Hi, this is Joni Eareckson Tada and you are listening to Joni and Friends.
And I am so grateful to have a young friend in the studio with me today. You know how much I love young students and I have a good friend in here today, Ashley Duda. Thanks for coming in, Ash.
ASHLEY: Thanks for having me.
JONI: Absolutely. And you are currently serving as a personal care attendant to Emily Shanahan, a young woman in a wheelchair, a senior at Cedarville University who is serving here at Joni and Friends as an intern. Are you having fun, Ash, helping her?
ASHLEY: I am having a blast. It is a privilege to serve Emily.
JONI: Absolutely! You have to quickly explain what service to Emily actually means, because it’s not just you when you guys are back on campus at Cedarville. Tell us about that, it’s a whole group, isn’t it?
ASHLEY: Yes, there is a group of 49 of us right now as a count.
JONI: 49 students help Emily!
ASHLEY: Up to 49 now. We are called “The Dream Team.”
JONI: And what are your responsibilities?
ASHLEY: We do a range of various things, from helping Em with just everyday living activities such as getting her to the bathroom, giving her meals, aiding her with academic studies, and also having a little bit of fun with her in between.
JONI: I’ve seen you guys having fun here at the center. Are you getting any kind of credit for this kind of service?
ASHLEY: It’s not for any kind of school credit.
JONI: No kidding! You just do this out of your love for Em.
ASHLEY: She’s amazing; she’s a blessing to us.
JONI: Well, you know, it kind of fits in with your major at Cedarville because – what is your major again?
ASHLEY: Nursing.
JONI: Nursing! And what is your vision? What do you want to do with that degree in nursing?
ASHLEY: I hope to go overseas and do some form of medical mission some day.
JONI: Any place in particular?
ASHLEY: Wherever the Lord wants me.
JONI: I love that kind of attitude: wherever God wants you. You know, there must be some students listening who are kind of waffling about declaring a major. I mean, it’s August, we are coming up on a new school year, there may be some high schoolers where it will be the first time at a university, or maybe some kids who are this year going to be declaring and major and they are still praying about it. What would you advise them?
ASHLEY: The Lord has created you in such an intricate way and has made you so uniquely that he has a plan for you that no one else can do but you. Just to look to what you naturally enjoy; what makes your heart sing; what he has already put in you that you love to do and follow that path and see where he leads from there.
JONI: Well, Ashley, how old are you?
ASHLEY: I’m 20 years old.
JONI: 20 years old. Well, you have a lot of maturity for giving that kind of insight to other students. When you look at your own generation, Ash, we hear so many “not so nice things” about the mosaic generation, but how would you want friends listening to be praying for this generation of young people of which you are a part?
ASHLEY: I would say just to pray for zeal; pray for passion for the Lord that would be so great that we would be so overwhelmed that no matter what we face we would not be able to stop because of a great love for him.
JONI: Wow! Well, I think there are a lot of 40-, 50-, and 60-year-olds (and I would include myself in the 60-year-old category) who are listening to you, a 20 year old, say that, and oh, we have hope! We are so happy that there are young people like you who are in the United States and studying at a Christian institution and wanting to serve as missions. Tell me, Ashley, how can we listening pray for Emily Shanahan and other students with disabilities?
ASHLEY: Pray that they would be strengthened; renewed every day by the mercies of Christ. That he would just surround them with people that would be willing to be their hands, their feet, whatever they might need, that he would surround them with others that love him that would be there to support them and encourage them.
JONI: Plus willing hearts of administrators and academic deans, huh? Sometimes not every university, even Christian universities, are ready to open the doors of access.
And friend, if you want more information on accessible school campuses or Christian universities that provide programs for people with disabilities and courses of study, then contact us at joniandfriends.org.
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