Egbe | Miles In Missions

Archive for the ‘Egbe’ Category

I think I have D.I.D.

Posted: November 9, 2021 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer

I think I have (DID), Dissociative identity disorder previously known as multiple personality disorder. I find that I am one person in the U.S. and an all together different person when I land in Nigeria.

In the U.S. I am confident, in control, busy and efficient. I rarely experience drama or trials that cannot be readily fixed. The car starts like it is supposed to, phones and internet are dependable, if I am injured I can call an ambulance, hospitals and doctors have what they need to fix me, grocery stores are everywhere with plenty of food, a flip of a switch gives me instant electricity and the temperature in my home can be adjusted to my liking – everything in the U.S. works pretty well. I really don’t need anyone or anything and depend primarily on – Patrice!

I have grown to love my American life and for the most part it is very comfortable. Regular date nights with my husband, fun holidays with my family, purposeful activities with my children, a close church community and constant electricity and AC! It’s secure and safe. I wake happy to see the day but lay my head down at night wondering if my life was used in any way to show Christ’s love to someone.

When it’s time for my quarterly visit to Nigeria I start to get anxious. No control, no efficiency, no AC, no dependable electricity, phones or internet. I start to think about all the comforts I will be giving up. The long, uncomfortable 30+hours of travel , insecurity on the roads, the heat…..oh the heat! I think about my husband and kids I will leave behind and the burden on them to manage the household duties. I think about the cultural adjustments, don’t stare people in the eye when talking to them, wear dresses and skirts, cover your head when praying or in church, don’t interrupt someone who is talking (even if they talk for an hour), eat your meat last, use your right hand, greet every person you pass, don’t show fear, and remember you are a women. All this anxiousness actually makes my right eye start twitching weeks before I travel.

The funny thing is the moment I touch ground in Nigeria my second personality comes forward like a pre-programmed robot. Where did this Patrice come from, she was so anxious just a few minutes ago?

I’m confident yet the confidence comes from the Lord – not from Patrice! Every step I take I am praying God goes before me. “Go before me and allow the customs officers to let me through without extortion. Go before me and allow my driver to be alert and careful among the unregulated drivers on the roads. Go before me and allow all the security, army and police check points to go smoothly. Go before me and remove any evil people with intentions of kidnapping or robbery. Go before me and keep malaria, ecoli, typhoid, COVID, and any other sickness away. Go before me and help me adjust to the 6 hour time difference so I can be alert and ready to encourage my staff. Go before me and give me the words and activities necessary to benefit the voiceless and exhausted. Go before me and make every appointment a divine appointment that will help your kingdom grow. Go before me and allow me to get back home to my family and recover quickly from jet lag”.

While in Nigeria, I rely on the Lord each day and every step! I know I cannot do it without Him and He shows up every trip and prepares the way. Oh the pages I could fill of the divine appointments in Nigeria and seeing God so beautifully in them.

So this second personality in Nigeria is confident too, but not in Patrice! It’s confidence in the Lord! I am busy but in His work and activities, I am efficient, not with time or schedules, but with relationships. I must rely on Him because I have no control and no clue what is going to happen next.

My question always is this – how can I take Patrice in Nigeria back to the U.S. with me?

How can I rely on the Lord in the U.S. like I do in Nigeria?

How can I know and see Him orchestrating and protecting every single minute of my life in the U.S. as I do in Nigeria?

God uses each trip to mold me a little more into the woman He wants me to be. Until then I continue to wait for the day I see Him face to face and hear Him say “Well done my good and faithful servant” or as they say in Egbe, Nigeria “You really tried!

Nigeria Trip October 2021

Posted: November 4, 2021 by Patrice Miles in African School, C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Mission Trip, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer

Check our my latest trip to Nigeria. I was so blessed to be able to spend time with my staff encouraging them through leadership training. We re-visited our vision, mission and core values while evaluating our programs and processes. We analyzed our office culture and came up with ways to show Christ’s love better in the lives of those he has entrusted us with. We celebrated our children and continued to work towards progress on our building project for the school. God continues to give us all the strength to be his hands and feet in Egbe, Nigeria.

