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| | Wednesday, October 01, 2008 |
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The Lutheran Home, for the first time in its history dating back to 1892, welcomes a Lutheran Deaconess to Pastoral Care. Ashley Hesson, following a year of internship at the Lutheran Home, has accepted a full-time call to serve residents and families as Deaconess.
 Growing up in Vinton, Iowa, the deaconess ministry was not always a loud and clear call for Ashley, but more of a consistent whisper. Her childhood pastor offered one of those in suggesting she consider Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota for her collegiate education. It was there that Lutheran theology and Ashley’s participation and leadership in the Christian community grew. An active campus ministry role shed light on her gift of accompanying others in their Christian walk.
Subtle guiding by the Holy Spirit continued as interest grew in a post-graduate opportunity at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod seminary now offers a master’s degree-level deaconess track through which women can pursue service to Christ and His church in missions, congregations or institutions such as retirement communities.
Deaconess Hesson studied at Concordia Seminary, and toward the completion of the Deaconess program, was to pursue an internship. She was soon offered the opportunity to put her education to practice in God’s community as intern at the Lutheran Home in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Her internship year brought with it new friendships and an enriched appreciation for the strength in Christ’s faithful.
Ashley recalls one morning’s visit with a Lutheran Home neighbor. “For days I had noticed she was weakening and had been uncharacteristically down on herself. But not on this day. As I greeted her she extended her hands high toward the sky and through a huge grin and thick German accent she exclaimed, ‘I’m on my way to heaven!’ Her faith was so strong. She knew the end of pain was before her and was celebrating with certainty and excitement the promise of Christ’s resurrection.”
“It is a blessing to be part of the lives of Lutheran Home residents. Their faithfulness is an always visible and consistent reminder that God is with us.”
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