Session Two of Rock the Block in Choctaw County concentrated on " A Great BIG PROBLEM" - S.I.N.
Every one of us has S.I.N.N.E.D and fallen short of the glory of God. This problem began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were disobedient to the Lord our God. They were told not to eat from the from "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but the Serpent convinced them otherwise. We now live in a fallen world and this is a great big Problem.
The children loved eating apples for snack and playing with plastic snakes.
drury swimming
Night swimming at the hotel in Meridian, MS. Our team stayed in a hotel in Meridian as we prepared to do Rock the Block in Gilbertown, Alabama at New Life Church. A few of the children who would be attending the vacation Bible school with us came to spend the night with us at the hotel. They all had so much fun swimming and eating pizza before bed.
sweet hands
bbolden
This morning I called "BBolden" to say hello. She had gallbladder surgery last Friday and has been in a good bit of pain. Four of her seven children were in Birmingham for the weekend and were out of school today for a teacher's workday. As she answered the phone, I knew something was wrong. She was bathing the baby and picking up the house last night and ripped open her incision from surgery. It took her hours to stop the bleeding and her pain has intensified. I recommended she return to the hospital or at the very least call them for some advise.
As I sat down for supper tonight, my phone rang with the MS area code. Oh know, what in the world. I called "BB" back and she could barely talk. She asked for a favor. I agreed. She wanted to know if I would please take care of her children if something happened to her. I became mute. I didn't really know how to respond. She was sobbing so hard that I could not understand a single word coming from her mouth after the first sentence. She calmed a little and began to thank me for loving her and her children. She told me that no one ever loved her and Ranolpho would wait until the middle of the night and then begin to degrade and mistreat her.
I reminded "BB" that God knew her before she was born and loved her unconditionally. We prayed for strength and peace. I asked Josh to get her a cold wet cloth for her face. I asked Jacob to please feed the baby. During this conversation, I realized that she has not eaten in days, she is in so much pain, seven children needed a bath and to be put to bed, and that she was tired, weary, bleeding and scared. OK, Josh (12) has to take control. I talked to Josh again and told him to please (1) make mom a peanut butter sandwich (2) put the little guys to bed for school and (3) love on your mom and tell her it's going to be OK.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for my sons and husband! Thank You for my family and friends. Thank You for loving me. Be with "BB" and her children and draw them close to You. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, Oh Lord my strength and my Redeemer.
b bolden family
more please
Rick and I picked up the oldest four "J's" about 4pm on Thursday, April 1st. Yes, It was April fools days and they played many pranks. Josh (12), Jacob (Jake) (10), JaShawn (Shawn)(7) and Jaylon (JayJay)(5) were so excited to be coming to Birmingham for the weekend. Muscacholi was being prepared at the house by Josh and Staci and almost ready when we arrived. The children ate and ate and ate until their little bellies were extended. The children are all very polite and very sweet to each other. Josh the oldest just turned twelve in March and he is a great big brother and takes care of all 6 of his little brothers. Josh carries so much responsibility for such a young age. After everyone had finished eating on Thursday night, he politely came and ask if he could have "More please". He ate four bowls of food, but not until everyone else had eaten. As bedtime rolled around, Jake and Shawn both wanted to sleep with Josh. JayJay went to spend the night with Josh and Staci and he slept between them. Friday morning I went into their room to check on them and the 7 year old was ironing his clothes. Wow! Friday and Saturday were filled with three boys going to work with me, to Etheridge Barber Shop for haircuts which revealed ringworm and dandruff, fishing at Spain Park, one lost fishing pole that sailed into the lake upon casting, playing with crickets and earthworms, walking across a concrete bridge with great fear, a snake on the rocks, warm showers and coconut lotion, clipped fingernails and toenails, Target and Walmart shopping, Easter egg hunt, swinging and sliding at the park, back yard wiffle ball, roasting marshmallows by the fire, riding in the big black truck, signing songs and talking about Jesus and praying together. It was a great way to celebrate our risen Savior! It was so much fun showing, sharing and serving these children from the black belt of Alabama.
