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Ashley Dufty

Dufty_Ashley.jpg“The support given to me by CCO staff was wonderful, and the exposure to issues of justice at Jubilee conferences, combined with my experience in Jerusalem, will probably influence my future career choice,” says Ashley Dufty. “Jubilee connected me to Lauren Winner’s work and got me interested in social justice issues, which is what is pushing me now to consider switching careers into non-governmental organizational work in international development.”

Ashley first came into contact with the CCO’s ministry during her time as a student at Grove City College when she served as a resident assistant and was supervised by CCO staff member, Kelly Crowell. She also got to know Heather Strong, another Grove City employee who eventually joined CCO staff herself.

“Becoming a resident assistant allowed me to connect to people outside my own friend group and broadened and enriched my college experience,” Ashley says. “Without the guidance and support of Kelly and Heather while at Grove City, I think it would have been difficult to get through the last two years of college. There were difficult personal circumstances during that time and they helped me cope and respond to those situations. My impression of the CCO was one of warmth, support and grace.

“In fact, I was so impressed with the mission of the CCO that I flirted with the idea of working with them myself when I graduated,” Ashley says. Instead, she moved to Jerusalem to begin teaching at an international school with a diverse student body.

“Our lives are ministries, and I believe the CCO reflects this very well. There are so many people within the CCO who spend almost all day every day working and caring for a particular population—college students. I believe that the three years I have been here in Jerusalem have allowed me to develop a relationship with the students I teach and given me a myriad of opportunities to share my faith with colleagues and students of Muslim and Jewish faiths. My faith affects every decision I make, from who I married to where I will move to next. I cannot imagine my life without the Lord.”

Ashley and her husband, Matthew, have not committed to a particular church body; instead, they worship with various congregations in the Jerusalem area. “Our goal is to really get to know other believers and have them into our home,” she says. They also seek different ways to be involved in their community and get to know their neighbors.

“Being involved in a community where you do not speak the language(s) is by nature challenging,” Ashley says. “However, I have been able to volunteer with Step Ministries several times in Ramallah, West Bank, teaching Palestinians conversational English. My husband and I also stayed one summer and studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, which brought us into contact with other students and professors outside of the school in which we work.

“I think the most important thing in life is to be examples of Christ’s love, and the members of the CCO I knew did this all day, every day. I think they were wonderful examples to me of how patient, forgiving and loving our Savior is and have inspired me to continue to live my faith wherever I go. Daily life in Jerusalem can be a test of this patience and faith, as it is anywhere, but living a life where you are dependent on the Lord is the safest place to be. He has protected and guided me and my husband during the three years we have been here, and he has given us opportunities to share our faith with others and to become more and more dependent on Him.”