Archive for the ‘Miles In Missions’ Category

Short Term Teacher Needed

Posted: February 16, 2016 by Patrice Miles in Egbe Hosptial, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, SIM, Volunteers
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DSC_0007It’s hard to believe that our family has been blessed for almost two years now by Katie Riddle. She has been an amazing teacher for Cason and Jolie and my BFF. Katie and her husband Nick will be heading back to the states for furlough in August of this year. She will be gone 3 to 4 months and we need a substitute teacher. As hard as it would be to replace her, we need you.

If you are a teacher and can serve one month, two months or the full four months, we would love to have y1004091_10100789188202608_1460737636_nou. Cason and Jolie currently use the Abeka DVD curriculum along with some other resources. School days are Monday through Friday 9-3pm. There are of course many other ministry opportunities to dive into, but MK (missionary kid) education would be your main focus. Click this link teacher to learn more about the opportunity. Also feel free to email me at Patrice.miles@sim.org with any questions.

A Gift for You!

Posted: January 23, 2016 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Miles In Missions, Nigeria
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Susanna, Gift, Ngozi (Goodness), Thankgod and Favor

Over a year ago I met women named Gift. She was a widow with 4 children and she was struggling to provide for her family. C.A.R.E. Africa took in her children and enrolled them in school and our other programs. We then wanted to empower Gift so she could one day take care of her children on her own. She said she wanted to learn to be a seamstress. Seamstress work in Egbe is high in demand. Fabric is selected from the local market and then women and men choose their style and the seamstress makes it. The traditional African fabric is worn by many people everyday. The goal would be for Gift to learn this trade and then we would help her get a sewing machine and her own shop.

2013 ankara dress style

Traditional African Fabric Outfit (Ankara)

We found a local seamstress to train Gift on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. Gift needed the remaining days to find work so she could buy food and provisions for her family. The plan started out well but eventually Gift was missing her classes. I asked her why she was not coming. She advised me that she needed to work more. Working only two days a week was not enough to feed her kids.

I completely understood, but it caused a dilemma for me. How do I empower women if they cannot take time away from work to learn a trade? God put it on my heart to try and get a sponsor for Gift the same way we have been getting sponsors for our children in C.A.R.E. Africa. I sat down with Gift to ask her, “If I could have your income supplemented for a year would you commit to seamstress training for that entire year?” I made it clear she could not miss one class. She agreed and I then felt led to ask a friend I know in the U.S. for her sponsorship. She said “yes” to sponsoring Gift. I was so excited to have our first Empowerment Sponsorship!!

DSC_0571To put icing on the cake, two days later I get this Facebook message….
Patrice, I have just received a check here for $200 from ————-, which is one of the churches in the Heart of Texas Baptist Network. She is saying that they want it to go toward Nigeria missions. She is very learned on the things going on in Nigeria and she suggested a sewing machine, but she said should would like for you to make a decision where it goes based on your deepest need.

WOW!! He knew what I needed before I even asked Don’t you just love it when you hear Gods voice, obey and then he just opens the floodgates!! Spend time with him today…….hear his voice today……obey today……..he will provide more than you can even begin to imagine!

Why do we do what we do?

Posted: January 18, 2016 by Patrice Miles in Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, SIM
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This amazing video give a small glimpse of why Miles In Missions wakes up everyday to serve at ECWA Hospital Egbe. Come and join us out in the bush. We have plenty of openings for short term and long term missionaries!! Visit http://www.sim.org/index.php/opportunity/country/NG for more information on opportunities to serve in Egbe, Nigeria

 

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What is Normal?

Posted: January 14, 2016 by Patrice Miles in Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Patrice Miles
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What is normal? Google says normal is conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.

Miles Family

Before God called me to Africa normal was;                   -a job I went to every day of the week that paid me in American dollars                                                                  -a house I paid a mortgage on that had AC in the winter an awesome fireplace for the winter
-a church in a building with amazing worship talent, small groups and many other activities to get involved in
-a school for my kids that I paid tuition for and I tried to get involved in
-3 meals a day with food that I could drive 5 minutes away to purchase
-weekly dining out dates with my family and or husband
-weekends full of events from sports to birthday parties
-changing weather from hot to cold every year
-once the weekend was finished, I did it all over again the next week

I loved my normal! It was comfortable and I knew what was expected of me and what I expected of others. I normally felt in control because everyday was the usual, typical day.

Miles Family PicSince moving to Africa, the normal is;
-a ministry I am apart of everyday that pays me in smiles, thank you’s and stress.
-a house I rent with undependable electricity, bugs, windows that stay open year round and currently Harmattan everywhere
-a small church in my home worshipping God with my husband and two children in our family room
– a school for my kids that is free and they are the only two children
– 3 meals a day all with my family with food freshly killed or store bought over 7 hours away
– weekly dining out at the Guesthouse with fellow missionaries
– weekends filled with hiking, bush rides, bead making, getting a suntan or just hanging out.
– changing weather from hot to hotter and hottest
– once the weekend is over I have no clue what next week will hold and have stopped trying to plan it or guess what might happen.

