LUTHERAN TEENS WITH DISABILITIES OVERCOME LIFE'S OBSTACLES

     NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- "Jesus Christ is a role model for suffering," the Rev. T. David Diamond, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., told a dozen high-school-aged Lutherans with disabilities.  "His suffering accomplished something."  Diamond led the Definitely Abled Youth Leadership Event (DAYLE) through a series of Bible studies.
     The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America hosted the DAYLE here July 20-23 in advance of a Youth Gathering that brought 35,000 Lutherans here July 23-27.  The DAYLE built on the gathering's "Rive of Hope" theme and added "Make ME a Vessel."
     Participants made a list of their toughest obstacles, ranging from "stairs" to "being taken seriously."  Some suffering is unhealthy, Diamond said, because it does not lead to something worthwhile.
     "Healthy suffering helps you overcome," he said.  "The worst thing I had to overcome was not believing in myself."  Diamond added, "You can choose to be a lot of ways in this world. Jesus came to give us life that we can live it more abundantly."
     The DAYLE gave participants a chance to get to know each other and the facilities being used for the ELCA Youth Gathering before the crowds arrived.  The teens -- about half of them in wheelchairs -- toured the Louisiana Superdome, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and a number of the hotels that were used for the gathering events to locate access points.
     A person's abilities are more than the things they can do, said the Rev. Susan M. Butler, House of Prayer Lutheran Church, Harvey, La.  She illustrated her point with a story about her great aunt Vera, who raised five children in poverty.  "I have everything I need," Vera would say, "I'm just careful about what I need."
     "Love flowed out of her.  She gave love, because that's all she had to give," said Butler.  "She loved because that's who she was."
     "What did she do that made her special?  She didn't do anything.  It was what she was," she said.  "People can do good.  The truly special know how to be."  Butler added, "Be love, because you can."
     The DAYLE included a business session that elected Brenda Auterman of West Milwaukee, Wis., and Kristen McClean of Rolling Meadows, Ill., to three-year terms as Definitely Abled Representatives to the board of the Lutheran Youth Organization, the ELCA's youth organization.  The participants also passed a resolution asking the LYO Convention that met during the gathering to create Definitely Abled Advisory Committee (DAC).
     The LYO Convention approved the resolution establishing the DAC on July 26.
     DAYLE participants made provisions that, if the convention approved their resolution, Auterman would be DAC chair and McClean would be DAC's liaison to the LYO board.  Kim VanBatavia of Sioux Falls, S.D., would be DAC secretary.
     Each of the DAYLE participants was accompanied by a parent or adult helper.  Dot Wilson, director of the Desire/Florida Community Council in New Orleans, spoke to them all.  She told the children to trust their parents, and she told the parents to be trustworthy.
     Wilson said the community council is helping parents parent and giving children the opportunity to play, in one of the most economically depressed areas of the city.
     "I want to change the attitudes of the parents, so they can grasp their responsibilities as adults."  Wilson told the adults to teach children what they've learned while "weathering a few storms."
     Wilson told the teens that they could learn a thing or two from the adults.  "Parents are no different than you.  They didn't come here grown," she said.
     The most important thing children and adults can share is their faith in Jesus Christ, Wilson said.  "So many young people are moving away from God, and they don't know why things are wrong."
     Participants also heard from Bishop Paul J. Blom of the ELCA's Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod; the Rev. Kelly Chatman, ELCA director for youth ministries; the Rev. William "Bill" Kees, ELCA director for Youth Gathering program; and the Rev. Mark R. Moller-Gunderson, executive director of the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries, which houses the church's youth ministry offices.
     In addition to Auterman, McClean and VanBatavia, DAYLE participants were Nathan Bauer, Zumbrota, Minn.; Bonnie Carswell, Enola, Pa.; Michael Davidson, New Orleans; Adam Enabnit, Rockford, Iowa; Connie Gerding, Watauga, Texas; Lindsay Groote, Millington, N.J.; Mariamne Johnson, Springfield, Ohio; John E.S. "Jess" Schaeffer, Boyertown, Pa.; and Derek Schutt, Gresham, Ore.

                               -- 30 --

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director, News and Information
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html