Miles In Missions

Learning, Laughing and Sweating!

Posted: October 6, 2014 by Patrice Miles in Uncategorized

Now into our fourth week of school we are already having a great time learning and laughing together! We are LEARNING as we begin establishing a routine and strategy for our days, and discover what does and does not work inside a less than typical classroom setting. For the kids the books are filled with new subjects to learn, and as for me the subjects may be old, but still ones I must RE-learn. Predicates, action verbs, spelling list, phonic sounds, word problems and read alouds have come back to haunt me! All those things I thought I had left far, far behind!!! Through learning we are also LAUGHING! As I said school in Africa is just a little more quirky and we just have to laugh at our daily struggles and mishaps. Science experiements have already failed miserably, but we just move on! Unexpected bathroom visits are a commonality…

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Back to Normal…… Sort Of

Posted: October 4, 2014 by Lenny in Egbe, Egbe Hosptial, Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Prayer

Since returning back home to Nigeria from our three week break, a few things have changed. Most significantly for myself, I have been asked to take the role of Construction Manager. This has happened for several reasons; –The role just fits me better. With my past experiences in building new homes and other construction experiences, this is where God can use me most. –We had to say goodbye to our friend and Samaritans Purse Construction Manager, William King. William had served two and a half years in this role, but he is moving on to another part of Africa. –New missionary Rick Bradford and his wife, Martha, arrived less than six weeks ago. Rick has become the new Maintenance Supervisor, filling my vacant role. He has extensive maintenance experience with a large steel company in Canada.

So, along with change come new challenges. Work has gotten much more demanding for me. I feel the pressure coming from all around. Some of it is brought on by myself, but other things are external forces that seem to weigh me down. The pressure of running a multi-million dollar project, accounting, ordering, directing, and managing, all the while trying to make sure no one is stealing or cheating, is exhausting! The thoughts of, “I’ve got to do all of this myself!”, has really started to creep into my thinking.

In addition to the construction, our Family has been on the ground serving in Egbe for the longest, just 13 months. People many times look to us for answers to questions that we have no answers to. Our missionary community has grown leaps and bounds since we first arrived. In August of last year, there were only three other full time missionaries on ground, now there are 12 plus our family. This is great, but along with it comes its own challenges. We all live within a one and a half acre area, where we serve, live, work, and on most weekends eat together. Everyone has different demands, opinions, needs, and life experiences that can be challenging.

All of this is happening while we are trying to keep our families healthy and happy. We also hope that God is glorified through it all.

Wait… wait just a minute! This doesn’t sound right. Aren’t we taught as Christians that we should glorify God first, take care of our family second, and thirdly take care of work? Why is it that everyday I have this order reversed? Even while writing this blog, I have done the list backwards. Work first, family second, and then God. What is wrong with this picture? What does it all mean?

I don’t say all of these things to complain or seek sympathy, but just to simply say that we are all human. Some people seem to put missionaries on a “spiritual pedestal”, but in reality we are just like everyone else. We can all let our circumstances drive us. In the process, we can easily leave God out of it and try to control it ourselves. This isn’t God’s plan for our lives. He wants us to seek him first and then all else will fall in place. Including our families and work.

I was challenged by our small group here in Egbe to make sure that I am seeking God first. Truly it’s made a difference in a few days already. Things that I’ve wanted to get off of my to-do list are getting done, emails rolling off my fingertips, and other administrative stuff getting plowed through. Sometimes, even with a little time left over for fun! How can you allow God into your life to take away the weight of your to do’s? Seek him, ask him, and watch what he can do in your life. He loves you enough to take it from you!

Please continue to pray for our family. Dry season is approaching and the heat and dust can be extremely uncomfortable. This can add stress and irritability, so continue to pray for us to put God first through it all

Ebola in Nigeria

Posted: September 15, 2014 by Patrice Miles in Egbe, Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Prayer

The world was awakened to Ebola several weeks ago when our fellow SIM friend Nancy Writebol and SP worker Kent Brantley contracted this horrific disease. It seemed like anything I read on Facebook was about Ebola. Since then we were relieved to hear that all our SIM friends that were living in Liberia, are back in the U.S. and doing well.

I am sure you have heard that Ebola is in Nigeria now. Currently there is 19 cases and 7 deaths. Lagos and Port Harcourt are currently the two effected cities. Both of these cities are about as far away from Egbe, as Louisville, Ky is from Charlotte NC. Due to the distance one would think the likelihood of it coming to Egbe is very small. However, when the first case was reported I gripped my chair and my mind started racing. What if it spreads? Can it come to Egbe? Will people hear about our fancy new hospital and think the Western doctor can cure Ebola? What can we do and how can we control it?

