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Archive for the ‘Miles In Missions’ Category
Miles Family in Egbe Video
Posted: November 11, 2015 by Patrice Miles in Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions1
“Don’t call me Naomi!”
Posted: November 11, 2015 by Patrice Miles in Egbe, Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Prayer, SIM, VolunteersTags: Africa, Egbe, Egbe Hospital, Egbe Nigeria
“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.” Ruth 1:20-21.
Sitting at MTI (Missions Training International) in Colorado for debriefing and being forced to reflect on the past 26 months in Nigeria, I realize how bitter I am. The excitement of moving to Africa has worn off and the adventure has turned into life. Living in a different culture is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Leaving everything that was comfortable and adjusting to new foods, language, climate and sicknesses while trying to be in relationship with people who don’t think like you, act like you, feel like you or even understand you. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.
Many of us on the Egbe compound are overwhelmed due to the many roles we play. No one has just one hat, we all wear many hats due to the lack of missionaries on the ground. This leaves us exhausted and empty, feeling like we have nothing else to give. I was encouraged today to read Mark 14:33,34 in a different way. He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” Jesus was overwhelmed, distressed, and troubled as he was growing his Father’s kingdom in a culture not his own. If Jesus, the perfect man, experienced these emotions then why in the world would I think my frail humanness wouldn’t? Praise the Lord…I am normal! No comments please!
No one ever told me doing God’s kingdom work would be easy. Why would I think Satan would stand by and watch an entire community be revitalized through a beacon of hope, Egbe Hospital? Why would he just casually watch as missionaries come one by one and pour into peoples lives in Egbe? Oh no….he is going to do everything he can to make it hard so we become overwhelmed, bitter, and give up hope of the miracle that Egbe was and is. Over 20 buildings revitalized, help from over 300 volunteers, unheard of partnerships with Samaritans Purse, Banyan Air, World Medical Missions, SIM, ECWA, 16 containers successfully shipped, no robberies on the road, no serious illnesses, no missionary or volunteer harmed, over 300 staff employed, our own personal cell tower on the compound, 1000’s of lives healed physically and spiritually all in a bush town called Egbe. These Miracles are evidence that God is doing a mighty work in Egbe, but this also means we are a flashing red siren for spiritual warfare. The Miles Family is on the winning team and we pray you will join us!
I am encouraged today to reflect back on the miracles that I have experienced in Egbe and am honored to return in January to continue to watch God work. It doesn’t mean I won’t get overwhelmed, distressed, troubled and even bitter sometimes, but I know who’s team I play ball for and I am up to bat! Will you join me?
We need short term and long term medical and non medical missionaries. Click “YES” to see all the opportunities to serve in Egbe.
We need monthly financial supporters to allow us to continue to serve in Egbe. Click “SUPPORT MILES FAMILY” to sign up.
We need you to pray for the spiritual warfare we face daily. Click “PRAY” to be added to our prayer partners.
We desperately need a General Surgeon ASAP, short term or long term!! Our hsopital is surgeon-less as of December 19th. Please tell everyone you know to spread the word!
Please Feed the UHAUL!!
Posted: October 29, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, PrayerTags: African donations, C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Hospital, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Medical needs
“Do you have any coffee?” Cason asked Shannon in the missions department at Southeast Christian yesterday at 4pm. I had to explain to him that he would never go to bed if he drank coffee a that hour. He just looked at me confused. Its hard to believe we have been in the U.S. for almost 2 weeks now. We have adjusted to the time zone well, but are still tired and need many cups of coffee a day. The food has started to grow on us. Only a few of us have thrown up, so we think we are doing pretty good. HAHA:)
We haven’t stopped running since we touched the ground. Visiting with family, working on videos for our presentations, planning for Global Missions Health Conference next week, mailing out over 450 support letters and still managing our Nigerian staff and projects back in Nigeria. We see rest in the near future at MTI in Colorado and then some time as a family in a chalet in the mountains for missionaries.
We are excited about the many opportunities we have over the next few weeks to present what God has been using our family for in Nigeria. Please join us on Thursday the 5th at 6pm for our open house at Southeast Christian Church ED 216/217. We will have several videos, speakers and food to share with you.
