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Patrice Miles
LennyJust wanted to say Hi from our side of the world! (click picture)
Archive for the ‘Missionaries’ Category
Saying Hello!
Posted: March 6, 2018 by Lenny in Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, SIM4
What’s Lenny up to?
Posted: February 6, 2018 by Lenny in Jos Nigeria, Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Mission Trip, Mission Trips, Missionaries, Nigeria, Patrice Miles, Prayer, SIM, Uncategorized, VolunteersI’ve been busy that’s for sure…
I’ve created SIM Nigeria’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vimeo accounts. I of course stay busy finding and putting content on these social media pages for maximum exposure. I’ve been to several local events to film or take pictures to publish on our media sites. I’ve recently revised and published two very important brochures that SIM Nigeria uses for recruitment of short term missionaries as well as medical missionaries.
Along with all of this, there has also been a lot of traveling for me over the past few months in order to get video of four Theological colleges where SIM missionaries can come to serve. One of the colleges is about a 14 hour drive away from where we live. Another college is three hours away and yet another is about six hours away. This last one being located almost to the most northern border of Nigeria. Each visit consisted of many interviews with educators, administrators, and students. After all of the travel, I’ve spent about 60 hours editing this one video. The purpose of this is to get people excited about the opportunities to serve with SIM Nigeria if they are a professor or educator. Click the picture to see the video.
This will be longest of a series of videos I will complete for theological education in Nigeria. The idea would be to provide shorter versions of this to get people excited and if they should want more information, then they can watch this longer seven minute video.
Overall, my role here with SIM Nigeria is being well received by our fellow missionaries, who’s excitement is growing as they see the potential of helping their ministries. Also, our administration is enthused about this becoming a huge recruitment tool for our field. Some of the biggest excitement is from our Nigerian church, ECWA. These brothers and sisters who are ministering all over Nigeria, see the potential to provide a huge tool for them to reach the lost.
Pray for me as my work load is not getting smaller, but rather bigger. Upcoming, I will be working on videos and materials for medical missions, youth ministries, ministering to those marginalized & vulnerable in our society, short-term missions, the persecuted church, indigenous missions, trauma healing ministries, and so much more! Also, pray for workers, as the harvest is plentiful.
Accidents Happen!
Posted: January 30, 2018 by Lenny in Jos Nigeria, Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Patrice Miles, Prayer
Wrecked CRV
On New Years Eve, one of former colleagues from Egbe was in Jos to visit. She said she wanted to meet one of her friends just down the road and said she would get a ride in a small taxi called a keke (kay-kay). Patrice said, “No way, just take our car and come back when your done.”
Unfortunately, she made it only about a half mile from the house before she was hit by another driver. The 4-way intersection is unmarked with any stop signs and it is unclear who truly has the right of way, even though our friend was on the larger
“main road”. Thankfully she is OK and had only some bruising and soreness on her left arm from the impact. We are relieved that the side airbag did deploy for her safety.
My Find in Abuja!
Our car suffered the worst. We deemed it a total loss and sold it for parts money. The good news is that SIM has a car insurance group and they are covering most all of the funds for replacement cost of that cars value. The only problem now was buying a car in Nigeria. The last car we bought, we bought from a missionary and we knew the history.
I had to take a short trip to Abuja to car shop and it was quite the experience. Most everything that I could look at had been wrecked and had terrible quality repair jobs. I was a little bummed that I couldn’t find something dependable until we came across the last car that I would l
ook at that day. A British embassy employee was selling her car and it was perfect and well maintained. It was $1,000 more than what the insurance company was giving us but we were just so grateful to even have found something.
Pray along with us that the deal goes through and that this new car will last us a very long time!
Ayomide’s Home Visit
Posted: January 24, 2018 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer, SIM
Meet Ayomide, his grandma and his half brother. He currently is enrolled at C.A.R.E. Africa and needs a sponsor. Click the picture above to watch this video to see our home visit with is family.
All new intakes at C.A.R.E. Africa receive a home visit after their application interview in the office. This allows us to see the environment they live in. We can then determine if the child is being cared for appropriately and if there are any environmental issues like sanitation that need to be addressed for the health of the child. We are also able to ask more questions to see if the families story is the same as when we did the initial interview in the office. Overall the home visit is verifying with our own eyes that the child and the caregiver are truly vulnerable and exhausted and need C.A.R.E. Africa’s help.
