Changed Life Story: Yale
Once a child in crisis, now a man of purpose—Yale’s life is shaped by God’s faithfulness.
Yale was just four years old when he first arrived at Casa Monte Plata.
“It was a really rainy day—the day I arrived,” he remembers. “It felt dark and tense to me, like something heavy was happening.”
His earliest years were marked by loss and instability. At a young age, Yale and his brother Samy lost their mother and lived with their father, who was unable to care for his sons. Their situation at home grew dangerous. One night, while alone with his baby brother, Yale nearly suffocated in a tangled mosquito net. “I cried and cried until a neighbor—because the house wasn’t secure—was able to come in and help me.”
Eventually, by God’s grace, his father agreed to release them into the care of Kids Alive. “Thanks to God’s perfect will, [my brother and I] were able to arrive at Casa Monte Plata.”
Yale remembers the moment he arrived to Casa Monte Plata. “Very quickly I realized I was in a secure place. It was a different kind of happiness than I had known before. A clean happiness. An organized happiness. Something real.”
Yale, Samy, and their house mom
At Casa Monte Plata, Yale received consistent care, education at Eva May Russell School, nutritious food, and love from house parents. But what transformed him most deeply was the Word of God.
“I used to hear about God at church, at school, at Casa Monte Plata. When I was nine, I remember going into my room alone and praying for the first time. That was the moment I gave my life to Him.”
From that moment on, Yale says, “God has been modifying and preparing my life for new things. Every stage brings a new challenge. I have to learn new things—and leave other things behind. But God is always working in the lives of His children.”
After completing his high school education, Yale desired to pursue a university degree in law. “I want to work with children’s cases. I want to be a Christian example in the workforce.” Thanks to a Kids Alive university scholarship, his godly desire to serve through the justice system became a tangible reality. Yale began his university studies and moved into Casa Esther, the transition home in Monte Plata for youth aging out of residential care. During his time there, he served in various capacities at the residential campus. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and regular church services paused, Yale stepped up to lead devotions at the home.
Yale receiving his Law Degree with Ramon Prenza, founder of Casa Monte Plata and Eva Russell School
In March 2025, Yale graduated with a university degree in law.
Reflecting on where he might be without the ministry, Yale doesn’t hesitate. “If it weren’t for Kids Alive—and through it, getting to know God—I would be lost. I’d be living for my own desires, in a completely disorganized life.”
But today, Yale lives with purpose. He’s a lawyer, a servant, a teacher, a brother—and a young man of deep faith. “God gave me something real. And I want to give that love to others.”
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