Well you cannot do anything but prepare for it and you definitely cannot control it, you can only contain it. This statement is not something that comes easily acceptable to me and my Western mind. My whole life I have planned, studied, prepared, and controlled everything…or so I thought. Now I am faced with something so much bigger than my mind can even grasp. The funniest thing is if you talk to anyone in the Egbe community, they are not worried or anxious. Their response is that Ebola will not come to Egbe. They say it with such faith and belief it will make you tremble! “Ebola will not come to Egbe!”

I don’t know what God has planned, but what I do know is what he promises. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

As our medical team creates an isolation ward, security is tightening, pre screening of patients is starting and we have ceased all visits to the wards by non-essential personal. While all of these pre cautions are being implemented and the local churches are praying for this hospital at 4:30am every morning, I find peace in my time here in Egbe. Everyday I wake up in the freedom to know that he has got my family in the palm of his hand. He has us right were he wants us.

I am so proud of the team of professionals I serve with. I have watched our Medical Director, head Family Physician, Samaritans Purse Project Leader and my husband spend hours on meetings, calls back to the states, intense research and collaboration and then implementation of new policies and procedures. This disease is foreign to everyone here but “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

For more information on the Ebola Crisis visit http://www.simusa.org/ebolacrisis

Blessing # 14

Posted: August 23, 2014 by Lenny in Egbe, Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria

One of the biggest blessings our compound gets to see is a container coming and being unloaded with much needed supplies for the reutilization of the hospital. Living and building “in the bush” of Africa has its challenges. Some of those challenges are being able to find quality construction materials, medical equipment, and other things that help make the missionaries lives more comfortable while serving here.

God has truly blessed this community, hospital, and its missionaries with an incredible support team in the US and Canada. They are dedicated to revitalization project just as much as every missionary living on the ground in Egbe. They are in constant communication with all the missionaries and ask, “What is needed?” Most of the time we answer this question and a few months later, whatever the request, it’s at our door step being offloaded from these containers. With every container comes hard work to unload it, but also comes the huge boost to morale. When each box, pallet, or shrink wrapped piece comes off, we say “Wow, look at that!” or “There that is!”

Also, each empty container is dropped off of the truck to be kept on our compound for temporary storage and we are in the process of making future plans to make small buildings with these containers in the future. These may become low-cost workshops or possibly store fronts for the hospital vendors. The possibilities with containers are truly amazing when you start to research their potential. One website I had found shown people with really nice houses made out of a few of these containers. Really creative!

The most recent container #14 had shown up on Sunday, August 17 at around 9:30 a.m. I wanted to capture the hard work and the organized “chaos” each container brings when unloading one. I placed a time lapse camera on the roof nearest our unloading dock to capture the entire process. The video shows a total of five hours worth of unloading and then removing the container off of the trailer. The camera took one picture every five seconds for a total of 2,900 pictures. These are played back at 25 frames per second. The five hours of work has been condensed down to two minutes of video. Enjoy to the end were we try to “offload” the container from the trailer. We tried to keep it upright just like all of the offloads before it, but….

Work Boots – Part 2: The Road Trip

Posted: August 19, 2014 by Patrice Miles in Uncategorized

This is an amazing story from our friends in Louisville that visited a few months ago.

beville75

We returned from Africa on May 17, 2014. Coming home was both comfort and conflict. I wanted my bed. And I wanted my babies. But I didn’t want to forget what I was learning. I missed my new friends and the Miles. I didn’t want it to just be a vacation. I didn’t want marriage to become mundane again. I didn’t want to forget the whispers inviting me to the Kingdom – not just in Egbe, but at home too.

My good intentions were boiling over, so within a week I called Lisa at LifeBridge (<-link) to get some guidance on how to go about seeking donations. Her advice was to start locally.

I didn’t do many things right in this process – I really was just along for the ride – but one major thing I learned in Africa is that I NEED God. Not as a magic 8 ball or…

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Work Boots – Part 1: The Invitation

Posted: August 19, 2014 by Patrice Miles in Uncategorized

This is an amazing story from our friends in Louisville that visited a few months ago.

beville75

IMG_4507.2 In May of 2014 my husband, Stephen, and I spent 2 weeks in Egbe, Nigeria. After 25 hours of airports & flights + 8 hours of a slow, bumpy drive from the capital city of Abuja, we were IN Egbe. Not looking at pictures, but THERE.