I love my new normal! It is very uncomfortable but not in the way you would think. I don’t know what to expect and I don’t always understand what others expect of me. I never feel in control. Everyday holds new problems and stresses that I am not prepared to handle. I have to sit at my makers feet every morning in order to be prepared for the day. It can be freeing if I let it, but then it can also be stressful if I try to do it on my own.

I encourage you to embrace your normal, but to always be open to a new normal God might be calling you to. Weather it is a new job, switching kids to a new school, a new friend, a new home or maybe a move around the world. Whatever your normal or new normal might be, you cannot do it alone. Trust in him and have faith he will always provide what you need even if it may not be what you exspected.

 

 

Egbe-ites Going Away Open House

Posted: December 29, 2015 by Patrice Miles in Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions
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egbeiteThe Egbe-ites head out on Saturday morning, January 2nd for two years. We are so sorry if we didn’t get to see you while we were in town. We would love for you to stop in for some appetizers and to say good-bye 6pm-9pm Friday, New Years Day, at my Father’s home. The address is 12334 Dominion Way Louisville, Ky 40299. We will also have FREE t-shirts available for anyone that hasn’t been able to get one yet. Click Miles In Missions to make your donation or email me for check or cash options and you can pick up a shirt on Friday or we can mail it to you.

FREE T-Shirt

Posted: December 25, 2015 by Patrice Miles in Egbe, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Nigeria
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egbeite

I remember in college walking to class and seeing a “FREE t-shirt” of John Belushi. Three years later when the credit card I signed up for still had a balance, I realized that the “FREE t-shirt” was actually a huge learning experience and definitely not “FREE”.

Miles in Missions is having one last big fundraising blow out! Our goal is to give away 100 “FREE t-shirts”. For a minimum donation of $25 to our ministry we will send you a “FREE t-shirt”. Simply click SIM and make your donation online and put in the memo “FREE”.

We promise we will never send you a past due notice or call you with debt-collections. Instead, by becoming an Egbe-ite you are helping us give away the one thing in life that is FREE, salvation.

Please remember your gift is a tax-deductible donation, so if you want to have an end of year 2015 donation please do so by December 31st.

Merry Christmas

Spaghetti Dinner

Posted: December 14, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Miles In Missions
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IMG_1371I see on Facebook all the time a story of a little girl or boy somewhere in the U.S. that has made a billion cupcakes or had a lemonade stand that sold $5,000 worth of lemonade. You read how the child wanted to raise money for an orphanage or for food for a village in Africa. I have always read these stories with tears in my eyes and never thought I would be the recipient of one.

Today I leave a small small town in Texas called Center City feeling overwhelmed, blessed and humbled. Over a year ago a women named Linda received something in the mail about missionaries. It inspired her to teach a children’s Sunday school class about missions. After the class, two little girls, Tori and Lilly, were inspired to not just hear the message but to act on it. They wanted to help in a big way and begged Linda to find them a ministry they could help. Linda contacted Don Fawcett at The Baptist Network. He had just recently met Emma and I in Egbe, Nigeria and learned about C.A.R.E. Africa. Once he told Linda about the ministry she was so excited and told Tori and Lilly about it. They immediately wanted to sponsor one of the C.A.R.E. Africa kids. They decided to have a spaghetti dinner to raise the money. To their surprise the congregation came together and raised enough to support three C.A.R.E. Africa kids.

IMG_1349On the other side of the ocean Emma and I were in Egbe, Nigeria praying diligently for funds for C.A.R.E. Africa. I had taken in more children than we had money for and was going to close the doors. I had no clue how to afford the children we currently had and God was still bringing more children to us. When I received the email from Linda that they were going to sponsor a child, I was filled with joy. I thanked God for the answer to prayer but told him we still had several others that needed sponsorship. A few days later I received the news from Linda that God showed up at their spaghetti dinner and stirred people hearts. They could now sponsor three children. Wow!

IMG_1350Today was an amazing time with this small church that God is using in a mighty way. They have all the C.A.R.E. Africa kids pictures posted around the church. They allowed us to speak at their service and show video. They took up a love offering for us and prayed for our ministry. They told us they have adopted our family into the congregation forever and then fed us so much food we were about to bust. Truly amazed at how God can take people from all over the world to change the world and grow his kingdom!

 

See our video below to learn more about C.A.R.E. Africa. You can sponsor a child for $35 a month. Click C.A.R.E. Africa to sign up now. 

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Roller Coaster Ride

Posted: December 9, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe Hosptial, Fundraising, Miles In Missions
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Screen Shot 2015-12-08 at 6.20.33 PMI am coming to the conclusion that missionary life is a roller coaster ride. When we said “Yes” over two years ago it was like getting in line for the roller coaster ride. We waited in line for 6 months while supporters said “Yes” to support us in Egbe. When we were 100% supported the gate opened and we boarded this roller coaster called Egbe, Nigeria. The ups and the downs, the excitement and sadness, the good times and the bad times continue to keep us with that feeling of your stomach in your throat. There is so many days I want to get off…I’m dizzy, beat up and tired. There is other times that I don’t want it to stop. I beg to go around and around again and I through my hands in the air as high as I can feeling as free as a bird.

