We're nearing the end of the summer, and SEBTS ladies have been serving the Lord in so many ways! Today's post from Kim Humphrey tells about her travels to Montana with her husband Jay to work with cowboys. Read her encouraging post for more details!

Where will you be and what are your plans for the summer?

After 33 years, this is a summer of firsts for Jay and me!  We took our first mission trip together!  Spending most of our summer either in Wake Forest or the beach, we are most excited about the opportunity we were given to go on a mission trip to Montana.

Who will you be with?

We were blessed to be a part of a wonderful missions-minded church several years ago and were asked to join them on this trip.  Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church in Raleigh truly lives out missions both locally and internationally, and when the invite came, the Lord completely opened the door for us to say yes!

                        What will you be doing?

Prior to moving to Wake Forest for Jay to attend SEBTS in 2004, he and I raised livestock as a career – we were hog farmers in southeastern North Carolina for 23 years.  When we were contacted about the trip we were told it would be more servant/labor evangelism than anything.  We would be working the rodeo in Livingston, Montana with a local church plant there.  Working a rodeo . . . in Montana . . . representing Jesus by serving the locals and cowboys . . . ABSOLUTELY we were in!

How did you serve?

As we began to learn more about the trip, we became more excited!  We clearly saw God orchestrate the finances for us to go.  Our mission was to assist the church in Livingston during the rodeo week of July 1-5 with our physical labor.  For 5 mornings-beginning at 6:30-we prepared to clean the rodeo grounds and grandstand with trash pick-up as well as clean the bathrooms and port potties – not glamorous.  But all that my mind kept processing was how my Jesus served the lowly daily; saying a kind word, comforting the broken-hearted, washing dirty feet, and dying on a cross.  Serving is put in a whole new perspective when done through the eyes of Jesus; “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Every afternoon and evening, we cooked and served the cowboys and families a full course meal .  This was the hospitality that I definitely enjoy!  When they found out we had traveled from North Carolina just to serve them with the local church they always asked “Why?”  That opened the door to share a bit about Jesus, but also to show Christian love simply by our actions to them – all at no cost to them, freely fed “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) . . . just as salvation is given to us.  Servant evangelism is hard work, and it took me a week to recover, but it was worth every moment given! 

What were you most looking forward to?

To be perfectly honest, the part I was most excited about was serving with Jay in a place he has dreamed of going in a setting he is made for and loves.  When we returned, I was most excited by how God put this team together, the evidence of Christ seen and shown daily through hard work, and the hope and prayers that we could share with the cowboys and families as they risk their lives daily in a career that is truly designed for young men – living life on the edge of glory.  May I live for Christ on the edge of His glory! “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.” (Proverbs 21:31)

This summer, we have been hearing about the adventures of SEBTS women around the world. Today's post is from the family of a recent graduate. Read on to find out how Jillian Reeder is serving the Lord as she, her husband Corey, and their little Eveylnn Rose prepare for ministry post-graduation.

Hello! My name is Jillian, and I am married to a wonderful and goofy man named Corey and have a sweet baby girl named Evelynn Rose.  Corey just graduated from SEBTS in May.  We enjoyed our four years as seminary students seeing God provide over and over again for us and making friends that feel more like family, but we are now off on a new adventure!  On June 8^th, we drove about 400 miles north to the state I grew up in: New Jersey.  

New Jersey carries with it as many reputations as there are people who live there, and unfortunately many of these are negative.  But New Jersey really is a beautiful state! We are already enjoying being near the shore, having cooler days than in NC, produce stands on every corner (it is the Garden State!), and living near family.  These roads and people are still familiar to me; however Corey will have some adjusting and learning to do (which he is mostly excited about!).  God lead us to NJ because of a pastoral intern position at Shawnee Baptist Church which was offered to Corey (I grew up as a member at Shawnee and most of my family attends there still).  As the pastoral intern, Corey will have many different responsibilities and opportunities which we hope will prepare him for future ministry.

