Friday, February 20, 2009

Update on Jules

(info from Dan Shoemaker)

As you know he has had major back problems since late summer. Early this year he was treated in Haiti by a chiropractor on one of our teams, but with little success. He went out with that team but had to return early as he had no relief. He pursued some help in Port a Prince without much success either. He is now in New York with family trying to get to the bottom of the issue and get it treated.

He went to the emergency room and saw a Dr. there. X-rays were taken and the Dr. felt that there were some severe issues with some disks in his lower back. An appointment with an Orthopedic specialist has been made for March 11. Jules will probably have to have an MRI done. There is a good chance he will have to have back surgery to fuse some disks, etc. from what he says.

He is in just about constant pain. He can hardly walk to the bathroom, etc. He has some medicine for pain, but they only do so much. Please pray for him.

If you ave any questions, you can call me at 972-499-4158

Billy

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

TWO PRAYER NEEDS

Pastor Jean Chery

Pastor Jean

Pastor Jean is our MEBSH pastor and liaison with the MEBSH churches and leadership. Many of you know him as the figurehead out at the churches that "runs" the show.

Lately he hasn't been going out with the sister church teams as his wife is sick. We have been told that she has stomach pains and severe headaches. As a result she hasn't been eating much and doesn't sleep well.

Pastor Jean's father's death in December and now his wife's illness has put a tremendous strain on Pastor Jean. Please pray for his wife's recovery and for his peace from God.

Meverd Orame

Meverd

Meverd is a mechanic and driver for RMI. He has a great attitude and is always available to help with whatever is wrong. In fact we refer to him as Mr. Wonderful. Meverd has a new baby, and wife at home as well as chicken pox. Please pray that he will be healed and his wife and baby don't get sick.

 

Billy

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

One RMI team member wants to get the word out about HFKz.

The blog below was originally posted by JD Griffis of New Church Georgetown, Texas. His blog can be found at: http://500milesofhope.blogspot.com/2009/02/introduction-and-background.html

Hello, and welcome to my blog... Thank you for taking the time to read some of my posts, and please make sure and visit the Hope For Kidz website (also linked below)... The kids need your help!!!
The starting point for understanding what this blog is all about is my involvement the last few years with the people of Haiti. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, and the third poorest nation in the world. Despite that, the people there are a wonderful and friendly people. In particular, the children of Haiti have an amazing energy, and will capture you with their smiles and laughter. I have participated in annual trips there going back to 2005, and have grown to love the country and its people.
The second half of the equation is my passion (i.e. obsession) for endurance sports. I have been doing marathons and triathlons for a number of years, and each year I seem to escalate the level of insanity... There is a benefit to being healthy, both physically and mentally, but overall these pursuits can become a fairly selfish thing.
So, in an effort to balance my more selfish pursuit of marathons and triathlons with the less selfish goal of helping the people of Haiti, I am dedicating my racing this year to raise awareness and funds for a wonderful program that provides an invaluable service for the Haitian children.
The program is called "Hope For Kidz", and it provides desperately needed education for the children in Haiti. That is really the main source of hope for Haiti; their children simply must become educated in order to break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness. There is no free public education system there, and most families cannot afford to send their children to even the most minimally priced schools that are available. It is not uncommon to see children in their teens who have not gone beyond a first or second grade education. However, for only $200/year; Hope For Kidz provides a child with a full year of elementary education, all school books, two uniforms, a pair of shoes (often their only pair), medical checkups where available... and HOPE!
You can directly sponsor a child, or you can contribute funds to the program to help with the school facilities, supplies, teachers, training, etc. By the way, if you can't sponsor a child by yourself, consider teaming up with other family members, co-workers, church groups, etc. Every little bit helps!
I'm calling this campaign "500 Miles Of Hope". The 500 miles represents the over 500 miles of swimming, biking, and running that I will be doing in my racing events this year (see below for details). Keep in mind, that is just 500 miles for the actual races... In order to be able to accomplish that goal, I am estimating that I will log approximately 5000 miles or more in training. Not that such foolishness should be rewarded :) ... but hopefully it can at least serve a useful service and bring attention to some kids that really and truly need your help!
As I move forward through this year's journey, I'll be keeping this blog current with information about my races and training, as well as thoughts and updates on Haiti. So, make sure and bookmark the blog and check back once in a while, maybe even throw in an encouraging word once in a while :) By the way, no need to tell me how crazy I am... where do you think the "pocolocoman" moniker came from???
Please see this website to read more about the HFK program and to make donations:
RMI Hope For Kidz Website Link

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Jules Gedna

Jules Many of you who come to Haiti know Jules Gedna as the guy who sits behind the sound board at our various services at Haitian churches and the guy who makes sure the Haitian staff do what they are supposed to. You also know him as the guy with the great big heart willing to do anything for anyone. However, you probably don't know that before you team arrives, Jules is our "go to guy" for just about everything from plane tickets and Passport / VISA issues to help with scheduling all aspects of your visit. That makes him very valuable.

At this time Jules is not doing too well. He has some intense pain in his lower back. We had a chiropractor here with a team from central Florida who looked at Jules and said he has a bulging disk in his lower back. Now I'm not sure if I have described that diagnoses to the level a doctor would understand, but the reality is, IT HURTS!!!!

We have worked with Jules, his brother and his son in the States to get him an appointment with a specialist in Boston. He is scheduled to fly out of Haiti on Wednesday February 13th bound for New York where he will be met by family. He will then continue his journey to Boston. This means that many of you will not get to see Jules on you trip this spring. Please pray for Jules and his doctor as he begins treatment. Also please pray for RMI Haiti as we try to dégajé (make do) without Jules.

Billy

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Construction Project at Moses’ Home

Our teams are going to love this, especially when it rains!

Watch in HD (requires a fast connection)

To watch in higher quality, click play below, then hover over the bottom right corner, and choose HQ (for High Quality).

Rob