom. God had bigger plans for me and he continues to shower his love on me by placing people in my life with the same goals, visions and passions that I have. Let me introduce you to some amazing people that are a part of my life and the C.A.R.E. Africa team
Everyone knows Emma Salako! I cannot go anywhere without hearing people yell out “Coach” or somehow know Emma or of Emma. He is our Administrator, running the day-to-day operations of C.A.R.E. Africa. He is an orphan himself and has a passion for this ministry and everyone involved. He continues to push me to grow the ministry and trust that God will provide. He is my little brother, best friend and confidant. I don’t know what I would so without him.
Tofunmi is next and she is our Caretaker Manager. She manages, mentors, disciples and educates all of our caretakers. Tofunmi is the only daughter of our chaplain in the hospital, Pastor Janet. She was raised in an amazing family with a mother and father that loved God, loved each other and loved their kids. She is a master in bead making and reins from Ilorin where she helped run a bead shop. Her business skills have already proven to be a huge asset in empowering our caretakers in business.
Titi, our Child Mentor, is always smiling and a huge blessing to our children. She mentors, disciples, counsels and assesses the overall welfare of our children. She spends time with each child at least once a month to walk alongside them as their friend and confidant. She graduated from George Campion School in 2014 and is trying to get into university. Her parents have poured a lot of their life into her and it shows through her attitude; walk with the Lord and her desire to learn.
Cecilia our secretary is our newest addition. She is married with a degree and is proficient at Microsoft Office products, computers and more. She recently finished her one-year corper at H.E.L.P. orphanage where she was an assistant accountant, secretary and Auntie to the girls. She is married and lives in Ode Ere. I am excited, as she will be taking a lot of the load that Emma and I currently carry. Expect to see emails from her with updated pictures of C.A.R.E. kids for sponsors.
Diana Beville our Etsy store manager in the U.S. sacrifices her time several weekends a month to travel to different craft shoes selling C.A.R.E. Africa products. Her display booth has been perfected over the past year and our product moves so quickly we cannot keep up with the demand. She would love more volunteers to come alongside her to help market the Etsy store and its products and help with the many craft shows she travels to.
Last but not least are our volunteers. Nick and Katie Riddle, Yomi Bello and my hot and sexy husband Lenny Miles. We could not continue our Wednesday night D Group program if it wasn’t for these guys. We continue to pray for more volunteers as we are hoping to start the first AWANA program in Kogi State in May 2016.
Meet Toyin Kayode. Toyin’s mother abandoned him and his father many years ago. His father is a farmer but had grown old and could not provide for Toyin anymore. His Father told him to walk to Egbe from Oke Ere (the next town) and find an old friend of his. This friend happened to be the grandparents to Wale one of our CARE Africa kids. Toyin asked if he could stay with them. He told them he would find work so he could feed himself and pay school fees. They agreed and he moved into Wale’s room.
After only a few weekends I noticed a change in Toyin. He seemed to be less moody and a smile started to develop on his face. I asked him how things were going with his Dad and he would smile and say things were going great. I asked how church was and he said he loved going with his Dad and helping him to read the Bible we gave him. He told me that there was even talk of maybe his mom coming to visit soon.
I can get so discouraged sometimes by my conditions here. I work so hard and don’t get to see the fruits of my labor. Things of this culture can seem hopeless as if nothing can or will be changed. I look at these pictures and just smile because he gives me little glimpses each day of why I do what I do. I pray he does the same for you this week.
Miles In Missions 