We will be taking a small Uhaul on our road trip of support raising over the next few weeks. We will be picking up supplies for Egbe along the way. If you would like to donate anything please let us know. Below is a list of items we are hoping to collect to put on a container in December in Fort Lauderdale. If there is anything on this list that you have extra of or would like to send to us, please click EGBE to email me. You can also bring donations directly to the Open House on Thursday the 5th. Please feed the Uhaul!!
Thank you to everyone that is continuing to support us financially and in prayer. See you on Thursday the 5th at 6pm!!
Hospital Donations
10 adjustable exam room stools
100 fitted twin sheets (35in wide x 77in long)
50 standard size pillows
Plastic coated pillow covers and cloth covers
2 pairs each of size 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14 closed-toed crocs
10-15 shoe box size and slightly larger plastic bins with covers for storage
50 visitors chair, 1 per bed
Portable carts with TV/Monitors and DVD equipment for evangelism in 4 places
Yoruba and Hausa tracs
Jesus Film in Yoruba and Hausa
Yoruba Bibles
CARE Africa Donations
Backpacks
Pens, black or blue only
School sandals, see picture (sizes 6-9, boys and girls)
Durable flip flops (sizes 6-9, boys and girls)
White socks, over the ankle (all sizes)
Boys boxer briefs (all sizes)
Girls under ware and bras (all sizes)
Soap, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste
Gently used boys sport shorts and shirts (all ages)
Gently used girls cute tops, skirts to the knee and dresses (all ages)
SOCCOR BALLS
Soccor jerseys for training
Beads for bead making
New or slightly used labtop with Microsoft programs and wireless internet capabilities
New or slightly used digital camera with SD card
New or slightly used printer
Children’s books all ages
Any AWANA program items
Plastic spoons, napkins and med size tupperware with lid
Egbe Hospital Construction Donations
Wood and or Metal Lathe with tools
Dewalt cordless hammer drill and impact drill 20V lithium battery w/charger
Honda 5500 and/or 6500 watt generators
12 volt sirens for housing security systems
Mechanic coveralls (sizes med, large and x large)
Black Ink HP 85A Laserjet
Pictures or decor for new duplex and other housing
Nightstands for new duplex
Heavy duty rain coats for the security staff/revite workers
Here We Are, Send Us Back!
Posted: October 15, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer, SIMTags: Africa, CARE Africa, Egbe, Egbe Hospital, Egbe Nigeria, Missionairies
I
SAIAH 6:8 THEN I HEARD A VOICE OF THE LORD SAYING, “WHOM SHALL I SEND? AND WHO WILL GO FOR US?” AND I SAID, “HERE AM I SEND ME!”
HERE WE ARE! SEND US BACK! It has been over two years since we said “Yes” to God and sold everything we owned and moved to Egbe, Nigeria. Many of you have journeyed with us in prayer and or financial support over the past two years and we cannot thank you enough. We are excited to be on home assignment for the next 3 months. During this time we will be traveling the U.S. to share our story, do debriefings with our agency, work at the Global Missions Health Conference and so much more.
Lenny is in phase two of revitalizing the hospital. Construction work has slowed and he is now working towards discipleship of the construction staff in both construction and spiritual growth. The hospital administration is also in phase two as most of the buildings are built and equipment is in place. We now need short term and long-term medical missionaries to say “YES” 
and join us in Egbe.
C.A.R.E. Africa has grown and we now care for 25 orphans. We still have many applicants that want to join our program but we are waiting on God to show us next steps in this ministry. C.A.R.E. Africa is also exploring synergies with Spring of Life, which is an HIV clinic that evangelizes to the community through HIV testing and counseling. God continues to use us in Egbe as the needs are big.
Please come out to our open house in Louisville, KY @ Southeast Christian Church on Thursday Nov 5th from 6pm-7pm so we can share the past two years with you through videos and stories of our time in Egbe. There will be catered food, African handmade products, unbelievable videos and pictures even from Cason and Jolie. Our time is short in Louisville and this may be the only way for us to see several of you.