Darlene
EMAIL Sent: Sun, Jul 5, 2009 10:30 pm
Subject: BRAXTON TAYLOR F
J and Lisa, Hey. It's me Darlene. I wanted to get in contact with you and let you see how fast Braxton is growing. He is making sentences now and he is adorable. He has his final surgery scheduled for September, just a few months away. I also want to say that I am sorry for everything in the past. I am attaching some pictures of Braxton and I would love to meet you and have lunch or something. I really would like to talk to you and your sister if possible. When I look at things right now, I see how childish I was in the past. I am ashamed of my ways in the past and I would like you to know that I am a different person now. Larry and I have married and I am finishing up my degree in Criminal Justice. My dad past away in March of this year, and My little boy July 9th of last year.
Sincerely, Larry, Darlene, and Braxton
Sent: Mon, Jul 6, 2009 12:25 pm
RETURN RESPONSE
Darlene,
Oh my gosh! What an answer to prayer. I have been thinking about you so much and wondering how ya’ll have been. I wondered how the baby was doing (I thought it was a girl)? I am SO sorry to hear that the baby went to be with Jesus. I am also so sorry to hear about your dad.? WOW.? rough year.? We too have had a rough year. Little Lee had brain surgery last September and the GM business is terrible, but all happens for a reason. I just read a weekly wisdom before I opened your email that said "Do you believe GOD even when you can't believe what happened"? We also had a setback with my brother who had to go to rehab for a couple of months and we are trying to help him get his life back in order. His wife has divorced him and not really sure about his kids. He has 2 kids that he adores and he is trying to make amends with them.
I Love the pictures of Braxton. You will have to fill me in on his progress, if he had to have any more surgeries. What is his surgery for in September? And do ya’ll go to Nashville to have it? He is sooo big. I can't believe it. He certainly hasn't missed a meal... He is adorable and his smile is contagious.
I would love to catch up--go to lunch or whatever.? Lisa and I both have not stopped thinking of you and often ask each other what is Darlene, Larry and Braxton up to!! I want to hear what happened to your baby. Would love to hear about Martha. Where you are living, working, etc.
I totally appreciate your apology. I forgive you and know that I still really care about you and your family. I am sorry for abandoning you. I felt like I got too involved and was trying to hard to control the situation. For that I am sorry. I am so glad you got back in touch. I am not sure if I will be at church on Sunday because we go to the lake on the weekends but I would love to get together with you sometime this week. I will pray for you as I know this will be a hard week for you.
Thanks again for sending the precious pictures.
Sent: Mon, Jul 6, 2009 1:25 pm
We have been doing okay. Larry finally got his disability. His child support was reduced. I had a little boy his name was Bridger Ty. He was truly God sent. He only weighed 3lbs. I delivered the umbilical cord first and it cut the blood flow off to him. His kidneys were bad and his chest did not grow big enough to house his lungs. God knew what he was doing. I tell myself that Bridger was just for God and me. He was a pleasure to carry. Yeah, it's been a rough year. Why did Lil Lee have to have surgery, not related to TEF was it? I hate to hear about Lee's business to. On a different note,,,,,,,I got a GMC Yukon. It is not a brand new one, but it makes me feel good as a person when I am bumping those BOSE...lol. Braxton has had a total of 28 surgeries. His last surgery in April was to remove a penny from his neck.We all laughed and thought that was humor from God...You know on a penny it says "in God we trust". Braxton wasn't hurt or anything but he had a problem putting change in his mouth. He had his esophagus removed last year and they made an opening in his neck for saliva to drain, which is caught by a washcloth. The daily Mountain Eagle did a big write up on him just this year...It was awesome. The surgery in September will be to take six inches of his small intestines and rebuild his esophagus. We are praying this is his last surgery. I know that Braxton is chunky but he is not able to eat anything by mouth and it touch his stomach. He eats from a Mic-key button in his stomach. You thought he was something back then....o' boy he is saying things, that I know I did not teach him. He loves to talk on the phone so if you ever want to call you can. He will talk your ears off...
oh. Almost forgot, I am a full time student and I don't work right now. I almost thought about working at one of those Bingo Halls down the road...Looks fun. I don't know...
Braxton F
‘He has a desire to live’
Jennifer Williams Eagle Reporter
Daily Mountain Eagle Newspaper - Jasper, Alabama
Januray 29, 2009
Two-year-old Braxton F is so active that the washcloth tied around his neck is the only sign of how sick he is. Braxton was born with tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF). "His esophagus grew so far down and then it grew into his windpipe, his trachea," said his mother, Darlene Foy. Doctors had to put Braxton on life support as soon as he was born because he could not breath on his own without choking. As an infant, he gagged each time he swallowed because the fluids were entering his airways instead of his stomach. Braxton has had many surgeries in his short life to fix the problem.