Screen Shot 2015-12-08 at 6.22.16 PMOn October 15th, 2015 we got off the roller coaster ride to come back to the U.S. to take time to rest, raise support and transition to long-term missionaries with SIM. We have committed to serve for two more years with the Egbe Hospital Revitalization Project. With increases in health and evacuation insurance, loss of supporters who are unable to continue on our journey with us and long term ministry costs, we are several thousand dollars short of our monthly budget. With over 20 buildings renovated and/or built and our C.A.R.E. Africa ministry coming out of the one year mark, there is still so much more to do. So many lives are still waiting to be mentored and discipled but we cannot get back to Egbe without supporters.

We are standing in line again for the Egbe ride waiting for God to call additional supporters to support our ministry. We are suppose to board the ride on January 2nd 2016, pending we are fully funded. SIM will not open the gate to the Egbe ride without additional supporters saying “Yes” to Egbe. Please say “Yes” to Egbe! We are asking that you prayerfully consider supporting our ministry on a monthly basis. There is no amount too small or too big. $10 a month to $1,000 a month gets us that much closer to Egbe. Click Miles in Missions to sign up.

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Norwex

Posted: November 29, 2015 by Patrice Miles in Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Patrice Miles
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11986431_10154067518152334_934970296776599310_nI recently was invited to a Norwex party and was upset no one had ever told me about these wonderful products. After begging volunteers to bring Nozema or filling our precious luggage with shaving cream and soaps…I wish I had known about Norwex. If you don’t know about these antibacterial clothes lined with silver, now you do. The body cloth is my favorite b/c now I don’t have to use eye make up remover, face wash, soap or shaving cream. Next would be the kitchen cloth. I was blessed when a volunteer left me several tubes of Clorox wipes but once depleted, JIK (bleach) was the alternative. With the kitchen cloth I will never need JIK again. There are many other amazing products like a window cloth that cleans your windows streak free with just a little water or the dryer balls so you never need fabric softner again.

Screen Shot 2015-11-29 at 2.03.21 PMPam Donaldson a consultant with Norwex volunteered to give her 40% commission to Miles In Missions on any products ordered through my online show. So if you love Norwex and need more products or would like to try Norwex click NORWEX to order. They also make great Christmas gifts and it is just another way you can help our ministry in Egbe, Nigeria.
We continue to need monthly financial supporters so we can be at 100% support and be allowed to return to Egbe on Jan 2nd. If Norwex is not your thing and you would rather support us monthly please click Miles In Missions. Remember no monthly or one time gift is too small.

 

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Road Trip

Posted: November 16, 2015 by Patrice Miles in Egbe, Egbe Hosptial, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, SIM
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IMG_0730After 4 weeks in Louisville living with the hostess with the mostest, my Dad and Minette, we are off on a road trip for the next month. While in Louisville we were so blessed to get to show what God is doing in Egbe at our open house, speak to possible medical missionaries at the Egbe Hospital booth at GMHC (Global Mission Health Conference) and collect an overwhelming amount of donations for Egbe. In addition we were able to fly to Colorado Springs to MTI (Missions Training International), which was insightful and so encouraging. Now it is time to take this show on the road.

Screen Shot 2015-11-16 at 3.03.43 PMOur first stop is Edenridge (Mission to Missionairies)  for some family time just the four of us with junk food, movies and our PJ’s! Next is a visit to Samaritans Purse, SIM, and a missionary family considering Egbe. Then we will celebrate Thanksgiving with my senior brother and his family in Charlotte, NC. Next is Ft Myers Beach FL to visit Lenny’s 82 year old grandmother and we will stop to visit a few supporters along the way. Next is Banyan Air in Ft Lauderdale where our U.S. Egbe team is and the container heading to Egbe. From there it’s off to Orlando for our Christmas present from Poppy, Disneyworld!! Once we have visited with Mickey Mouse and all the princesses we jump on a flight to Dallas/Fort Worth Texas. We will spend some time in Early TX with a supporter and with Central City Church. Then we head to see our favorite Nigerian family of 5, The Starns family in Buffalo! Last but not least my Eicher family in Lewisville, TX and then my Sisters…Hilary and Courtney and their parents in Sunnyvale, TX. Back to Louisville just in time for Christmas with the family and then we are headed home to Nigeria on January 2nd.

Wow I am exhausted just typing this but we are so excited to get to see everyone. Several of our supporters will be able to pour so much wisdom into our ministry, answering questions and guiding us on next steps. Many have be praying for us but now we will get to pray together. We are excited to be an encouragement and to be encouraged over the next 30 days. Good bye and Hello!

Miles Family PicP.S. Just because we have left Louisville, KY doesn’t mean it is too late to sign up to financially support our family in Egbe, Nigeria. We are still in need of several monthly supporters. No amount monthly is too small or too big. Click here to sign up Miles In Missions.

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