SINCE JANUARY 12, 2010 - Our Girls and Paula at the Foyer

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Haiti Mission

SINCE JANUARY 12, 2010 - Our Girls and Paula at the Foyer
By Bob DellaValle-Rauth
Jun 4, 2010, 12:21

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Thank you Resurrection people!

SINCE JANUARY 12, 2010 – Our Girls and Paula at the Foyer
By Bob DellaValle-Rauth

Recently Adele and I received a gentle nudge from one of the Tuesday men to place some updated information on the Resurrection website. I said we will do our best and was extremely happy over his interest in the Haiti Mission link.

We talk with Paula often though the signal is distorted and often we frequently lose the connection. Despite the difficulty, it is far superior to email for a whole litany of reasons. At the present time Paula and the girls (62 currently) are in a Transitional Mode. The girls are sleeping for the most part under crowded conditions in the new eating area built by Resurrection – part of a separate building that was not affected by the earthquake. Paula had to move them from the tents across the street because of heavy rains – rainy season is from May-November. Paula has not fully moved back into her own home. Recently her son Renan and daughter-in-law Mirelle visited her and the girls for two weeks. Renan and family live in Elmont, LI. Paula plans to visit them perhaps the 3rd week in June to take care of her annual medical needs.

Despite the difficulty of living in Haiti and her vehicle recently breaking down and needing extensive engine repair, and the tasks that must be accomplished on the new land (about two acres located approximately 40 minutes from the current Foyer in Croix de Bouquets), Paula’s voice is very strong and upbeat and she is anxious to get on with the work! A true disciple I would say with a Gospel spirituality of “doing good to and for others” - to be emulated. She is so much like all the other Haitians living in Port-au-Prince since the “tremblement de terre” (earthquake) of January 12. The challenges confronting the people, including Paula, are enormous but with a special God-given Hope and personal resolve and faith-driven determination Paula and the people around her will go on again. Though the journey will be long and the path quite steep, Haiti will live and hopefully brighter and stronger, as we continue to walk side by side with them in true Christian solidarity.

Paula hopes to move the girls to the new land, which she owns, as soon as some major tasks are completed:
· A masonry wall on the perimeter needs to be repaired in a couple of places and two iron gates have to be fabricated on site to close off entryways. One gate is already finished.
· Razor wire, which took a long time to find in Port-au-Prince, needs to be installed on top the wall.
· She is working with a donor in Canada to obtain 3 or 4 semi-permanent 12 ft.x16 ft. pre-fab structures (rather than tents as first thought) that can withstand high winds and protect more from the rains. This is a project in process and she maintains close contact with the source.
· Security is top most on her mind because she cannot move materials onto the land now and risk intruders taking them.
· The existing well is clogged and deemed unusable. She cannot locate anyone in Haiti to clean it out and therefore is thinking of having a new well dug.
· She is in need of a new generator when the land is secure and the well in place.
· Aside from all these tasks Paula was very, very concerned about continuing school for the girls. She could not restart school until the government of Haiti said all usable schools could restart together. Three of four primary school teachers, plus Alix the English teacher, have returned to the Foyer and primary school is back in operation.
The secondary school near the Foyer normally attended by the older girls was destroyed so Paula found an equivalent quality school near the airport and these girls are now enrolled. The problem is distance but August, Paula’s driver for years, takes the girls to school in the morning with the truck and in the evening, because of different schedules, they return back to the Foyer in Tap-Taps. Paula is doing the best she can under the circumstances – truly amazing. In Port-au-Prince 80% of all schools were destroyed. 545 teachers were killed. About 100,000 students have migrated to the rural areas.
· The reverse osmosis water system purchased by Resurrection and completed in June 2009 was damaged in January but quickly repaired because of its importance to the Foyer, the clinic, and surrounding neighborhood. Paula is now selling the excess water to the neighborhood and to Matthew 25 Guest House where Resurrection folks stay.

Thanks to your generous donations since the earthquake Paula is able to proceed with the transitional needs of preparing the land for temporary housing for our girls. She is proceeding “jouranjou”- “day by day”, one step at a time. We are Resurrection and Hope as we walk together in faith and solidarity toward the future of the Foyer.

Regarding a new structure on the new property, Paula has been offered the services of a couple of engineers in NY by a long-time friend who can do the design work. She plans to send them a survey of the property and they plan to visit early in June.

Adele and I suggested that she must be very tired with the “full plate” facing her every day. Paula laughed quite heartily and said, “No! I really feel like 20 years old.” She also dismissed any suggestion of retirement. She added that she “prays to God never to give her more than she can expect to do” and also added, “God always watches, knows what I can do and always helps.”

Paula epitomizes the faith of the Haitian people! A lesson for all of us.

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