If you are interested in sponsoring Ayomide please email me at patrice.miles@sim.org or click http://bit.ly/CAREAFRICA. Sponsorship is $35 a month but any amount you can help with would be greatly appreciated.
Trouble in Jos…
Posted: January 19, 2018 by Lenny in Jos Nigeria, Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Patrice Miles
Click the picture above for a quick video of how long the line is waiting for gas.
A fuel crisis has been ongoing for about two months now in nigeria. Every year around Christmas the gas stations start to hoard their fuel in an effort to drive up prices as the demand grows. Everyone wants to travel back to their various homes and villages throughout Nigeria to visit their families for Christmas.
The result however is somewhat chaotic. People wait in tremendously long lines all day long for just a little bit of gas. Sometimes they sit there all day to finally get their turn at the pump and there is no fuel. It’s not uncommon to see a fight as you drive past the lines from one car cutting line in front of the other. Or a fight at the pump for the last drop of gas. In addition, we have notice that NEPA, the electricity company is giving power a lot less. Cell phone service is not as strong as it was two months ago and the network is constantly going down. All of these companies need fuel for generators to run things so if fuel is scarce, electricity and cell phone service is too.
For us, it just makes things more expensive. Instead of waiting in the long lines, we buy our gas where prices for gas are double or triple that at the pump. Driving the car or running our generator suddenly becomes an expensive proposition, yet we have to run our gen more because natural electricity isn’t coming to the house like before.
Please pray that the fuel shortage ends soon!
Click the picture above for a quick video of how long the line is waiting for gas…
SIM Nigeria Spiritual Life Conference 2018
Posted: January 16, 2018 by Patrice Miles in Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, SIM
We had just a little bit of fun at SLC Conference 2018. Click on the picture above to see a great video of our fun time at Miango put together by my favorite videographer, my husband!
You are one of those…..
Posted: December 23, 2017 by Patrice Miles in Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Patrice Miles, Prayer, SIM
You are one of those….. “We couldn’t do this without you” people. You are one of those…. that shows up for us. You are one of those…. we lean on. You are one of those…. that allows us to do what we do in Nigeria.
You have housed us longer than is socially acceptable.
You have made meals for us or taken us out to eat.
You have licked envelopes for us.
You have sent encouraging emails and notes to us.
You have prayed for us.
You have raised early in the morning to go to the airport for us.
You have hefted 20, 50 lb. bags for us.
You have run to the store and shipped weird items to people coming to Nigeria for us.
You have loaded items on containers for us.
You have helped us with some piece of paperwork for a passport, taxes and or insurance.
You have slipped cash in our pocket.
You have mailed Christmas cards for us.
You have shared our story with others who now support us.
You have worked long hours at a CARE Africa booth for us.
You have raised money for us.
You have boarded a plane to come and visit us.
You have worked a job so you can quietly, faithfully make a donation to us.
You are the unsung heroes of the faith.
Goers get the praise, but senders are the saints. Without you, our kingdom work in Nigeria would deflate. You are the helium in our balloons, the gas in our engines, the sugar in our cookies. Goers know there would be no going without the sending.
You are one of those….. “We couldn’t do this without you” people. You understand our passion, you see our calling, and say, “Yes. I am here for you”. Chances are, we haven’t thanked you enough, not enough to reflect all that you mean to us, to our work.
We want to take this Christmas season to tell you that we are so thankful for all the big and small ways you support us. Truly, we could not be if it weren’t for you.
December Egbe Visit
Posted: December 13, 2017 by Patrice Miles in AWANA, C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Miles In Missions, Mission Trip, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer, SIM, VolunteersThis was my second visit to Egbe since moving to Jos. I was so impressed with my team and how great they are doing. We were very busy of course meeting with various community leaders, interviewing new children for our programs and also preparing for Christmas. Check out some of the photos of my trip!
Baba and his wife our chief encourager! He comes to the CARE center a few times a month and prays with my staff and encourages them,
Writing to their penpals in the states.
