Good evening! 
      I hope that you all had a great day today.  Today was a pretty good day for Kari.  She had some fun visitors, her first kids that came to see her.  (I was reading this aloud and she said said, that is fun, "the Schultz kids are fun!") Also one of her nurses from SICU popped in to see her too, and that was nice. Today we received such a great gift in the mail today, the picture that Praise, our church in Delaware sent us.  That was such a wonderful encouragement as well as some cute cards that some of the kids made. She had a couple blast from the past, really from the present, but she met them while working at Cecil College in Maryland when we were living in Delaware, come and and spend time with her yesterday, and I think that that was awesome for her, because she was good ole Kari! I was really fun to see.  She had a number of phone calls which she said she really enjoyed talking to them.  Thanks for calling!
      A clinical liaison came from one of the possible rehabilitation hospitals and said that Kari is a great candidate for the inpatient program there. The rehab is in Baton Rouge a little closer than the hospital that she's at is, which is such a positive answer to so many of our prayers.  Praise God!  From what we understand Kari will actually be moving to the Center sooner than we thought, Praise The Jesus!
      She walked a little today, but complained about being tired. She had speech therapy and did alright with that.  My mom said that she kind of poops out with that as well. But she ate well at breakfast and dinner and we eve brought her cupcakes which she ate!!!
Kari is having some issues with her vision right now, she's saying somethings are blurred or are double, so this is something she could really use prayer for.  The short term memory seems to be slowly, very slowly be improving, but we'll take it and praise God all the way! We are a bit concern about her drive to do things...sometimes she'll say things...which are normal, but then when it comes to doing what she says she'll do that doesn't always happen.  We want her to want to fight to get better, but she's not right now.  When we encourage her she agrees and says the same thing, but when it comes to the action she has a hard time.  She is having a hard time communicating what she needs and then gets frustrated because she seems to be more aware of what's going on, but connecting what is going on and why she needs help is really difficult for her.  I feel frustrated for her, but as her favorite verse says, 
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." 
I am so thankful for all God's promises and goodness.  He is awesome in power and strength and might.  I am trusting Him to bring everything together! Thank you for much for praying for this little girl, it's such a blessing to know that we are not alone in this fight!
I have to get ready to have my slumber party with Kari, so God bless ya and good night!
Be blessed
Kaziah

Kari

"But I beg of you, fear God and worship him honestly and heartily. You've seen how greatly he has worked among you!"  ~ 1 Samuel 12:24

         I am so in awe of the wonderful things God has done.  There are times I lose heart, but God helps me focus on the work He has done and how greatly He has worked in me, my parents and most of all my sister. My sister is in a room now!!!! Someone has to be with Kari all the time in the room, but she's in a room, room 2271!!! (The number225-374-2271)
      They took out the last stitches and staples as well.  How wonderful God is.  She walked today, a little further this time so that's a great thing.  The CAT scan showed that every was the same and that the sleepiness isn't the result of anything being wrong, Hallelujah! She's allowed to eat pretty much whatever she'd like to order. 
      We were able to speak to someone about rehab...and she was able to answer some of the questions we had.  She said that once Kari can tolerate 3 hours of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy she will be released from the hospital and then she'll be in an inpatient facility for about 3-4 weeks and then she'll have outpatient treatment.  Those are the next steps as far we know.  Thank you for praying with us for God's complete and continued healing!
Be blessed
Kaziah 

Kari

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." 
Okay the procedure is over, Praise God!  The doctor said he didn't find any residual AVM left halulujah!  I am so thankful because I know God was handling it!  They put a clamp on the site where they had to go in through her groin because she is still an active young lady.
I forgot to tell you guys in the previous email that after she was Houdini and slipped her hands out of the restraints they never put her back into them.  She seems so happy and content to be free she doesn't always seem to know what do do with herself.  It's funny all the things we take for granted!  Praise God for all your body functions people!  Seriously...God is so good and I know that He will continue to complete the good work in Kari!
Thank you for praying!
Be blessed
Kaziah

Kari

 "Oh yes! God gives Goodness and Beauty; 
      our land responds with Bounty and Blessing."  
                                                         ~ Psalm 85:12