We are excited about continuing with SIM as long-term missionaries in 2016. We were blessed with many financial supporters over the past two years but due to other obligations several have been unable to continue to journey with us financially. We will need to raise an additional $2,500 a month in monthly supporters to make up for the ones that are unable to continue with us. We also have a goal to raise $20,000 for ministry projects, as well as one time fees needed for things like airfare back to the field. We know God will provide and have already booked our tickets back to Egbe for Jan 3rd, 2016. Will you come and journey with us?
Click this link to sign up now and support Miles In Missions.
To become a prayer partner please click PRAYER.
Devotions are Boring
Posted: October 3, 2015 by Patrice Miles in Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In MissionsTags: Devotions, Egbe Hospital
Devotions in the morning in Egbe can be heard as early as 4:30am in the morning. You can here their singing, praying, and preaching all over the town. From the men beating their drums in the workshop at 7:50am to Oyibosay yelling “Baba, Ese O Baba” out the window at women’s devotions at 8am, devotions in other parts of the hospital compound can also be heard loud and clear.
I have been in Egbe for over 2 years now and I have been frustrated on multiple occasions with our women’s devotions. Every day we sing the same songs in the same order, stand in the same spot, and look at the same person. Some show up on time, some show up late, and normally the “Oyibos” (white people) are the only ones sharing. When everything is finished there is never a prayer request nor a praise spoken and I have to pick someone to pray because they always act like it is a big deal.
I always question what is culture and what is not. Do they just not share prayer requests out of shame? Do they not speak about the devotion and what it means to them out of fear? I don’t know! I do know that too many of us get into a routine with God and our time with him stops meaning something. It simply becomes a to do list item. That is what women’s devotions had become for me and it seemed like for these girls too.
I was frustrated to the point of thinking about canceling the devotions. After talking to my missionary team one Friday night they encouraged me not to give up but to change it up. There was no solution given so I was still frustrated. Monday morning I took it to God and he spoke as he always does when I asked him. He told me to just tell the girls my heart and how frustrated I was. I obeyed and was rewarded beyond anything I could have imagined.
The girls opened up and told me their frustration with devotion too. They were only coming because they were scared I would be mad. They were coming to devotions to please me and not to be obedient to God. When I talked about the routine they started quoting scripture where it says, “Sing to God a new song.” Psalm 96:1. I asked them what we were going to do about it and together we all came up with a solution. Devotions are now in our guesthouse parlor in a relaxed setting sitting down. Except when a song moves us and we need to shake our bum bum! Each morning a different woman is the leader. She chooses the songs to sing, the devotion or scripture to read and then talks about what that means to her. We then open the floor for discussion and then the same woman closes us in prayer.
Since this change, I have been so amazed at how the Holy Spirit has shown up in our time together. All the girls are on time or early now, they have shared amazing things about their lives that I have never known. I have learned more about these girls in the last few weeks, then I have in 26 months. I am once again blessed to see God working in Egbe as we all grow closer to him at our new devotion time. If your time with God has become routine, boring and mundane…I encourage you to share your heart with God and he will speak. Will you obey?
Please take my children!
Posted: September 22, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, OrphansTags: Africa, African Education, C.A.R.E. Africa, CARE Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Nigeria, orphans in africa
Brothel Ladies, Blessing is on the far right.
Meet Blessing. While I was in the US earlier this year a few of our missionaries on the ground stumbled onto a brothel in the town. They met several times with the prostitutes there and built some relationships. A local Pastor, Pastor Wale, came alongside them and was able to get a few ladies to leave the brothel. The church found them places to live for free and even gave them money to help start small businesses. Blessing was one of the ladies that choose to leave the brothel.
When I arrived back to Nigeria in May, Pastor Wale asked if he could enroll Blessings’ two children in CARE Africa. Currently the children lived in another town with grandma and he wanted to reunite them with their mother. Without a guarantee of an education the pastor was concerned for the boys. We immediately said yes and the next week Blessing was reunited with her two boys
Blessing right after being reunited with her two boys.
The following Saturday she came to CARE Africa. When she walked in the door she started crying and begging us to take the kids from her. “Please take my children! This is too much for me!” She said the money she was making selling beans and rice was just not enough to support her and the two boys. She said that everything was much harder than she had imagined it would be. We explained to her we were not an orphanage and prayed with her. We prayed for God to give her the strength to handle her new life and not revert back to the old one.