One of our main objectives is going to be helping to kick start a college and young adults group at the church.  There are many church members who fit in this category, but the group has had difficulty getting the momentum it needs to be stable.  We are hoping to create a strong group identity with an official name, consistent meetings each week, and contexts where great relationships can be developed.  We are praying for great relationships in which we can disciple others. God has definitely prepared us for this during these past few years of serving at Bay Leaf Baptist Church. We had opportunities to take part in discipleship groups and to lead a small group there, but we are absolutely dependent on God to go before us and lead us each step of the way!

Along with these new roles, we will maintain some of our previous ones as well. Corey is a Chaplain Candidate (Soon to be Chaplain!) in the Army Reserves, which means that he goes to train one weekend a month with his unit. He will continue this in NJ, but with a different unit out of Ft. Dix.  Corey’s position in the Army also means that this summer he has 7 weeks of training at Ft Jackson, SC… so he will not officially start at Shawnee until September.  Evelynn and I will be in NJ staying with my parents during this time.  Of course we will hate to not have Corey with us for so long, but we plan to keep ourselves busy with beach days and family time.

At this crossroads between our time of preparation at SEBTS and our future ministry in NJ and the Army, we are amazed at God’s faithfulness and excited to see what He has in store!

As she mentioned above, Jillian is married to Corey, a recent SEBTS grad, and they currently live in New Jersey with their sweet Evelynn Rose. Jillian spends her time chasing down the fastest 1-year-old on the east coast, knitting, and being with friends. She loves the Lord and sharing His truth with other women.

This summer, we have been catching up with SEBTS women as they serve the Lord all over the world. Today, we have the privilege of hearing from Kiersten Griffith, a C@SE student who had the opportunity to travel for her first over-seas mission experience. Read on to hear just a few of the ways that God moved!

In May I had the opportunity to travel with a professor and three other SEBTS students to the beautiful country of Indonesia for two weeks.  The first few days, we spent time with the church planters we were partnering with and did some snorkeling, cliff jumping and scuba diving!! These are things that were on my bucket list, so that was a highlight of the trip for me! 

In Indonesia, I also saw some of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve ever seen!  To see the heavens declare the breathtaking glory of our God each night in a different way was incredible. It makes me sad that even after witnessing something like this, people still think that this world just evolved into being.  There is no doubt in my mind that these sunsets were the work of His hands.  A friend told me when I returned that he thought God was showing off for me.  Since God knows how much I love sunsets, I think my friend was right. J

We spent a week of the trip backpacking on two smaller islands.  During this time, we were able to study Indonesian culture, build relationships with unreached people groups, and share the Good News of Jesus.  This part of the trip stretched me in ways I never thought possible.  Had I known beforehand how strenuous and stretching the trip would be, I never would have signed up for it.  I would have said, “There is NO way I could do that.  I’m not cut out for something like that.”  Sure I like to spend time outdoors and try new things, but this was way out of my comfort zone.  However, now I know everything I did on that trip was not done in my strength, but Christ’s strength within me.  I was able to live out 2 Corinthians 12:9, “…for my power is made perfect in weakness…” I truly learned to do “all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).  Even things that to others may not seem like that big of a deal were only done by God's strength: eating a meal where the entire fish is plopped on the plate, taking a bath by throwing freezing cold water from a small bucket on yourself, and the lack of Western bathroom facilities!!! J These are just a few of the many ways I was challenged on this trip.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was seeing Scripture come to life.  I was reading through the Gospel of Luke while I was there, and almost every day, what I was reading were the very things we were doing.  It was amazing to read about how the crowds of people followed Jesus everywhere and then to go out into a village and have a crowd of people follow us.  Jesus told his disciples “whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town.”  We found a “house of peace” and stayed there until we moved to the next village.  Jesus’ disciples shared the truth about him with others. In turn, we shared the Gospel with the people we were building relationships with.  Over and over, I was able to experience emotionally, physically, and spiritually just a sliver of what it may have been like for Christ and his disciples. 

