bluewatergigi
dbeville
Patrice Miles
salako86
Lenny
You can give to help our children and caregivers at C.A.R.E. Africa on this global day of giving at https://give.icareafrica.org/careafrica/COVID19. For Canadian donations you can visit https://www.sim.ca/care-africa/.
Posts Tagged ‘CARE Africa’
Tomorrow is #GivingTuesdayNow
Posted: May 4, 2020 by Patrice Miles in #GivingTuesday, African School, AWANA, C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, COVID-19, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Missionaries, Nigeria, Orphans, Patrice Miles, People of Egbe, Prayer, SponsorshipTags: #givingtuesdaynow, Africa, African Education, CARE Africa, Fundraising, Nigeria, orphans, orphans in africa, SIM, Stimulus
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#GivingTuesdayNow
Posted: April 30, 2020 by Patrice Miles in #GivingTuesday, C.A.R.E. Africa, Child Sponsorship, COVID-19, Egbe, Egbe Nigeria, Fundraising, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Orphans, People of Egbe, Prayer, SIMTags: #givingtuesdaynow, Africa, CARE Africa, caregivers, COVID-19, Egbe, Nigeria, orphans, Stimulus
#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving that will take place on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. It is a global giving movement that has been built by individuals, families, organizations, business and communities in all 50 states and in countries around the world. Millions of people have come together to support and champion the causes they believe in communities around the world.
#GivingTuesdayNow is the day we hope to raise money for our children and caregivers. We know that as we recover from COVID-19, the need for food and other provisions will increase significantly. Food is not always available as the markets are not open for many days. Finding food is already becoming a difficulty for some. Many people who are fortunate enough to have a job were not paid in April and possibly won’t be paid in May. There isn’t any such thing as stimulus money in Nigeria. We need you to be the stimulus that helps us get these families through this pandemic. If you want to help a family or two or three then please give any amount on #GivingTuesdayNow.
$50 will feed a family of 5-6 people for one week.
$100 bag of rice will feed 30 families a meal.
$200 bag of beans will feed 30 families a meal.
Visit https://www.donorrise.com/careafrica/COVID19 to donate from the United States
Canadian Residents can donate at https://www.sim.ca/care-africa/
#GivingTuesdayNow
Please mark your calendar to support us on this national giving day!
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.
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!
“D” Groups
Posted: September 12, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. AfricaTags: CARE Africa, D Groups
For over a year, CARE Africa had been meeting every Saturday from 12-4pm. It started in my home in a little 10’x10′ room that we all crammed into. We had a bead class, discipleship, and tutoring all in one room. It was crazy! We were then blessed with the use of a local community center called The Centenary. We have plenty of space now and have separate rooms for bead making, tutoring, and discipleship.
Word quickly spread through the town about our Saturdays at Centenary and more and more children started showing up. What was supposed to be a CARE Africa thing turned into a community thing. We counted one Saturday 60 children. We did not want to turn children away but it started to become too much. We just did not have enough hands a feet to keep the children corralled and it started to seem more like a day care then a discipleship and mentoring program.
When school ended for summer holiday we decided to take a summer break too from CARE Africa Saturdays. Katie and I didn’t know what to do. We wanted to see our CARE kids. We wanted to pour into their lives and get to know them better. We loved seeing them on Saturdays! Together we both came up with this idea and then another idea but nothing we thought of seemed realistic or sustainable. Not until we stopped trying to think of something ourselves and went to God in prayer did the answer come. Wednesday night “D” Groups, Discipleship Groups.
I remember Wednesday night High School groups like it was yesterday. “Vision” was the name we called it and it was at the old Southeast Christian grey building on Hikes Lane. I remember every Wednesday so excited to go to church and hang out with my friends. I was touched many times by the Holy Spirit and learned so much about my walk with the Lord. I was so excited to bring this experience to Egbe, Nigeria and watch God use it to teach these kids more about himself.