A few weeks ago I went to check on Blessing and the boys. We sat and talked about the upcoming school year. Once all contracts were signed and everything was understood by all parties I asked how her business was doing. She said it was still the same but she was managing. I asked her if now, a month later, she still wanted to give Friday and Samuel to me and she laughed and said “No”. I told her how proud we were of her for managing and not going back to what she knew and what was easy.
Last week at back to school meeting at CARE Africa.
I then asked her what she needed to help her business do better. She said she needed to be able to buy in bulk. If she could buy more than just a days supplies she would have more profit and thus could invest more into her business. Emma and I started calculating what a whole bag of rice would cost and all the supplies she would need and it came up to N17,000 ($80). I opened my planner and showed Emma what I had written on my to do’s for that day. “Deposit N18,500 from craft sales from volunteer team.” The day before I had sold N18,500 in crafts from CARE Africa to a recent team that visited Egbe. I love it when God shows off! I asked Emma if he felt like we needed to talk about it more or if he felt led to go ahead and help her. He just smiled and said “It looks like we are just suppose to go ahead and do this.” God’s timing is so amazing.
Emma explained all this to Blessing in Yoruba to make sure she knew all the events that led up to her getting this money. I wanted her to understand how none of this could have been a coincidence. Emma explained how God planned for us to visit her that day and to have this money in our pocket from sales yesterday. I looked her in the eyes and said “God loves you Blessing! He thinks you are special! He has chosen you!” I loved getting to see the shy smile on her face as I spoke these truths to her. You could just see in her face that no one had ever told her this.
Samuel on the Left and Friday on the right.
I am so blessed to get to watch God change lives in Egbe. Thank you for continuing to support Miles in Missions and CARE Africa so we can continue to show God’s love to people that have never been shown love. God loves you! He thinks your special! He has chosen you!
Friday and Samuel are Blessings’ children’s names. Friday is currently sponsored but Samuel is not. If God is leading you to help Samuel, click CARE Africa and sign up to send Samuel to school for only $35 a month.
Samuel pounding yam!
Ziploc Bags
Posted: September 18, 2015 by Patrice Miles in Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, NigeriaTags: Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, ziploc
Ziploc bags in Nigeria are like gold. We re-use them over and over again. My paned windows in my house are lined with them everyday as this is the best way to dry them. I will never forget my first visit back to the states and the mind battle I had every time I threw away a Ziploc bag.
Our guesthouse recently ran out of the bags. Kemi, our guesthouse manager, went to Abuja for her monthly Shoprite visit. “No ziploc bags!” she reported back. I had a US Embassy appointment in Abuja and was told I could get Ziploc bags at the Wuse Nigerian market. The last thing I wanted to do with the few free hours I had in Abuja, was visit the chaotic Wuse market, but we needed Ziploc bags. On our way to market, we were stopped by Nigerian police. After being threatened, making it half way to the police station and then being let go, they had delayed us an hour! The Ziploc bags were going to have to wait as our US Embassy appointment was nearing. All I want to do is buy some ziploc bags! 
Why is that so hard? HAHA, becuase you live in Nigeria!
I had to blog this as this is one of the many small things I took for granted in America. I think it is funny at the lengths I have to go to now to find small things that in America you just drive down the road to buy. If you are an expat, I would love to know a few items you took for granted in your home country. Comment below and share with everyone what gold looks like where you live now. For all you Americans reading this blog……the next time you throw away a ziploc bag….think of me 🙂
HELP!
Posted: September 3, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Patrice MilesTags: African Crafts, C.A.R.E. Africa, CARE Africa, Egbe, Middletown Craft Show, Middletown Family Fun Festival
We need your help!! City of Middletown welcomes your family to join them for Middletown’s Family Fun Festival and Craft Show 2015. There are activities for the entire family! Games, booths, a parade, crafts, rides, kidz fun zone and entertainment. This was one of my families favorite festivals when we lived in Louisville.
Our application for the Middletown Family Fun Festival was accepted. God blessed us with a donor for the fees for the booth and now we just need workers. Please pray about helping our C.A.R.E. Africa partner, Diana Beville, run the booth.