Egbe is a small, poor African town without much running water, nor a trash system. Pigs and goats roam like squirrels. Young children may or may not wear pants. There are small markets and schools. Many homes. At least 1 hotel. Machines (mopeds) everywhere. Streets full of mostly-friendly pedestrians. Ancient stony hills partially surround the city. No public parks or city bus. And on the edge of town, there is a hospital. A life-giving, life-saving; life-changing hospital.

ECWA Hospital is being revitalized by the children of George Campion, the man who originally built it in the 1950’s. Our friends, Lenny & Patrice Miles…

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Hands and Feet of Jesus

Posted: August 14, 2014 by Patrice Miles in Uncategorized

Beautiful post from friends of ours that I have been waiting to see pop back up on the radar. So glad to hear your words Bethany!! We are all so proud of your Dad and your family for serving!

Bethany Fankhauser

As my throat began to choke up and tears slowly filled my eyes, I looked up at my dad dressed in a Tyvec suit and full protective gear. The image before me was one I will never forget.

My dad, a missionary doctor, was standing in a circle of nurses and aids, praying. He was lifting up prayers for the patients who were suffering from Ebola, for their family members, and for the protection of the staff who were about to step into the isolation unit. I held my camera close to my side. When I heard my dad say, “amen,” I glanced at the group standing before me and felt a strong sense that I was in the presence of people who were acting as the hands and feet of Jesus.

There were rain drops falling off of the tin roof covering the ELWA Hospital Chapel. The newly painted chapel had been converted…

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1 Year Furlough

Posted: August 9, 2014 by Patrice Miles in Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Patrice Miles, SIM

Soon my family and I will be heading out on our one year furlough. Four months ago when my husband started planning this, I wasn’t that excited. I love Egbe so much that I didn’t feel like all the work to plan and leave was worth it.

Traveling out of Egbe isn’t so easy. The first battle is planning your trip through limited internet access, blocked websites and emails because we live in Nigeria and bad phone service. Once that is planned then you have to book tickets trying to use points so we can travel for close to Free. Then plan your 8hr drive to the airport that will be an exhausting venture for our family. Both Lenny and I have roles and duties in Egbe that have to be delegated out to other Missionaries and national staff. We have to plan for the care of our dogs, cats, house, yard etc. and pack our entire family for different climates than we are used to. Sometimes you need a furlough just from planning your furlough…haha!

After all this planning we are less than two weeks from our furlough and I am so glad my husband made us do it. We are exhausted from the past year of work. Just in the past two months alone we have prepared 5 new missionary houses, oriented 6 new Missionaires to Egbe living, hosted over 24 volunteers, moved into the new OPD, moved CSR, put a facelift on maternity, built a new guardhouse and gate and I am forgetting so much more as the past two months is a blur. Needless to say our family needs this time together on furlough. So why do I feel so guilty for taking it?

As I think about the comfort and rest that this furlough will give my family, I also think of so many I leave behind that can barely afford to buy food and water. How do I not feel guilty? When our supporters see our pictures on Facebook and wonder if we are using their hard earned money to play abroad, how do I enjoy my time away? These are the thoughts and feelings I battle with as we prepare to leave.

Mark 6:31 Then because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them. “Come with me by yourselves to a quite place and get some rest” This verse reminded me that even Jesus and his disciples needed to get away from their ministry to rest. We all need rest. So many of us go go go no matter what country we live in. When we finally sit down we feel guilty because there is still so much work to do. I have come to the conclusion that I am good to no one without rest. When you burn the candle at both ends it burns out so much quicker. When you live were you work you have to leave to find rest.

We are excited to find rest in Europe in less than two weeks. I hope you will enjoy our pictures on Facebook as we find rest in multiple SIM guesthouses. I pray you will celebrate with us as we get to spend time alone with God and our children as we re-energize for another year in Egbe!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Posted: August 5, 2014 by Lenny in Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria, Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Nigeria

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The unexpected realities of working at a mission hospital…….

When preparing for our new lives as missionaries over a year ago, I had never put much thought into the fact that we would be serving at a health care facility. Having never worked in a medical field before, I wasn’t really prepared for the sights, sounds, and smells of all that comes with it. This blog piece is about those new and interesting things that I’ve learned in the past year of living here.