In the first surgery, doctors unhooked his esophagus from his trachea. However, the two organs were so close together in Braxton's small body that a fistula, or abnormal connection, formed. Food continued to leak into Braxton's airway through the tube. After two more surgeries, doctors tried to wrap the esophagus in glue. They did multiple surgeries using the glue before a major complication arose. "In the fifth surgery, when they went in to use a synthetic glue, they shot too much of it and it dried down his trachea. They had to scrape all of that off," said Larry Foy, Braxton's father. Braxton had so many surgeries that his esophagus eventually began to deteriorate. Doctors went in again to cut out the dead part of the esophagus and reconstruct it. However, the stitching left a small hole. Braxton began to get recurring infections because what he swallowed still leaked into his chest. Doctors then stapled the esophagus shut and rerouted the rest of it to the side of his neck. "It's called a spit fistula. Everything that goes in his mouth comes out his neck onto a rag," Larry Foy said. Braxton is now fed through a feeding bag. A tube in his neck connects to a Mic-Key button on his stomach. He can only digest liquid milk. He can also have ice and water by mouth. Solid foods are forbidden for Braxton because of the dangers they pose. Larry Foy gave him a piece of an orange slice recently. Since Braxton didn't know how to chew it, the food stuck in his throat and he had to be rushed to the emergency room to have it removed. He has now learned to lick foods such as fries and chips and then give the solid portion back to his parents.
In all, Braxton has had 27 surgeries to correct his TEF. In addition to enduring all the work on his esophagus, he has also had part of his lung removed. "All of the saliva that was building up in his chest caused pressure in his cavity. So the upper right lobe of his lung had to be removed," Darlene Foy said. He is still in need of at least one more surgery. Doctors plan to take six inches of his small intestines to build him a new esophagus. However, Braxton's father is concerned that one more won't be enough. "He's coughing now. When he coughed before, it meant he had a fistula formed. So he may have one up higher now," Larry Foy said. The trials Braxton has faced in the past two years have had no affect on his attitude. He is a happy, energetic little boy most of the time. Darlene Foy said her young son is an inspiration to her, and she hopes other parents find hope in his story as well.
"He has a desire to live because he has been through so much," she said.
Jesus' Birthday Party
Tonight was wonderful! We shared Christmas with two families from Choctaw County in our home. After much work and many phone calls, Tikisha Brooks-Graham, the social worker for Choctaw County Schools, was able to get a van and bring a family to Birmingham for the first time. Bobbi Bolden and her six boys, Imani, Edna Brooks (Kesha's mom), Kari, Demondre, and Mrs. Anderson, the school counselor arrived around 6:30pm. Mr and Mrs Santa Claus arrived with gifts and stockings for all of the children. Many friends and family attended to bring good tidings and hugs for these precious children. Bullen and Andrew from the Sudan were here, as well as Ricky Barwick from the Alabama Children's Home. We had chicken fingers, cupcakes and sweet tea. What a blast to watch these precious children look to Santa with respect and love. Rick told the Christmas Story about baby Jesus to all of the children. This will be a night to remember always. Thanks you Jesus for allowing our family to provide many needs to these families. Our prayer is that seeds were planted and each and every person present will know you as their personal Lord and Savior.
Choctaw African Christmas
Tonight was wonderful! We shared Christmas with two families from Choctaw County in our home. After much work and many phone calls, Tikisha Brooks-Graham, the social worker for Choctaw County Schools, was able to get a van and bring a family to Birmingham for the first time. Bobbi Bolden and her six boys, Imani, Edna Brooks (Kesha's mom), Kari, Demondre, and Mrs. Anderson, the school counselor arrived around 6:30pm. Mr and Mrs Santa Claus arrived with gifts and stockings for all of the children. Many friends and family attended to bring good tidings and hugs for these precious children. Bullen and Andrew from the Sudan were here, as well as Ricky Barwick from the Alabama Children's Home. We had chicken fingers, cupcakes and sweet tea. What a blast to watch these precious children look to Santa with respect and love. Rick told the Christmas Story about baby Jesus to all of the children. This will be a night to remember always. Thanks you Jesus for allowing our family to provide many needs to these families. Our prayer is that seeds were planted and each and every person present will know you as their personal Lord and Savior.