P.S. My birthday fundraiser for Pastor Alabi was fully funded!! Thank you everyone for helping make my birthday wish come true!

Today is my Birthday!

Posted: October 21, 2021 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Medical Missions, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, People of Egbe, Prayer, SIM, Spring Of Life

Today is my Birthday! Only $1,540 more needed to make my birthday wish come true! Help Pastor Alabi’s family move into his new home! https://donorsee.com/project/11672

Pastor Alabi is married with children and he is the project manager for the Spring Of Life Counseling Center. He works with over 300 patients with infectious diseases through support group meetings, home visitations, outreach and counseling on drug adherence and trauma care. He has been trying to build a home for his family for over 10 years. In Nigeria it is almost impossible to get a mortgage for a home. Every step must be paid for in cash. Pastor Alabi has been trying to divert funds to the building of his home but at the rate he is going it will be another 10 years before he is able to move in. Would you please consider making a difference in this family’s life by helping purchase windows, doors, cement work and a bore hole so they can move into their new home.

Help us invest into Pastor Alabi like he invests into so many every day! https://donorsee.com/project/11672

Make My Birthday Wish Come True!

Posted: October 14, 2021 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Medical Missions, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, People of Egbe, Prayer, SIM, Spring Of Life

One week from today is my Birthday and I only have one wish! Move one of my favorite Nigerians, Pastor Alabi, into his new home! https://donorsee.com/project/11672

Help us invest into Pastor Alabi like he invests into so many every day! https://donorsee.com/project/11672

What’s Been Going on at C.A.R.E. Africa?

Posted: October 11, 2021 by Patrice Miles in African School, AWANA, Board of Directors, C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, People of Egbe, Prayer, Seamstresses

From Canada to the U.S. to Egbe…..here a some beautiful pictures to illustrate what has been going on at C.A.R.E. Africa! Enjoy!

Guess Who Quit Her Job?

Posted: October 5, 2021 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Etsy, Nigeria, Orphans, Prayer, Sponsorship

We are pleased to announce that Diana Beville has accepted a staff position at C.A.R.E. Africa. She will be assuming the role of Child Sponsorship Coordinator.

In 2014 Diana and her husband,Stephen, made their first visit to C.A.R.E. Africa in Egbe Nigeria. It was to be a turning point in Diana’s life. She left Egbe knowing it had captured her heart and she would be back. Immediately on returning from Nigeria, she wanted to know how she could help.

Diana did a one table booth at a local farmer’s market selling jewelry the women in our ministry had handcrafted. Seven years later she has grown into a full, online Etsy store (http://www.CareAfricaStore.com in the US and Canada http://www.CareAfricaStore.ca ). Diana has expanded from a one table booth into huge exhibitor events at GMHC (Global Missions Health Conference), CAFO (Christian Alliance for Orphans), M3/Mobilizing Medical Missions Conference, and Paristown Flea off Markets. Her dedication and love for this ministry is evident and she has already returned to Nigeria three more times since her initial visit.

Diana is married and the mother of two beautiful girls, Kaitlyn and Charlotte. She graduated from University of Louisville. Diana previously worked at Shultz Career Consulting as an employment specialist for people with disabilities. In taking on the Child Sponsorship role, Diana’s goal is to deepen the relationships with our sponsors and their children in Egbe, while also finding new sponsors for more children. We are excited to see how Diana will take our sponsorship experience to a whole new level.

Diana’s first task is collecting letters and/or items for sponsored children to fill suitcases that are going to Nigeria in the month of October. If you sponsor a C.A.R.E. Africa child and would like to send a letter or an item, please email Diana at mailto:diana@icareafrica.org

If you do not currently sponsor a child please take a moment to visit our giving page at http://www.icareafrica.org to see the two beautiful children that are in need of sponsors.

Also feel free to visit our Amazon Wish List for items needed to fill suitcases for October at https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/36KCX0BCJG62W/guest-view

Help Us Fill A Suitcase….Send to Nigeria!

Posted: September 29, 2021 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, Egbe, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe

We have the opportunity again to send needed items to our kids, staff and caregivers in Egbe, Nigeria.

