Wednesday, August 03, 2005

From Aaron

Hello all--

Good news today! Both Kari and I had our spirits lifted today by two different events. First, we found out that Kari will be moved to Craig Hospital to start her rehabilitation program tomorrow (8/4). This is a huge answer to prayer as Kari's spirit was feeling especially oppressed by having to sit and wait in the hospital without being able to do anything. Also tomorrow there will be a front page (at least that's what they told me) story on Kari in the Press Enterprise, a California newspaper from Riverside that has a daily circulation of 190,000 copies and an adult readership of over half a million people. Also an answer to prayer is that our apartment management has decided to waive the lease-break fee when we move out.
As far as visitors go, please simply call or email me to let me know when you are thinking about coming. I'll be able to tell you if anyone else will be there at that time and that way you can be planning accordingly. There is not really anytime that will be better than others, and there really is no way to tell in advance Kari's desire to see people on a particular day. I just don't have time to try to arrange things, but I can tell you who's going to be here once they decide on coming. Hopefully we'll be able to spread things out. Check back in a few days on the website though, as we might have a "Visit Kari" link up with a schedule and/or different email address to just handle schedules.
As always, please continue to pray as even amongst all the good news there have been so many difficult things that we could never have anticipated dealing with. What we need even more than help or encouragement is people that will try to walk beside us to help ease the pain and share the burden amongst the body of Christ.

Aaron.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello!
This is Libby Ridenour, Rob's sister. I'm not sure if my email reached Kari (I addressed it to Kari, not Karen) so I just wanted to reaffirm my support and love for both Aaron and Kari. I pray for you guys daily and have realized how blessed I am to have had (and still have!) Aaron as a pseudo-big brother growing up. You both have such huge hearts and I know your courage and faith in God will give you strength during happy as well as difficult times!! Thanks Aaron for your occasional posts, as it is comforting to "hear your voice" even if it's only through the internet.
Love, Libby

Anonymous said...

Hello Kari and Aaron,
Thanks for the email, and I am sure you are both excited and a little apprehensive about the move. But we will be faithful to pray, and will hold you both up as long as necessary. I pray that God will give you both peace and the strength to overcome whatever each day brings your way. Try to take it day by day.
Love, Vicki
Vicki Ainsworth St. Charles FM church

Anonymous said...

Mr. G, The girls and I are all over the artical in the Press Enterprise. We will get enough for all who need one. We will look for them on the stands tommorrow and keep looking until the artical comes out. Prayers to you and all you touch, get some sleep! Mother George has spoken. God Bless Kim R-G

Anonymous said...

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_P_kari04.1881e11e.html

This is the link to the story about Kari and Aaron. You will probably have to cut and paste it to your internet browser, and you may have to register at the site to get the story.

Anonymous said...

After reading the last posting, I had to check out the article.
The provided link took me to the paper's site but I had to go back to the home page to search for the article. Make sure you search by "Kari" not "Karen" as the Karen search produced no results. And yes, you do have to register in order to read the article- but it was worth it- check it out!
And I think the local papers here in Illinois need to run a story- so I'll be making a few phone calls today :-)
Peace and love,
KT

Franki said...

Hello!

I just went to check out the article online. You have to register in order to read...so, I cut and pasted it for you all below! This is excellent!

Much love and prayers!
Franki

Teacher seeks prayers to help his wife

ACCIDENT: A Redlands associate pastor shattered her vertebra in a vehicle rollover in Kansas.


12:08 AM PDT on Thursday, August 4, 2005



By JACQUIE PAUL / The Press-Enterprise

HURT IN CRASH
KARI MORRIS-GUZMAN, an associate pastor at Brookside Free Methodist Church in Redlands, suffered a serious spinal cord injury in an accident last month.

DONATIONS to help the family pay for ongoing medical costs can be sent to: Brookside Free Methodist Church, 75 Tennessee St., Redlands, CA, 92373.

INFORMATION: on Morris-Guzman's condition is updated online on a regular basis at www.weloveyoukari.org. A link to the hospital e-mail system is included on the site. Information on how to make donations also is included.




Gage Middle School teacher Aaron Guzman and his wife, Kari, planned to fly to Ethiopia this weekend to help the poor and sick.

Now they are the ones who need help.

A rollover accident that occurred as the couple vacationed last month left Kari Morris-Guzman, 31, with a shattered vertebra. She is struggling to breathe on her own and has developed pneumonia. Doctors say she likely will not walk again.

Guzman hopes prayer may be the answer and is asking for everyone to join in the effort to help his wife, an associate pastor who works with young people at Brookside Free Methodist Church in Redlands.

"I need people that are going to be committed to praying for her for a long, long time," Guzman, 26, said.

July 17 started out as a good day, Guzman recalled. After attending a wedding of a friend in Leoti, Kan., the couple was headed to Morris-Guzman's parents' home in Omaha, Neb. The pair sang along to classic rock tunes on the radio of their rented convertible as they traveled through the Kansas countryside. It was just three days before their third wedding anniversary and they were enjoying time together, Guzman said.


Special to The Press-Enterprise
"I need people that are going to be committed to praying for her for a long, long time," said Aaron Guzman, left, about his wife, Kari Morris-Guzman, who is struggling to breathe on her own and has developed pneumonia following an accident on July 17.



Moments later, everything changed. A pickup stopped suddenly in front of the couple on the two-lane highway. Guzman, who was driving, swerved off the road to avoid hitting the truck. The convertible flipped over in a ditch and landed upside down. The windshield collapsed onto the couple and both had to be pried from the wreckage. Guzman suffered only minor injuries, but his wife could not move.

Morris-Guzman's fifth cervical vertebra was shattered in the accident. She has been able to rotate her forearms and can use her biceps, but cannot move much else below her chest, Guzman said. Doctors are trying to wean her off of a ventilator.

Friends and family have helped immensely, Guzman said.

"That's been the thing that's sustained us," he said.

Soon after the accident, phone trees and a Web site were started to keep well-wishers informed.

"We've gotten e-mails from people we don't even know," Guzman said.

Among those offering support are the staff, parents and students from Gage Middle School, where Guzman is a popular music teacher. The school's PTSA plans to donate proceeds from items sold at an upcoming Spirit Night to the family, Gage Principal Chuck Hiroto said. Plans to create bracelets to show support for the family are also in the works. Meanwhile, fellow Gage staff members and other district music teachers are outlining lesson plans and readying Guzman's room in case he is not able to return to work at the beginning of the school year.

"It's heart-warming, it's heart-wrenching at times, but it's just amazing," Hiroto said of the support offered to the Guzman family.

Those who know the couple said they are not surprised that so many people want to help because the couple has worked so hard to help others. Both have helped others in their community and have also gone on missionary trips with their church.

Guzman said his wife continues to help others, even as she lies in her hospital bed.

"She's sort of the one keeping us all together," he said. "Everyone's really sad, but she's just been really brave. She's really confident that she's going to get better."

Reach Jacquie Paul at (951) 368-9472 or jpaul@pe.com

Anonymous said...

Hi Kari and Aaron,

This is Kate Hicks---Aaron's someties music sub. The news is spreading fast, along with the kids' need to help you in any way. Please know that I am also there for you, too. Hang in there!
God Bless!
Love, Kate

Anonymous said...

Hello,
This is Danielle, a student from Matthew Gage Middle School! My family and I are praying for Kari to get better. I know that it may seem difficult at this time but I hope that God will bless Mr. Guzman and his special, heartwarming, beautiful wife, Kari. I know that you will always have God by your side. I trust that you will have the courage and strength for Kari.

God Bless,
Danielle Delgado