On Sunday, our team was able to have a worship service together (my all-time favorite church service EVER!) and we discussed the passage where Jesus calms the storm (Luke 8). The very next day, we were in a small boat crossing the ocean from one island to the next.  There was a few times where I thought the boat would flip if one more person moved.  It was a choppy, but nothing like the storm the disciples would have been in.  Having been afraid myself, I can see how they would have freaked out in a raging storm with Jesus sleeping in the boat!  It was so cool, though, to continually remind myself that he is the “one who commands the wind and waves.”  One of the other girls on the team pointed out that the boat would only flip if Jesus wanted it to.  To continually be able to put into practice what I read each day was awesome.  

We also spent lots of time with the children.  We taught them games, songs, and even a few dances. The guys on the team played Frisbee with the kids.  We were also able to minister by helping some middle school and high school girls practice their English by having conversations with them at a library.  Oh, and I must not forget taking pictures with them!! They acted like we were movie stars wanting to take video and pictures of us. 

I could write a short book on all the other things I learned on this trip.  I saw God answer so many prayers.  I’ve been reading back through my journal, and I’m still seeing him answer them.  About a month before going on this trip, I started asking the Lord for boldness in sharing my faith.  I had two opportunities while in Indonesia to share with others about Christ, but I have seen this prayer answered more in my life since I have come home.  Things I would have shied away from saying before, even in everyday conversation, I want to say now.  I’m looking for ways to be intentional in meeting new people and stepping out of my comfort zone to speak to strangers, in hopes of being able to share the Gospel.  I am hoping for more opportunities to share the Good News with my unsaved friends when I go home to Florida next month. This trip changed my life, and I am so grateful for SEBTS’ commitment to the Great Commission and teaching students to live this out day by day.

Kiersten and the team in one city where they stayed

WHERE CAN YOU FIND SEBTS THIS SUMMER? 

Our own Catherine (Cat) Blinson will be serving her family at home in Youngsville.

It’s finally here! Summer, that is. 

I am beyond excited to tell you about my summer plans for this year! I have been looking forward to it for quite some time now. It looks a little different than the past few years, but I am eager to see how the Lord uses me this summer.

Where will you be and what are your plans for the summer?

The past few summers, I have either worked at a kids camp or gone on a mission trip, which I loved! This summer, my sister and her family are coming home to the states after being in Scotland for school for over three years. After turning down several job opportunities, I decided that it would be a huge help and a blessing if I stayed in my home town and helped out with their kids this summer. I did not know what that would look like, but I prayed about it and felt like the Lord was really leading me in that direction. I am looking forward to what He is going to teach me through this new journey.

Who will you be with?

I will be enjoying time with all of my family this summer. Also, will be spending time with my church family and close friends before some of them leave for the summer.

What will you be doing? How will you be serving?

I will be playing the role of “Aunt Cat” and serving my family. I will be taking care of my niece and nephews- Hugh, Augustine and Jane. I hope to be able to introduce them to berry picking, fro-yo (frozen yogurt), museums in Raleigh, the pool, good ole Chick-fil-a, and maybe even some Pinterest crafts. We will be celebrating my niece’s second birthday this week and my nephew's birthday in July. Toward the end of the summer, we will be headed to the beach for some vacation time with my dad. I will be listening to my nephew's amazing British accent (yep, you got that right!), snuggling with my six week old cuddle bug, being girly with my little princess, and learning what it looks like to serve others around me. I am excited to see how God will use me this summer as I strive to serve my family. I pray that I will be gracious and loving, even when I am tired from a long day with three young kids. I pray that I will be uplifting and helpful to my sister and her husband.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

I absolutely love kids. I love being silly, swimming, playing games, dressing up, taking pictures, going on adventures, and just being a kid. So I am pumped that I not only get to hang with three kids, but I actually get to spend ALL SUMMER with my family. I never knew how hard it was to be away from family until they left for the UK for over three years. I am so blessed and thankful that they are home now and that we get to make some good memories together this summer. 

Thanks for reading; hope y'all have a great summer!

