Archive for the ‘Prayer’ Category

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

Posted: June 23, 2017 by Patrice Miles in Fundraising, Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Patrice Miles, Prayer, SIM
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Wow! The last 3 weeks of our lives have been absolutely filled with fun, laughter and answered prayers! We left Louisville for Bluffton SC to see our friends and supporters along with a new church partner.  Then we were off to Charlotte to see family, friends, and supporters. As well as reconnected with some Egbeites. Last but not least we flew to LA to see more family, meet with a church partner, and volunteer at their High School church camp. See pictures below……

South Carolina Visit

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Bebee Team headed to Egbe in July

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Bebee Kids and Miles Kids fun

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New Church Partner

North Carolina Visit

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SIM shot, shots, and shots

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Doughnuts w/ Sister In Law

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Egbeites Reconnected

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Jolie & Testimony reunited

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All the Cousins and Friends

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Jos, Nigeria in N.C.

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Lenny Sharing the Vision @ SIM

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More Egbeite time in N.C.

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Camping w/ the Polsgroves

California Visit

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Shepherd High School Camp

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Time w/ a brother from another mother

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Cousin Time

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Father’s Day in Hollywood

 

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Barnyard Boogie Night

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Shepherd Church Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to North Carolina for some rest…..

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Happy Birthday Cason

 

Is this a Test?

Posted: June 6, 2017 by Lenny in Fundraising, Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Prayer, SIM
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I hope you liked the videos that went out last week on our blog. If you didn’t have the time to watch them all, they are attached to the bottom of this page so that you can have a chance to catch up…

Yesterday we had a great opportunity to go to Central Church in Charlotte, N.C. We normally watch online on our living room wall in Egbe with a projector and if the internet is cooperating. We heard an amazing sermon about Jesus’ miracle with the five loaves and two fishes that fed 5,000 people. The pastor asked us to imagine ourselves in the story of John 6:1-13 and identify with one of the characters (obviously we couldn’t pick to be Jesus!). As I listened, I felt that I identify with Philip the most.

The Bible says in John 6:5-7, “Jesus said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!””

Philip immediately thought about logistics, the monetary value, and the “bigness” of the problem ahead of them. I feel the same type of questions rising within my heart. Jesus is asking me, “Where are you going to get all of this support you need to continue your work in Nigeria?” And many times I feel I react just the way Philip did. “Hey God, things aren’t adding up here.” or “There’s a short amount of time left before we get on that plane to go back, where’s the funds to do so?” These are all thoughts that run through my mind on a regular basis. Is this all just a “test” for me? Possibly, but unlike Philip, I have the full story in view. I get to read the words and get insight into the fact that Jesus “already had in mind what he was going to do.” This gives me hope and faith needed to continue on towards our July 23rd departure date with confidence in being fully funded by then.

If you have been considering supporting our ministries in Nigeria, please sign up now so we can report to SIM that we are fully funded and ready to return to Nigeria on July 23rd. Click Miles In Missions to get signed up to support us on a monthly or one time basis.

Click on the images to view videos from last week…
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#1 – Cason’s Travel Video

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#2 – Miles In Missions 3 1/2 years

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#3 –  What is Lenny going to Do?

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#4 – C.A.R.E. Africa

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#5 – Spring of Life, Egbe

Prayer Warrior

Posted: April 8, 2017 by Patrice Miles in Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Patrice Miles, Prayer, SIM
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IMG_2606In 2013 our family asked for prayer partners to pray for our transition to Nigeria. We had 333 people ask to be on this list. Over the past 3.5 years I have used this email list only once.

Recently I had a huge request of the Lord.  I talked to my husband about it, we prayed about it and I rolled it over in my mind over and over again. This request was a big one and only God could make it happen. The anxiousness of waiting to see how he would answer was stressful. I knew I needed more prayer not just for God’s will but for peace of knowing his will is best.

I emailed as many of my prayer partners as I could remember, forgetting about my list of 333 people. Immediately I started receiving emails back with words of encouragement. I cannot tell you how loved, cherished and at peace I felt from receiving all these emails. I even cried one morning when opening my mail to hear 2000 people at our home church had prayed for us.

dsc_0284This time of waiting really opened my eye to how blessed I am to have such a support group of people from all different walks of life. It also opened my eyes to how little I request prayer from my prayer partners. I could write a book bigger than the encyclopedia on the challenges and blessings my family has faced over the past 3.5 years in Nigeria. Why haven’t I reached out to all of you more? Pride? Wanting to do it myself? Scared people will know how weak I really am and how much I lack at this whole missionary thing? I don’t know….