I immediately contacted my brother, Garrison Polsgrove, who is a youth pastor for Shepherd on a Hill. I told him our vision and he immediately sent me curriculum and guidance on how to run a “D” group. See his latest Blog here on small groups.
We now meet every Wednesday 4-6pm. We have “D” group till 5:30pm and then feed them Jollof Rice for their dinner. For some, this is the only meal they will have all day. I will never forget leaving our first D group meeting last Wednesday and one of the girls said. “Wow, this was so amazing. I have never seen people so happy before.” Thank you God for allowing me once again to be apart of something so much bigger than I can even begin to imagine. The seeds that are getting planted and the generations that are going to be changed is going to be amazing to watch! Thank you to all our supporters for allowing us to be here to watch his amazing work in Africa.
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.
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
Strong Women
Posted: August 13, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, Nigeria, Patrice Miles, People of EgbeTags: CARE Africa, Miles In Missions
I am a strong woman. I have never been very sympathetic to anyone’s’ ailments or problems. I persevered through a rocky child hood and it made me who I am today. I continually pray for God to soften my heart so that I have more compassion for people during their times of trouble. I just get up and go and expect everyone else should do the same. Why think about your problems or complain about things when there is this whole big beautiful world out there? I wake every morning excited to see what God has in store for me. I have always wondered why God gave me such a strong heart. Africa has shown me why.
Mom’s in Egbe do not have it easy. It seems eight out ten women I meet are single mothers that have either been abandoned or widowed. Most of them have at least two or more children and are barely managing. Gift, is a widow who has been a part of our seamstress program for over a year now. Her husband died two years ago and she has been managing ever since. At the beginning of 2015 she expressed the need for her four children to attend school. When I went last week on a home care visit to see Gift, I was again amazed at the joy that so many Egbe mothers have in spite of their circumstances. As I watched Favor, her 15 year old son, boil corn over charcoal and tried to get Goodness, her youngest, to sit still for a picture, I asked Gift a few questions.
“How often are you getting to seamstress class every week, so you can graduate soon?”
“I haven’t been able to attend in the past few weeks. “ Gift said quietly.
“What work are you doing for money right now?” I questioned.
“I have had a few brick and stone moving jobs here and there.” she proudly told me.
“How are you able to buy food and provisions for your babies right now?”
“I am very wise with my money, Mummy.” she told me.
“Do you have any family that can help?”
“No Mummy. My father is old and I have lost track of my brothers and sisters.”
We are then interrupted by her youngest son named , Thankgod. He comes running past me with a wheel on a stick. He was laughing and laughing as if his toy was the best toy in the whole world. Gift smiled at him and laughed and then offered me corn that Favor had been boiling. Goodness, her youngest, stared at me as she leaned on Emma eating her corn. I wondered what she was thinking of my white skin? I wondered if this is the only meal they will have all day? I wondered if Favor always cooked the meals? I prayed in my head for God to show me what he wants me to do for this family. I was speechless as how this mom continues to smile, laugh, and love these children and God everyday.
I am also amazed at how I can go home to my revitalized house, eat my dinner with my family that fills my belly, and not think about Gift and her family in their 10×10 room with their boiled corn. How do I sleep at night in my soft bed shipped from the US and not wonder how all 5 of the Jeremiah family fit on the one mattress they have on the floor? Have I become immune to the poverty here? Is it really poverty or is it just a way of life here? My mind can play so many tricks on me and my emotions can get the best of me sometimes. 
I am a strong woman and God built me for this bush life but I am also weak too. I cannot rely on myself to remain strong but, thank God that I can rely on him. I know God is faithful. I know he loves all his Egbe children both old and young. I know he will always give them what they need. I am only one person but he is all-sufficient. He shows up over and over again for these Egbe Mom’s…..I see it in their smiles…..I hear it in their laughter! Thank you God for making me the way you did. Thank you God for allowing me to see how weak and inadequate I am so I can see how BIG you are. Thank you God for using me!
