Joni: Hi! I’m Joni and I have a special guest for you to meet today and her name is Chantal Huinink from Guelph, Ontario up in Canada. Chantal, thanks for coming to Joni and Friends today.
Chantal: You’re welcome. Thank you.
Joni: Chantal it’s especially fun having you here at the microphone because you are an intern here at Joni and Friends for the next couple of months. I’m so excited about that.
Chantal: Me, too.
Joni: Now, Chantal, tell us a little about yourself, your disability.
Chantal: I have spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy which means that all my limbs are affected and I use a power wheelchair. I’m also vision impaired to some degree.
Joni: Okay, Chantal, so you have a package of disabling conditions and it’s clear you have an impairment you have to deal with daily, but you’ve really overcome your limitations in a huge way. Tell our friends a little bit about your educational background.
Chantal: I’m just about to finish my university degree from the University of Guelph in psychology and human development.
Joni: Wonderful! Good for you and many congratulations.
Chantal: Thank you.
Joni: What’s your passion? Where do you sense God leading you with that degree?
Chantal: Well, that’s not entirely sure yet, but I know that faith is an essential part of handling my limitations in a positive way so I really know that it is important to draw this to Christ and if I can act as a role model to people in a similar situation to myself that would be very wonderful, I think.
Joni: I think you are being a great role model right now. One of the things I’m excited about is that during your internship you are going to be editing our Prayer Manual, praying for people with disabilities around the world. Are you excited about that challenge?
Chantal: I am indeed.
Joni: Well if you have any questions, I have a great world map to show you and lots of needs of people with disabilities for whom we can be praying. We are so thrilled here at Joni and Friends that you are interning with us for the next couple of months. What do you think about the intern program? Would you recommend that others investigate it?
Chantal: Definitely! It’s more than I could have imagined. I grew up listening to you, Joni, and reading your books and thought it would always be amazing to come here and work with you and never actually thought it was possible, wrote a couple of letters five years ago actually and thought wouldn’t it be so weird if God did something with this and God finally gave me the courage to send the letter last April and thankfully I heard back from James Rene the two week intensive internship was happening this summer and so I spent one week in the foundation schools here at the IDC and then one week serving in Murietta Hot Springs as a short term missionary…
Joni: … for Family Retreats. Bless you for that, Chantal and you know I think there might be a couple of moms and dads of disabled young people who are listening in and I believe that your example is really going to inspire them that even if you might have a disability, the sky is the limit, you still can head to college, explore career opportunities, you can see where God might lead you. Where do you think God might lead you?
Chantal: Your guess is as good as mine, Joni. This is going to be next three months of discernment to determine what the next step will be.
Joni: I know that God is going to open doors for you, Chantal because you have an open heart, a willing spirit and you are just attuned to where Jesus is leading you and I know wherever that is it’s going to make great inroads for the Gospel and encourage a lot of other people with disabilities.
Chantal: Thank you.
Joni: I wish you all success with your internship here. We certainly love having you.
Chantal: It’s been wonderful so far.
Joni: Good! And once again let me remind you of our website, come by and visit us at any time at joniandfriends.org. Of course you can always call and talk to one of our team members by dialing 1-888-522-5664. God’s blessings on you until next time when we get together at Joni and Friends.
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