Screen Shot 2017-04-08 at 7.52.55 AMWhat I do know is that my recent request for prayer was such an encouraging day, even though God did not answer my prayer the way I wanted. I felt supported, lifted up and encouraged by so many. I want to do better at involving you in my challenges, obstacles, battles, praises and more. I am starting a private mailchimp PRAYER WARRIOR email list. I plan to send out a quick email regularly to just ask for prayer and/or praises. If you would love to pray I would love to share.

I would also love to hear how I can pray for you. I feel so disconnected sometimes from you all and what is going on in your life. It encourages me when you share what is going on in your life and how I can pray for you too. Once the weekly Prayer Warrior email comes, please respond and tell me how I can be praying for you.

Click this link to sign up to be a prayer warrior http://eepurl.com/DZf_D

Tiv Camp

Posted: March 21, 2017 by Patrice Miles in AIDS, C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe Hosptial, HIV, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Prayer, Spring Of Life
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DSC_0293The Tiv people are the 4th largest ethnic group in Nigeria. We have a small Tiv camp about one hour away from Egbe that suffers from severe poverty. Their camp is across from a stream that can only be crossed during dry season. Otherwise you have to use a small rope bridge. The small stream is their only source of water and most live in huts. They have a four room elementary school and they have hired four teachers to teach 150 children.

 

DSC_0431We recently did a HIV/AIDS outreach with Pastor Alabi at Spring of Life. We were able to screen over 120 people and only two were positive. We also de-wormed 150 children while giving them each an exercise book and pencil. Nurses that were visiting from the U.S. were able to take B.P. and other vitals of 45 people while our pastors counseled each person. We saw about five with very high blood pressure, one pregnant women who hadn’t felt her baby move in many days, a women with severe burns, and an older women who seemed to have severe heart problems. All were referred to the hospital for further diagnoses.

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We were really worried about the older women with likely heart failure and offered to take her back to the hospital with us but she refused. We truly didn’t believe any of them would come as the hospital is over one hour away and they are very poor. We did our best through an interpretor to tell them the possible severity of their cases and that they really needed to come and see a doctor. We all prayed that they would come. To our surprise as of today 6 have come. An HIV positive patient came for treatment. The older women with heart issues stayed overnight, was put on treatment, and will come back for check up in a month. The pregnant mother came and praise the Lord all is well with her baby. One came for her eyes and saw our eye doctor at the clinic. The last two came because their BP was so high. They were seen and put on treatment. We are excited about this new relationship we have established with this camp and look forward to see what God is going to do.

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Second Chances

Posted: March 9, 2017 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer, SIM
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At C.A.R.E. Africa we do many interviews every week for children wanting to join our ministry. We try our best to get to the truth of the child’s current situation by asking lots of questions. Caretakers and the children will say whatever to get into C.A.R.E. so we have to play detective. We talk to references and pastors to see if their story is true. Once a child makes it through the first interview we then visit the home to see the environment and if the child truly meets our vision statement of being voiceless and exhausted.

last-import-1-of-1Recently an 8 year old boy name Damilola came with his mother for an interview.  His mother looked tired and exhausted as well as very thin. Damilola was dirty and his clothes were torn and ragged.  She was annoyed with our questions but more out of exhaustion then frustration. Damilola couldn’t understand my English or any of our staff’s English. He couldn’t read or write. When we visited the house, the structure looked like it was days away from caving in. A few old doorframes were literally holding the roof in place. They truly were voiceless and exhausted.

We didn’t have a sponsor lined up so we put Damilola on the waiting list. All of our staff that visited his home that day were in shock of the conditions and started praying for a sponsor. Two days later we received an email from the mother of two little girls in the U.S. who had saved and raised money to sponsor a C.A.R.E. Africa child. They had visited Egbe as a family and spent a lot of time with C.A.R.E. Africa. When they went home, they decided they wanted to sponsor a child.

demilolaOur staff were so excited, but knew that Damilola would not be able to cope in school yet. We started looking for a teacher that would have the patience to work with him one on one so he could eventually go to school. God sent us an angel who is the daughter of one of our housing compound workers, Oyibosay. She had taught primary school for many years and had recently lost the job. She is a miracle story herself as she was recently heading to heaven with congenital arrhythmia of the heart. Through donations toward a pacemaker she was given a second chance at life. Now she is helping a little boy who is also being given a second chance.