     Last night I had such a wonderful opportunity to go and worship at a prison.  What a blessing that was, the worship was awesome and God was in the place.  I was able to give Kari's testimony, according to my perspective of course, but what a blessing to be reminded of what could have been and how God is my Solid Rock! I am believing that God is doing great things, because He has inmates praying for her.  I know that they know how it feels to be unable to do the things that you are used to!  
She is finally have having her angiogram, we just got word that that it has actually begun.  They said that it should only take a hour and it isn't supposed to be as invasive as the procedure before, Praise God.  
      She has really had some great days lately.  Yesterday evening she fed herself, with a little difficulty, but she actually tried and my mom feels she ate a little more than she would have if we had tried to feed her.  Today she actually walked more than she had, a bit wobbly, but she walked about 25 feet this morning and reached up to grab a few things.  My mom got to witness it all...she said that she was so tired from the walk that she tried to fuss about having to grab something and tried to manipulate my mom to get it instead.  We are encouraging her now to try to do everything like she had to do for gymnastics. 
      She was actually sitting a chair when I came in at 1pm to see her, she was so proud of herself and tried to show my dad that she could pull the lever to sit upright.  He told her he didn't need to see, because he didn't know what might happen next and she said, "Oh Dad that's not nice."  It's kinda funny because she really seems to be able to pick up on family subtleties and knows what we're saying when we're not saying it...that's really exciting!  I'll let you guys know how the procedure.  I know that God is going to give beautiful things and use this to bless Kari's life so she will continue to be a living testimony!
Thank you for praying! 
Be blessed
Kaziah

Kari

Good afternoon,
this morning in church Pastor preached on Jeremiah 10:1-16, but one of the verses that really stuck was verse 6; 
 ^"No one is like you, LORD; 
   you are great, 
   and your name is mighty in power."
I have always been amazed that just in His name, so many things can be done, can you imaging what could be done in just His blink or His touch?  Wow, God is truly awesome.  When we went to see Kari before church this morning she has just had her hair washed for the first time since she's been in the hospital. I'm sure it would have felt awesome if she had of relaxed.  She was squirming and saying "why? why?" God bless all the folks that are working with her so patiently.  She seemed to eat pretty well this morning and this afternoon before we left she ate a bit for us.  This was without a fight though...and for that I am sooooo thankful!  She's eating about 20% of her food right now.  We keep trying to offer to buy her things we know she likes, but she is just saying "no thank you" right now.  She still seems a little confused and doesn't always put things together, but seems to remember everything that happened before the hemorrhage, Praise God.  She keeps trying to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, but she isn't allowed to do that yet, so please just pray with us that she will really start to understand why she has to be restrained and why she is in the hospital.  We are thinking that she might get moved to a regular room, instead of ICU sometime this week, but we don't know yet, as soon as I know I'll let you guys know.
We are believing for a full recovery and I believe that it will be way sooner than any prognosis that she will receive, because her healing is in the Lord's hands.  Thank you so much for praying.  Have a wonderful rest of your day!  
Be blessed
Kaziah

Kari

"It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High,  proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;I sing for joy at what your hands have done."          ~Psalms 92:1-4

Good evening!
Last night my parents met with one of the G.I. doctors and he said that he was okay with Kari not being on the feeding tube, to see if she would eat more, feel more hungry and with only eating 25% of her food, Praise The Lord.  We tried to do the ice cream last night and she was not interested, it didn't even end up out of the freezer.  She did sleep well last night, but some how she pulled out her feeding tube that was in her nose.  As of right now they aren't going to put it back in.  I think that she might be willing to eat more soon, just because she won't be feeling the tube down her throat.
She did eat 25% at breakfast and lunch today, hopefully dinner will go as well.  She is still trying to avoid and manipulate when it's time to eat, saying that she'll eat more if people will give her some love, and still the same "tricks" from the other day.  We did try a new strategy this afternoon; we gave he breaks in between every few bites, and that seemed to make it easier on all. 
The G.I. doctor stopped in to see her again today, and he was very encouraging and impressed with the fact that Kari is eating, he said he doesn't see the need to put a food peg in nor to put her nose line back in.
She hadn't been singing as much lately, but she started singing a bit more during our last visit. She makes up her own songs and sings along to the Cd's that are playing.  It's really a fun thing to be a part of. 
I am still so grateful for this new perspective that God has given us from this experience.  A new and fresh perspective is definitely the spice of life, at least right now, I'll let you know if my opinion on this matter changes.   Thank you for being so good to all my family: praying for Kari, my parents and I, sending notes and cards and for some of the meals.  Thank you, thank you thank you!
Be blessed
Kaziah