In the month of May we sent out an Amazon list and everyone gave and gave and we filled 4 suitcases! It was so amazing to receive packages everyday for C.A.R.E. Africa! I had the honor of watching the body of Christ show up and show off for everyone in Egbe. They were so excited to receive all the needed items.

We need to do it again! With 78 children, 46 caregivers and 30+ staff now, our needs are never ending. Please consider checking out our Amazon list and purchasing an item or two to help us fill a suitcase. See the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/36KCX0BCJG62W/guest-view

Just a little bit more — Plantains Please

Posted: August 24, 2021 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, People of Egbe, Prayer, Titi

Here is another beautiful post by Titi…….
It seems just like yesterday when I was going through the process of applying to different colleges, plowing through all the uncertainties and doubts with complete blindness and a tentative faith in God. This was then followed by a hasty and quite inadequate preparation for leaving my country for an entirely different population group and […]
Just a little bit more — Plantains Please

Make A Difference

Posted: June 10, 2021 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Oke Ere, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer, Sponsorship

When I moved to Nigeria I had my first experience with absolute poverty. Adults and children with no electricity or sanitation and unable to meet the basic needs for food, shelter and drinking water. No access to social services such as healthcare or education. No assets.

As of 2015, the three countries with the greatest number of people living in extreme poverty are:
– India (175 million)
– Nigeria (86 million)
– Democratic Republic of Congo (55 million)

It was overwhelming. How was I going to make a difference when the needs were so much bigger than me? How was I going to make an impact in the most populated and poverty stricken country in all of Africa?

Have you ever felt this way? So many ministries and nonprofits in need of support. It’s overwhelming. The need is so great. You wonder how your donation can make any impact?

Or perhaps you are cautious. Will my donation even reach the needed recipient after all the fees and ministry costs?

Well, most of you know where I am going …all that I do begins and ends with C.A.R.E. Africa.

We began C.A.R.E. Africa with just two small children.

We always want to think big…Build a School, Dig a Bore Hole, Feed a Village, Stop Sex Trafficking. These are all worthy causes but some of us want smaller, obtainable causes.

So, sponsor just one small child. Provide that one child with an education and access to healthcare. Put your focus on just one child and maybe that child will Build a School, Feed a Village, Dig a Bore Hole or Stop Sex Trafficking when they grow up – thanks to you.

Or sponsor a lunch feeding program for children. This program provides the nutrition many of these children lack. Instead of focusing on their hunger they can focus on their schooling. They will make better grades giving them the confidence to achieve more and go further in their education. A small change that will make a big difference in their future.

Or you could help with needed vehicle repairs. Small and obtainable but with a big impact. Without transportation – attendance to school and our Awana and discipleship programs would be disrupted. Our vehicles are essential as many of our children live remotely and depend on us for transporting them daily.

Small Changes Make a Big Difference!

These are just a few examples of how you can help us make small changes with big impacts. The best part is that all our small changes come with update videos and photos so you can see your donations at work in the lives of the people you helped.

Start making small changes now so you can help us make a huge difference globally.

Follow us on Donorsee to stay updated on all our projects. https://donorsee.com/icareafrica.org?follow After every project is funded, you and all the other donors will receive a follow up video so you can see your donation at work and hear from the recipients you helped. You will be able to see, know and hear that your donation to that small project made a big difference.

Jeremiah 20:9
But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

Recycle with C.A.R.E. Africa

Posted: May 27, 2021 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, People of Egbe

Recycle With C.A.R.E. Africa Please! We need your chip and cookie bags!

A dream of mine has been to have the women at C.A.R.E. Africa learn how to make the candy wrapper purse so we can sell them at markets. These adorable purses are not easy to make! Each purse takes 6 strips of 50 pieces each. That is 300 pieces that have to be cut and folded and joined together. Check out the video attached.

Please save you bags! The sale of these purses will help put food on the tables of several women at C.A.R.E. Africa. If you live in Louisville I can pick them up once you have a box filled. If you don’t live in Louisville then you can ship to me. They are so light and shipping them isn’t expensive. Email me at patrice@icareafrica.org and I will give you my address for shipping.

Thanks for recycling with C.A.R.E. Africa!