This story is one of so many that I get to be a part of daily. I wish I could share them all. Continue to pray for C.A.R.E. Africa as we always have a list of children waiting for a second chance.

I Want Control

Posted: March 4, 2017 by Patrice Miles in Patrice Miles, Prayer, SIM
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stepsTo many times I have taken two steps forward and then looked back and thought “What if everything fails? Did I hear you correctly God? Is this your will or mine?” My life continues to be a life of stepping out in the dark in faith not knowing where the next step is, how high it might be or if it even exists. It is so out of my character to step blindly trusting what God says in Jeremiah 29:11. I like to plan everything and have control. It stresses me out to rely or trust on anyone but myself because people let me down everyday.

Lately my stress has been building up in my neck and back. The ache in my neck and back are a constant reminder of the lie that I need to take control and take care of everything myself, because God isn’t going to take care of me. It’s my lie that I have picked up and put down many times in my life. The funny thing is every time I take the steering wheel of my life and try to drive on my own, I get lost, I get a flat tire and eventually run out of gas and am exhausted.

steering-wheelI have recognized this about myself and release the steering wheel of life back to God much quicker now a days. I then get mad at my self and ask “Why did I even try and touch the steering wheel? ” Paul says it great in Romans 7:15, that he continues to do what he doesn’t want to do b/c of his flesh.

You want to know what the awesome thing is. In the midst of being overwhelmed and exhausted I look out my window and my Lord is standing right next to the car with his hand on the door handle. All I have to do is scoot over to the passenger seat and he can take the steering wheel.

reaching“Ahhhhh….. Their you are! Sorry, I was so focused on my plan and trying to control everything again and I didn’t see you there. I forget that you promised in  Deuteronomy 31:6 that I will never be alone.” I unlock the door, scoot over and my heavenly, beautiful, graceful, merciful, forgiving, smiling Father sits down and puts both hands on the steering wheel and starts to drive.

I am so blessed to know my Lord and Savior. Even though I mess up everyday he is right next to me with his hand on the door handle of my life waiting for me to allow him in. I pray for those that are at the steering wheel of life and don’t know my Savior who can rescue them when they get a flat tire or run out of gas. I cannot imagine a life of hopelessness and a feeling of having to do this life alone. I am praying for anyone reading this that does not know my amazing Father in heaven, who beckons you into his Peace! Just scoot over!

Update Update Update

Posted: January 27, 2017 by Patrice Miles in AIDS, AWANA, C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, HIV, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, Prayer, SIM, Spring Of Life
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I don’t know if you remember, but my birthday was on October 21st. I had asked for 100 AWANA shirts for my AWANA club kids. I am happy to update you that I received donations for exactly 100 AWANA shirts. Not 99 or 101 but exactly 100!!

 

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Do you remember Mosun? She was a partially blind HIV patient with Spring of Life. We had discovered that the eye drops that she had been using were finished and she didn’t have money to buy more. They had really helped her vision and it had been months since she last used them. We had asked for a $50 donation so she would have eye drops for 1 year. God answered and she has eye drops for one year now.

 

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Do you remember the story of Toyin? Toyin went from an abandoned child to restoration with his father and then restoration with his mother. They are all together now in the family house, Praise the Lord. Click Toyin to be taken to the blog on him. We have not found a sponsor for him yet so if you would like to sponsor a child it is $35 a month and you can email me at Patrice.Miles@sim.org

 

 

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We also have an update on our one time donation campaign for our transition to Jos. We started our campaign with the #GivingTuesday which raised almost $10,000 that day for our ministry in Nigeria. Later my husband created this beautiful blue pie chart. As you can see the updated chart shows that God has really been speaking to people all around the world to support our ministry in Nigeria. Click one-time to be directed to the site for a one time donation.

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The last update we have for you is on our monthly support. We had sent out a blog informing everyone of our loss of three large monthly supporters totaling $1,500 a month starting January 2017. We have been praying and praying for this need to be met. We are still in need of $1,450 a month in monthly supporters. Please pray about it and consider signing up by clicking monthly to support our ministry in Nigeria monthly.

 

 

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Lastly, just this week we’ve received word that the children have passed their entrance exams and have been fully accepted into Hillcrest international School. Cason will start 9th grade and Jolie 6th in August later this year. This school has a rich history with SIM missionaries and is one of the best international schools in all of West Africa. We know and fully expect that this will prepare them for college anywhere in the world or any next steps in life that the Lord has in store for them. Thanks so much to Katie Riddle who has been teaching them over the last couple of years to prepare them for this next step!