Kari

 "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."   
                                                                                         ~Psalm 34:1
Good evening all!
Hope that you guys have had a great week.  I must be honest I am sooooooo thankful that it's Friday!  God has been good this week especially when I stop focusing on what is seen and rather think about all those things that are unseen and what God has already done!  She's alive, Praise the Jesus!
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseenis eternal."
                                                                              ~2 Corinthians 4:18
Some awesome steps were taken today, literally!  Early this morning she had a CAT scan and they saw that her brain was absorbing all her fluid, Hallelujah!!!! Sometime today, we're not quite sure when it happened the removed her drain and her stitches from the back incision spot!!!
When she had PT today she walked around the whole unit, with a lot of help, and mind you it's not that large, possibly 50 yards...but that's huge, because she's been telling them that she's tired of standing, "That's Enough" her words exactly.  I am so thankful that she was even willing, because that will has been a hard thing to understand lately.
Today when we tried to feed her it was a bit, okay a whole lot difficult than it's been in days past.  We're frustrated with her and she's frustrated with us.  She said, "I want to be where Kaziah is" meaning she wanted to be out of the bed, but right now, even though we're telling her she doesn't quite understand what that means. She can tell we're frustrated and we've explained why, she feels bad, but that's pretty much were it stops.  She hates to feel full and because of that it is so ingrained in her that if she's not feeling hungry she doesn't eat.  God bless her, I wish I had that issue, if it was me in the bed I think this email would be completely different.  She still has a feeding tube in her nose, she hasn't tried to pull it out lately, which is great!  This might also be why she is having issues want to eat, because she truly isn't hungry.
Kari also says that it's really hard to want to eat because her throat does hurt.  I know it probably still does, but she is also using all of her powers to stop us from trying to feed her.  Oh how strong she is!  Those arms haven't lost any strength, that's for sure, and she's still tethered down!  She also tried to distract us with, "Hey look over there," and coughing, keeping things in her mouth and trying to sleep. What a mess she is.  I know that it's her condition right now, but "OH MAN!" (This is one of Kari's favorite statements right now. 
Also, just an update on the fever, still fever free!  Thank you Jesus!  They think that the fever was probably caused by the antibiotic that she was on during the times she had a fever.  Just the fact that they thought that it might have been that and that they had the wisdom to change it points only to the "Master Physician!" 
She had had some issues with hiccups, they just wouldn't stop.  They said that the Cerebellum can control that normally, and that's where her AVM was, so that was why she was having hiccups.  The stopped as of yesterday.  She had a mild case of hiccups on this past Tuesday and then they were horrible on Wednesday.  I am so thankful that that hasn't been an issue for her for two days now!
Tonight when we go in at 9 we are going to try to give her ice cream...if she's awake.  We were going to try last night, but she was sleeping so peacefully we didn't want to wake her.  She still a bit restless at night so we just wanted her to have some rest as well as her nurse.  I'll let you guys know how tonight goes with the ice cream.
Thank you for continuing to remember Kari in your thought and prayer.  Thank you for also praying for me and my family.  I can tell that God has given us His grace and wrapped His arms around us during this time.  It's the only way I can explain how we are getting through this time.  We are so hopeful and thankful!
Praise will continually be in our mouths!
Be blessed
Kaziah

Keith Minnich's

Pastor Travis' uncle Keith committed suicide tonight. No details are known but the Travis' is asking that you pray for the family during this difficult time.