You’ve Got Mail
Posted: July 29, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Miles In Missions, Patrice Miles, People of EgbeTags: CARE Africa, Miles In Missions, orphans, orphans in africa, Patrice Miles
“You’ve got mail!” This is one of the most exciting things to hear in Egbe. When a small package or letter arrives it is like Christmas. We always love to look at the date to see when it left the U.S. When we first arrived to Egbe over two years ago, there wasn’t any mail service. Everyone would ask us where he or she could send care packages. The looks we would get when we told people we didn’t have mail were hilarious. They just didn’t get it that there really was no way to get anything to us in the bush.
Gradually we had friends and family try to send a letter or package and it would take over 3 months to arrive. Now we are seeing it is only taking one month or less. This is so awesome for us! Two years ago if you had told me I would be getting excited over getting mail I would have laughed at you.
The best part about the mail service is now my CARE Africa kids can receive pictures and letters from their sponsors in the U.S. Bolu was our first recipient and he was sooooo excited. I cannot explain the emotions I had watching him carefully open the envelope so worried he would tear or rip it. Bolu has never received mail before and doesn’t even begin to understand how it arrived in Egbe. Once we opened the letter we read each word out loud together. We looked at pictures of his U.S. Mommy. We touched her children and grandchildren’s faces and he didn’t utter a word. He just sat there in complete awe as if I had just given him a bar of gold. It was one of those priceless moments I will never forget. I am so honored to have been the one to share this experience with Bolu. I am so thankful for all my U.S. CARE Africa child sponsors and the Miles family supporters. Your donations have allowed me to be here in Egbe to share Christ’s love to boys and girls like Bolu through something as simple as a piece of mail.
If you sponsor a CARE Africa child and would like to send them mail or even if you don’t sponsor a child but would love to send a letter or small package for one of them, please feel free to. Cason and Jolie, my own children, would also love to hear from you and I promise any child you send to will write back and send it all the way from Nigeria.
Mail to;
ECWA Hospital Egbe
Attn Patrice Miles C/O (Childs Name)
5 Hospital Rd
Egbe, Kogi State Nigeria.
If you would like to sponsor a child please email me at Patrice.miles@sim.org.
C.A.R.E. Market
Posted: June 25, 2015 by Patrice Miles in C.A.R.E. Africa, Egbe Nigeria, Miles In Missions, VolunteersTags: African Crafts, CARE Africa, Egbe Nigeria, Etsy
Over one year ago Stephen and Diana Beville visited Egbe, Nigeria. They left a part of their hearts here with us when they returned to the US. After convincing a local boot company to ship 94 pairs of boots to Egbe for all the workers, they still felt called to help. They decided to volunteer to run the CARE Africa Etsy store in the U.S.
It is not easy o! Diana receives goods from Egbe that random world medical mission volunteers or SIM short-term missionaries take back to the states for us. She posts everything to the site and then ships the orders out to all over the U.S. She has recently added to her repertoire by featuring our product at a local farmers market. She has created displays and beautifully decorated the booth She sits there on the first and third Sunday of every month sweating as if she was in Egbe. I cannot tell you how grateful we are and how blessed I feel to watch God bring people alongside us to help with the work.
If you live in Louisville, please stop out and see Diana at the next show on July 5th. Shop and stroll down the Promenade at the summer farmer’s markets to pick up fresh, local produce in The Parklands! Join us the first and third Sunday of the month June-September at the Festival Promenade in the Humana Grand Allee section of Beckley Creek Park (approx. 1800 Beckley Creek Parkway). This event is free and open to the public. Diana will be their showcasing CARE Africa’s products all the way from Egbe, Nigeria.
Click CARE Market for the link to the Farmer’s Market site.
2015 Market Dates:
July 5 & July 19
August 2 & August 16
September 6 & September 20
P.S. If you have a local craft show or fair you would like to promote CARE Africa product….we would be so grateful. Email me at Patrice.miles@sim.org.
Miles In Missions 