Meet Llerly

We have a friend we would like you to meet. His name is Llerly (pronounced Jerly). He is a tall, friendly, respectful, God-fearing and compassionate person that has quickly become a genuine friend of ours. He is 21 years old and lives here in Santo Tomas with his family.

Several months ago, Llerly came to us wanting to get a college education. He had been out of school for 3 years, working on random jobs, trying to save enough money to get into officer school. We were extremely hesitant at first since we knew we didn’t have the means to put anyone through school, and had recently requested funds to help another young man out.

We could tell Llerly was a hard worker, very intelligent and had a lot of potential. He presented his case very well and we had remembered him as different from the typical young men of this town. Most times we had seen him before, while passing his house going to and from school, he was reading books and trying to learn on his own. Most guys will just sit around and drink, but not Llerly. We prayed that if God wanted us to find a way to help Him, then He would open the doors.

We took Llerly around to various trade schools to see what he was interested in. It was quite apparent that his parents were trying to influence him to become a heavy machinery driver or a mechanic, since they were fast certification programs and he could begin working soon. He didn’t seem to have his heart set on such goals, but was too timid to ask for something greater. Finally, after checking out a few trade schools, Aaron and I were not convinced that driving a tractor was his life dream. And you all understand the American viewpoint of wanting to help someone in a way that will be a good investment for their future, not just a quick fix.

We sat down with Llerly and his family and told them very directly that if there was a way we could help him, we wanted him to choose a career that he wanted, not what anyone else wanted for him. We offered to take him to check out some local universities and had him make a list of questions he wanted to ask to the people teaching and/or working in his field of choice.

The following morning, he showed up, ready to go to town…to learn about the field of psychology. He was so excited to be able to consider something beyond field work. He admitted that his dream was not to drive heavy machinery or to fix motorcars. He spoke so much more passionately about psychology and couldn’t wait to check out some schools.

We found a great school on our side of town. The amount of money needed for a semester of tuition is about $700 (US Dollars), including additional costs, such as books, supplies and transportation. Just weeks before the deadline to pay for the first semester, we received a donation from a family member that covered the first semester, and this family member didn’t even know about Llerly yet. We took it as a sign and got Llerly enrolled.

Llerly ranked 7th place on the entrance exam out of the 200+ students who took the test. Not only that, he went fishing everyday for two weeks (up until the exam) selling what he caught to help pay for some of the expenses related to registration (something he was not asked to do). He has the smarts. He has the desire. He applies himself.

Currently, Llerly is over halfway through his first semester. He frequently comes over to get tutoring, use the computer, or just hang out and talk. He is doing very well balancing time, studies, and life. He has been maintaining very good grades and we are very proud of him.

The next semester starts in January and we have raised $200 thus far. We have seen God come through time and time again, and not just in Llerly’s case. With God, where there is faith, there is a way. If you have any questions, comments, or would like to help in any way, please contact us.