Kari

Hey Ya'll,
how's it going?  Hope everyone is doing well.  Kari has been improving, Praise God!  It was definitely not an abscess as far as the the CAT scan that she had yesterday. She hasn't run a fever all day.  They have turned the drain of and she seems to be tolerating the drainage.  She'll have another CAT scan tomorrow to make sure that everything is truly going well and to find out if she needs an internal drain, which we are praying won't be needed.  
She had Physical Therapy today and her nurse said that she took a few steps forward and a few steps backwards.  They feel like she is improving each day, which is awesome.  She was able to eat starting yesterday evening, but even there was a lot of coaching she didn't eat much.  She even tried take a vote as to who we all that should eat the next bit and we all said "Kari!" of course and she said, "Awww Man!" Today for breakfast she ate 15% of her food and slept the entire 10am visit and then at lunch she was just extremely tired.  She was restless last night and didn't sleep much. This evening at 5 we all took turns feeding her, it was difficult and took a lot of praying, encouraging and reaffirming what need to be done to make her eat.  We have taken to bribing her with crazy praise, like giving her our best "BRAVO."  It works for a little bit.  She ate about 45-50% of her food tonight.  
She is really showing a lot of personality right now and dare I say a bit of attitude.  She is very frustrated, she very alert, but at the same time doesn't completely understand the severity of what's going on with her.  She wants so badly to leave the hospital, get out of the bed and even just move her arms and legs freely.  I don't blame her, but she's got to get better first.
Thank you so much for praying, loving on us with messages of encouragement and for being a listening ear.  

I will sing the LORD's praise, for he has been good to me. ~ Psalm 13:6
God has been so good to us and we will continue to believe that He will continue to be who He is!

Be blessed
Kaziah

Baby in need.

i have a prayer request for the prayer team to help me pray about. my cousin,melanie moore ardoin, of sulphur,la., has a problem with her pregnancy. the doctors tell her that she has a single vessel umbilical cord--that it can be nothing, but, can be serious. i am asking GOD to touch that baby boy's cord and make it normal. thank you so much for  praying with me. have a blessed day---love, pat bell

Kari's Progress

Please continue to pray with us as we believe that the breathing tube will be removed tomorrow and her sedation stopped. We are praying for a speedy and total recovery. Pray that God will give peace in the process.

For Christ's Sake,
Dylan C Schultz

Kari

Kari is out of surgery and the 1hr and 45 min surgery took 18mins and went very well. Praise the Lord. Please continue to pray for her recovery and that the test to come reveal no further surgery is needed.

For Christ's Sake,
Dylan C Schultz

Kari's Surgery

Prayer has started and they are expecting to last two hours.

Prayer for Kari's Surgery

Hi all,

I am so happy to tell you that Kari is having the 3rd surgery at 3.  Please pray that everything goes better than expected, that God guides the doctor and is with all who are in the operating room.  Thank you for praying for Kari because they "just happened" to have an OR and her culutre they took from her lung during the scope showed that nothing is growing, Praise God!  I know that God is in control and like I said yesterday, there are times when I might forget, but He Get's It Done!  Please continue to lift her up when you pray.  Hope you all have a victory filled rest of your day!

I let you know how everything went as soon as I know anything!

Be blessed
Kaziah

Kari's Surgery

Please pray for Kari. She will be having her second brain surgery at 3pm today.

For Christ's Sake,
Dylan C Schultz

Timmy Jenkins

Timmy Jenkins is in Tokyo and his parents are asking us to pray that God would keep him safe and that God would minister to him and through him during this time of devastation.

Una Dugas

Please pray for Una Dugas, Mary Villemez's grandmother, they just told us she had a heart attack. They are trying to transport her to River Parish Hospital in Laplace. She is 99 years old.

Pray for Kari Williams

Please pray for Kari Williams, the daughter of Aurtis & Micki Williams. She has bleeding on her brain and is in emergency surgery. The situation is critical. I will update when there is new information

Pray for the teams ministering at Mardi Gras today as well as our Chi Alpha students who are reaching out to other states universities.

For Christ's Sake,
Dylan C Schultz

Pray for the men of our church and the district as they meet with God at the retreat.