Last AWANA of the year.
Last AWANA of the year.
Home Visit to a new intake.
New Intake Visit
CARE staff
Christmas Cards for the sponsors.
December Birthdays
Last CARE Africa Child Celebration of the month. They all received a package of clothes, jollof rice, drinks, and candy.
Secretary Cecilia……accounting, accounting, accounting, accounting!
My babies
Clothing Donation
Clothing packages for the kids.
Caregiver check ups.
Donation from the states for the caregivers.
Someone gave the money they would have given for teacher appreciation gifts to us for food for our caregivers and the kids. They will be putting this picture in each card for the teacher letting them know what their gift went towards.
Gifts from sponsors
Caregiver presentation of the CARE Africa fabric for all events.
Dinner under the moon with Chief Doyin and his wife. Chief continues to support us with wise counsel as he is known by the Ilegbe of Egbe as the Egbe Encyclopedia.
My daugher, Titi.
Our visitors leaving their mark on our center.
Meeting with the King to discuss the future of CARE Africa and their recommendations.
Tofunmi (Secretary Cecilia’s baby)….our mascot
Mommy and Me! Our Caregiver Manager
Quick stop to the Fulani village to say hello. Do you recognize this women. She is on the Miles in Missions brochure.
My amazing and fearless driver. I don’t know what I would do without him.
Packed and loaded for the journey back to Jos. Notice some Nigerians in the back……story in the upcoming week.
Nothing Good Comes Easy
#GivingTuesday
Posted: November 28, 2017 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, SIM
Today is #GivingTuesday! There is Black Friday, Cyber Monday and #GivingTuesday. Would you please share this with everyone you know that might be interested in supporting any of our ministries in Nigeria. Thanks for helping us share and create awareness!
C.A.R.E. Africa Bus Project http://bit.ly/CAREBUS
Miles in Missions http://bit.ly/MilesSim
Spring of Life HIV/AIDS Center http://bit.ly/SpringOfLifeEgbe.
Is Your Presence Worth More Than Your Money?
Posted: November 15, 2017 by Patrice Miles in Egbe, Miles In Missions, Mission Trip, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, Prayer, SIM, Volunteers
I recently was blessed to get to hear a friend tell about her experience when she came to Nigeria and worked in our ministry. She made a statement that really stuck with me. She told a story of the first time she visited Nigeria and was on the bus to Egbe. She asked a national on the bus, “Wouldn’t you just prefer us to send all the money that this trip cost instead of actually coming?” The national replied “No! Your presence is worth more than your money.”
Spending money to come to Nigeria versus sending the money to Nigeria has long been a struggle for many who desire to come visit us. The average cost per person for airfare, accommodations and meals is $2,000. A five (5) person mission trip would cost about $10,000. That could buy a bus for our ministry right now! But you heard it from the mouth of a native Nigerian. “Your presence is worth more than your money!”
I have witnessed the effects your visit has on the nationals when short term mission trips are done right. I notice the smiles my staff, kids and caregivers carry on their faces, the change of attitude, and I see their renewed spirit. For people to leave their loved ones, their home and country to come meet us and encourage us is invaluable. We all are impacted. We all see Jesus through a different cultural lens. The nationals see openness, vulnerability, humility, sacrifice, words of affirmation and so many other things that are not normal for Nigerian culture. The love they receive from you fills them so much that they are spilling over. Christ’s love is being spread to others for weeks after your team leaves.
I am not saying that we don’t need money. We have ongoing finances that must be met. What I am saying is that your presence is as precious as your money. So yes send your money….but if God is calling you to come and show Christ’s love to us – do not hesitate – your presence will never be forgotten and your visit will mean the world to us.
P.S. I wrote this in my journal on Nov 11th. On the 13th we found out that Nigeria is changing the regulations on Tourist Visas. They are going to start requiring all visitors go to D.C. to be fingerprinted prior to approval of a Nigerian tourist Visa. This would deter most teams from coming to serve with us so we need your prayers! Please pray that this new regulation does not last or they come up with a more efficient way for visitors to have their fingerprints captured.
Watch Live Oak Christian Church service were Beebe Team shares their short term mission experiences in Nigeria.
Miles In Missions 