Chapel speakers bring ‘Extra’ special message

ABILENE, Texas — “God sees my perfection,” Hope Martin told the audience, then stepped to the side of the podium and took a deep, sweeping stage bow to cheers and applause.

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Bigger stars have had fewer fans show up when they spoke in chapel at Abilene Christian University. Hope and her best friend, Ethan Etter, always draw a crowd.

Ethan Etter speaks in ACU’s chapel, with friends Hope Martin and Jonathan Collett behind.

Many speakers are invited back when they connect with students the way Hope and Ethan do. But these two bring something extra  — extra laughter, extra love and extra chromosomes.

The lifelong friends are well known in this West Texas city where they’ve grown up, not just for their exuberant personalities and winning smiles but for their participation in events supporting the Down syndrome community, of which they’re a part.

The duo recently made their fifth appearance on the chapel stage and brought many family members and friends from nearby Hillcrest Church of Christ with them.

Their special friendship was documented in a 2022 children’s book, “Extra,” co-authored by the pair’s moms, Angie Martin and Cheryl Etter. Its theme repeats again and again.

“They see things others don’t see,

Build things others don’t build,

Speak things others don’t speak,

And do things others don’t do.”

Hope and Ethan both know how to play to the crowd. Ethan, clad in bright yellow, doughnut-print shorts, was especially “on” that day, telling students that “sometimes my Mom drives me crazy,” and telling his sister, “Make a cake for me!”

Jonathan Collett leads prayer in ACU chapel, with encouragement from his mom, Minnie.

A third friend, Jonathan Collett, whom Hope and Ethan invited to lead a prayer, was more reticent than his friends. For a long, long moment he sat with his face in his hands as the audience sat in respectful silence. His mom, Minnie, joined him on the stage and stood beside him at the mic, quietly repeating for him the prayer he had planned. Slowly, methodically, he began, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

“Thank you, Lord, to be here,” he said. “I pray for Hope and Ethan’s message.” When he finished, the audience applauded. It just seemed appropriate to honor his courage and his heart.

If Hope was nervous, it didn’t show.

“My name is Hope Martin because I have hope in Jesus — for you and your dreams. And I have hope in Jesus for me and my dreams, too,” the petite, ever-smiling 25-year-old told the crowd as younger sister Brighton stood beside her, turning pages and holding her hand.

From left, Angie and Hope Martin, Jonathan Collett, Cheryl and Ethan Etter.

“I have brown skin. I have Down syndrome,” Hope said. “The world does not always value my dreams. But don’t doubt the dreams that God gave you.”

Ethan, 24, has dreams of attending ACU some day. “It will take me longer to finish, but I can, just like you do.”

Angie Martin and Cheryl Etter. “Extra: A tale of magic, destiny and exceptional friendship.” BookBaby, 2022. 50 pages. $13.99.

After pausing to take a swig from his yellow Powerade, he continued.

“I love to tell people about Jesus everywhere I go,” he told the audience, “and I love to lead prayers for Jesus. … Jesus says that little children ‘come unto me.’ I am thankful to come to him.”

A closing prayer by longtime faculty member and Hillcrest elder Lynn Luttrell ended the service.

“We pray you will bless us to love others, to be kind and to look at people as people — as children of yours rather than people who are different,” Luttrell said, “because, Father, we are all different.”

Perfect.

CHERYL MANN BACON is a Christian Chronicle contributing editor who served for 20 years as chair of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Abilene Christian University. Contact [email protected].

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