The NLLB work is boundless and fruitful. The following is an example of what a day can be like when it comes to NLLB’s work – a glimpse into what Linley did for the 22nd of May 2017.
The clock had barely made it to 6 a.m. and already I was sending messages to Indonesia. Indonesia is 13 hours ahead of my time in the States – so it was 7 p.m. there. Their day was just beginning to wind down as my was starting.
First, I received word that funds for Tony’s rental room near the hospital and physical therapy had been picked up by his sister. Tony suffered a severe electrical burn 5 years ago causing a dislocated hip and amputation of one arm and crippling of the other. He was initially too critical to repair his hip. Without these much needed funds, Tony would not be able to receive the physical therapy and care he needs. Second, I received a note from a friend who is organizing a prosthetic leg in collaboration with NLLB and another friend. The leg had been fitted, and now is ready for pick up. Now, this may seem like a relatively simple task, however it is quite complicated. The young woman receiving this leg must fly from Java to Sumatra to make sure the leg fits properly and then fly back home. A high school student in Jakarta is raising funds for this leg, and the recipient is university student on scholarship. Funding, booking and coordinating schedules is complex and required a quick call from Indonesia before 7 a.m.
Concurrently, messages are being sent regarding a second-hand laptop that may be sent to Sumatra along with the girl receiving the leg. This laptop will go to a former NLLB burn patient, Natalia, who is now on scholarship in a boarding high school. She tested well to get into this high school and it’s her dream to become a doctor. NLLB wishes to support her academic dreams. The laptop was donated by an Indonesian friend who was previously helped by NLLB.
We received news that Martin, another NLLB patient and friend, had been accepted into a private high school to study IT. Martin suffers from the crippling effects of polio and has difficulty walking. However, he comes from a very poor family who cannot afford the tuition, fees, and boarding costs. With this wonderful news of Martin’s acceptance, NLLB will be assisting him with tuition costs and is currently looking for another second-hand computer. Through help with our Indonesian friends we have found a good boarding situation and will be funding his first year of school which is less than $300. His parents are taking responsibility to help pay for his food.
Only 2-hours into my day – it’s 8 a.m.
I have checked on Tony’s latest videos and photos he’s posted documenting his recovery. It’s wonderful to be a part of his recovery – even from across the ocean; to be able to watch him walk and see how far he’s come is truly amazing and a blessing. Tony continues to use the walker with the arm extenders that NLLB sent to Indonesia, and is scheduled to see the doctor today. We will know more about his therapy and recovery plans soon enough!
Upon looking over recent communications, NLLB was contacted by an American who is moving to Indonesia, and has graciously offered to take two bottles of vitamins. So, before the day is over, I will go out and buy vitamins. I plan to send them tomorrow.
One bottle of vitamins will go to Martin. He is extremely underweight as his body uses a lot of energy to walk. The other bottle will go to another for NLLB burn patient and friend, Natalia. Nutritional supplements of quality are difficult to come by for these young people – so getting these vitamins to them will be a huge blessing! (It will create some logistic issues to get them to their remote areas.)