 

C.A.R.E. Africa Educational Center

Posted: January 24, 2017 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer, SIM
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img_4810I am so excited to send these awesome pictures to you of the new C.A.R.E. Africa Educational Center. Our staff have been praying and praying for months for a building for C.A.R.E. Africa. Currently we have been housed in the hospital compound in a 10×10 office at the Spring of Life clinic. The hospital and Pastor Alabi have graciously let us use this space for our office, weekly caretaker meetings, monthly child celebrations, Saturday weekly discipleship and weekly staff meetings. We have grown so much that we were starting to dominate the space and the kids coming and going was just too much.

img_4819We are excited that God answered our prayers with this building that has 6 class rooms, 4 administrative offices, one large hall and one small hall and a playground area. We will be able to host our AWANA program here and have the space we have needed for so long to break into small groups for team time. We will also be able to split the small kids and the big kids up for the council time now.

Overall our goals with this building is to have a central location for all our events. Our kids will have a safe place to come and receive special lessons after school and be able to study. We plan to also offer WAEC/JAMB/NECO coaching for the entire community of Egbe. This is the US equivalent of SAT/ACT prep. They do not offer this in Egbe and many secondary school children are scoring too low on these exams to gain admittance into University.

img_4820Last but not least we desire to open an IJMB course for secondary school graduates that scored too low on their WAEC/JAMB/NECO. This course with the passing of the IJMB exam will allow them direct admittance to 200 levels in University. This is another opportunity for secondary school graduates that are currently not available in Egbe.

We know God has big plans for this building and talks of adult programs, classes for slow learners and even business empowerment classes are in our big vision. We will see what God does!!

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So what is Lenny going to do?

Posted: January 18, 2017 by Lenny in Egbe, Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Mission Trips, Missionaries, Nigeria, Patrice Miles, Prayer, SIM, Volunteers
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I am excited to announce that I will be starting a new ministry when we move mid-year. Please watch this video so that you can have a better understanding of what I will be doing and how you can be involved in helping. – Lenny

Click on the image to view the video

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Passing the “Mantle”

Posted: January 12, 2017 by Lenny in Egbe, Egbe Hosptial, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Lenny Miles, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Prayer, SIM
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Recently in one of our managers meetings, we were discussing how the transfer of leadership would happen over the next few months for the Revitalization project. Someone mentioned, “We need to pass the mantle”.

15590797_750147168469855_6886519317728532426_oMy first thought went to a house with a nice comfortable fireplace that had a huge wooden mantel above it. I thought, “how am I going to pass something that big and heavy, easily to the next leader of the project?” I imagined us struggling with the huge decorated piece of wood on a forklift and then moving it from one office desk to the other. Then I realized my thoughts of a mantel were inaccurate. The word “mantle” (spelled differently) had to have another meaning than that of a fireplace decoration.

The “passing the mantle of leadership”, first comes to us in Old Testament book of 2 Kings chapter 2. A mantle is a coat of sorts that looks like a cape and it was used to ward off the cold. When Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven, his mantle was left behind. Elisha then picked it up and put it on. It was a symbolism that he was “taking up the mantle of prophetic authority”.

15625579_750145915136647_4933119414180893100_oAs our family prepares to change roles and location within Nigeria, we’ve decided the timing couldn’t be better than now to transfer the “mantle of leadership” of the Revitalization construction project to a fellow missionary, Pete Penno. Pete is a Godly man and is truly over qualified for the job. He has more experience in construction than myself and has served as a missionary in other parts of Africa before. I can say without a doubt that the construction project will be left in better hands. I think many of you would agree that not too many times in our lives could we confidently say that things will possibly be better without us. This is one of those times.

I will still be heavily involved in the aspect of construction within the hospital up until our departure. Pete, having been in Egbe since July, will need my experiences over the past three and a half years to get a great “base” of knowledge to proceed in his tenure. I plan to be involved in planning, drawing, estimating, accounting, and management alongside of Pete.

This past Chdsc_0556ristmas, we were able to throw a Christmas party for all of the staff and employees of the Revitalization project. It was a great time as we reflected on what had been accomplished in 2016 and what is in store for 2017. During that time, I passed on the “mantle of leadership” to Pete. I didn’t think it was wise to pass on a coat or cape for Pete to wear around because it is usually hot in Egbe. So, I took my first thought of a mantel and made a miniature version out of scrap wood. This one is small enough to handle.

Here is to Pete Penno and his leadership of The Egbe Hospital Revitalization Project!

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