If you can help, there are several shifts to choose from:
Friday Sept. 11th 5:00pm-8:00pm
Friday Sept. 11th 8:00pm-11:00pm
Saturday Sept. 12th 9am-12noon
Saturday Sept. 12th 12noon-3:00pm
Saturday Sept. 12th 3:00pm-6:00pm
Saturday Sept. 12th 6:00pm-9:00pm
Ideally, there will be at least 2 people on each shift at the Middletown Family Fun Festival. The more the merrier. If you are not able to volunteer, please consider stopping by our booth or spreading the word for us. Thank you!
Feel free to visit the Middletown Family Fun Festival website by clicking on the link.
Survivors of Airplane Crash in Fort Lauderdale
Posted: September 1, 2015 by Patrice Miles in Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, VolunteersTags: Africa, Egbe, Egbe Hospital, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Fort Lauderdale Plane Crash, Kenneth Mckenzie, Mckenzie, Sonia McKenzie, South Florida News
Everyday I walk to a beautiful new guesthouse with the name over the door McKenzie Manor. In the kitchen of that guesthouse I have devotions with my girls in the mornings. The discussions we have about what God is doing in our lives and the beautiful songs we sing bring such joy to my life. I have heard of the McKenzies but I have never met them. I know that God put Egbe on their hearts when they visited a few years ago with their girls and they donated in a big way. The sacrifice they made now brings joy to my life, my girls in the kitchen and also the volunteers. Lives are changed in this guesthouse. I don’t know if when they said “Yes” to God, they even new what that “Yes” would do.
Today I got to know the McKenzie family a little better. Their story was in the South Florida news. Broward Sheriff’s Office confirms that Kenneth McKenzie, 52, and Sonia McKenzie, 50, left Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport Sunday. Shortly after take off the engine died. They crashed in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Kenneth McKenzie was airlifted to Broward Health North Medical Center with severe burns. Sonia McKenzie was transported to Broward Health North by ground and since has been released.
God says our life on this earth is like a mist. We wake up everyday thinking we will have our health, money, family and job just like we did yesterday. We think of everything we have to do, how much money we need to make, what bills we need to pay, what education our children need to have, what our next vacation will be, what our neighbors have that we don’t, what person got on our nerves yesterday and what birthday present we need to buy this week. Until we get that phone call, experience that weird pain in our chest or see that car heading in our direction, we don’t think about how short our time on earth is.
Hug your kids, call your friend, forgive your parents, love your husband, be satisfied with the life God has given you, stop sweating the small stuff and give your time and resources away to those in need. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Mathew 6:21
Please pray for the McKenzie family! For full article click Egbe Hospital.
A Life Changed
Posted: August 29, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Patrice Miles, SIMTags: Africa, C.A.R.E. Africa, CARE Africa, orphans, orphans in africa
This is a recent letter we received from a family member of one of our orphans, David Olamide.
“A life filled with testimonies is the life of David Olamide since he came in contact with C.A.R.E. Africa. Prior to the time C.A.R.E. Africa became committed to being a helping aid, he couldn’t converse in English Language. His studies were nothing to write home about and so also his behavior and relationship.
Suddenly his behavior at home became a type that is envied so much that his grandmother had to attest to the new development. She (grandmother) confessed that the impact of “ C.A.R.E. Africa” on David Olamide is so enormous that language is in poverty of what could be used to express her gratitude. David Olamide expressed how mixing with the white children has really given him a sense of belonging. Many may say he is (David) wild, but we his family are happy for the acclamation.
He may not be where many think he should be now, but he’s no longer where he used to be. We are grateful for how “C.A.R.E. Africa” came at such a time in his life and gave his life a meaning when many had given up on him. It is an understatement to say “C.A.R.E. Africa” has helped him to find his place in all ramification. More grace to the vision and visioniers. Long live Egbe, Love live Nigeria. Long live C.A.R.E. Africa.” Pst Andrew J.T. Edwards
David is currently sponsored but we have many other children that are still in need of a sponsor. As you have read, you can make a difference in a child’s life. For $35 a month you can sponsor a child. Currently the following children are still in need of a sponsor. Email me if you would like to join the C.A.R.E. Africa team at patrice.miles@sim.org or click C.A.R.E. Africa to make a donation.
Adama
Thankgod
Hosanna
Miles In Missions 