First the Good. Wow, praise God for the miracles that do happen! I have been around many patients with hopeless diagnoses and have gotten to see those ailments get cared for and healed. This is very up lifting and it shows the power of God working through his servants here on the ground. Hearing the surgeon come out of surgery and tell us all that the patient will make it when the case could have went one way or the other on the operating table, is very, very encouraging. Also, when a patient that had a particular “rough case” gets to go home and is smiling from ear to ear, it is very rewarding for us here serving in this capacity!

Next, the bad. Lets face it, death is not pretty. Sometimes it can be welcomed for the elderly family member that has been suffering for a long time. However, generally death is not welcomed and no-one really ever wants to say good-bye. One of the most sobering and impactful things for myself is seeing death up close and a little too personal.

Several cases come to mind as I write this, but I want to tell you particularly about a 20 (+/-) year old man that came in with major chest trauma. I remember there was yelling and commotion at our gate so I went to investigate. This is usually the case with most road accidents because someone is usually irate at the other party. The young man was just being wheeled out from our x-ray unit. I stood on the side of the walkway and could see the mans lifeless eyes as they wheeled him by. It hit me like a ton of bricks. An alive an energetic man just a few minutes before, was now dead and had died while they were taking x-rays of his chest. The story is that this man was a “tree cutter” and with this job, they load large logs onto the back of dump trucks. He happened to be standing between two trucks when one backed up and crushed him at chest level. So very sad.

Lastly, the ugly. Well, lets just say that sanitation is not the utmost priority here. During times of maintaining equipment its very common to open up a panel and find dried blood and other unrecognizable things inside. Next, the morgue at the hospital is not a place that I frequent. I’ve been there a total of two times in a year just to maintain several air conditioners. The smell of death and decay is something I will never forget, although I would like to.

Also, the reality of amputations has hit home. The doctors might explain that a person has to have an extremity taken off due to gangrene or a severe injury and I wonder where that body part goes. Well, lets not go there at all! There are no garbage trucks, no biomedical waste trucks, or anything else that comes to this hospital. These things simply do not exist here and all of our waste is contained within our 33 acre compound.

Our revitalization team here is doing everything in our power to improve the conditions I described. Most comes from educating the staff, doctors and nurses. Other things such as improved morgue facilities to care for our dead and an incinerator to take care of the biomedical waste, comes from us the maintenance and construction crews. Please pray for God’s continued blessing on this project through financial partners, wise missionaries, and our Nigerian counterparts to bring this hospital up to its full potential.

Through all of this, God has shown me many things in my heart to love on people more and truly appreciate my family. As we all know, life if very fragile and it can be taken away at any moment. Love God, love your family, and love your neighbor as yourself. These things are the most important acts we get to chose to do everyday.

Dog Food

Posted: July 26, 2014 by Patrice Miles in Egbe, Miles In Missions, Uncategorized

When I moved to Nigeria I knew we would probably have animals. My whole family is animal lovers and I have always had dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes etc. Once arriving to Nigeria we were so excited to be given a gift of a 6 week old puppy. Bingo was his name O. After the excitement and play time with the new pup was over, I realized I had to feed it. What do you feed a puppy in the bush of Nigeria? I can’t just run up to the local grocery store and pick up some dog food. We were told to feed him pop which is a ground corn, beans, water and seasoning that is boiled and looks like oatmeal. This worked for awhile but once he grew he needed more solid food. We started giving him our leftovers…bones and all. I think we had one of the fattest dogs in Egbe. Dogs here are for protection and are lucky to eat daily so very skinny.

A few months later while in JOS we fell in love with a German Shepherd and brought him home for a playmate for Bingo. With two mouths to feed a big bag of dog food sure would have been nice. We started with leftovers but never had enough. Instead we had to take corn, ground nut (small peanut) and dried fish to a grinder to grind it into a powder. Then about every 3 days Shola has to take a big pot and cook this powder with water, Maggie cubes and cut up yam until it makes an oatmeal chunky mush. It’s really disgusting and smells. Once it cools we put it in Tupperware in our fridge. It swells up sometime and comes out of the container and all over my fridge. When feeding the dogs the kids normally gag as they take the food out to them. For the most part the dogs eat it but they still prefer leftovers.

Lately this mush still seems to leave them hungry so I have been googling and trying different variations. No matter what I try it isn’t easy and every few days we are making dog food again and again and again. I would love to find something more hearty as our bush dog Bingo still tries to escape our yard daily to find food. Never in a million years did I think that I would be googling dog food recipes but that is the life of a Missionairy in the bush and I love it! They are kinda cute too!

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