1 Peter 5:6-7 : Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 

Catherine Blinson loves her Father, the outdoors, photography, and missions. She is a senior at the college of Southeastern and is apart of the Connection Point Ministry Team here on campus. She attends Open Door Baptist Church in Raleigh. Please be praying for Catherine as she faithfully strives to serve others around her in her home town this summer. You can check out her personal blog here: www.catblinson.wordpress.com

This summer, we wanted to give you a taste of the many places that our SEBTS family will be during the school break. Our first post in the series is from our own Mrs. Charlotte Akin, who has kicked off her summer beautifully. Enjoy!

Where will you be this summer?

We started our summer in Cancun, Mexico, celebrating our 35^th wedding anniversary. This was wonderful and relaxing, a great way to start our “downtime summertime.” We will be traveling to many places this summer—Louisville for a friend’s wedding, Houston for the SBC annual meeting, and Georgia for a family wedding and time with my brothers and sister. 

Who will you be with?

We will be with friends, family, trustees, and donors.

What will you be doing?

In addition to our travels this summer, in July we will be with our good friends the Fulps. We will enjoy time with them at the lake in Roxboro.

Who/How will you be serving?

We will be taking care of our grandchildren—Micah, Jordan, and Kai—in Birmingham while Paul and Kari take a vacation. So we will be serving our kids and grandkids. J

What are you most looking forward to out of all of your adventures?

The best thing is that Danny and I get to do all of these wonderful things together. 

Charlotte Akin is the wife of Dr. Daniel L. Akin, president of SEBTS. She was born in Atlanta, Ga. and, at age 11, came to know Christ as her personal Savior at the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home in Palmetto, Ga.  She lived there in the children’s home until she was 18. She has been married to Dr. Akin since 1978—they just celebrated their 35^th anniversary in May! They are blessed with four wonderful sons (Nathan, Jonathan, Paul and Timothy), three incredible daughters-in-law (Ashley, Kari, and Anna), and nine precious grandchildren (four boys, four girls, and one grandson on the way).  Mrs. Akin’s main ministry after her family is to the women of SEBTS. She is the facilitator for “Biblical Foundations for the Minister’s Wife,” and recently co-taught “The Ministry of Homemaking and Hospitality” for the BWI. One of her favorite events this past year was having the college ladies in her home, and she hopes to make this an annual event.  In her spare time, she loves reading, cooking, going to the beach, and being with her grandchildren as much as possible.

For 2 years, 3 months and 9 days I have been an alien.

A legal alien, but an alien none the less.  At least, that's the local word that's used to refer to foreigners here, and, let me tell you, given some of the looks I get, I often feel like I really am from Mars.  Granted, most of those looks are totally deserved.  I'm a blonde haired, blue eyed girl in a sea of Asians.  I DEFINITELY speak with an American accent.  I wear sandals in April.  And I have been known to take my baby out in 75 degree weather without a snow-suit.  Gasp!

I knew before we came here that I was going to have to learn really fast how to laugh at things and let them roll off my shoulders.  And most of the things I look back and laugh about now have to do with my inability to speak.  I sound like a 2 year old, for sure.

Picture from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/457578

But, how could you not make mistakes when words sound so similar.  Like the word for bread and man: just one small difference. Ekmek…. Erkek…. they just sound so similar!  What new language learner wouldn't walk into a bakery and ask for a fresh man, please?  

Or when someone is talking so fast you can't understand them, why not just default to the easy words, like "yes" or "ok."  That's what I do.  And I end up leaving the electronics store with two distinct curly cues in my stick straight hair because I unknowingly agreed to be the guinea pig for the new curling iron they're trying to sell.  Or, with the same "yes" and "ok" responses, end up getting my makeup done at the pharmacy right after working out when all I needed was medicine for the baby.  

Then there's the pazar.  There are people everywhere and all I want to do is navigate my big, foreigner stroller through the sea of people and get home with my fruits and veggies while the boy is still happy.  So, when some sweet lady tells me my son is eating his shoe, I just smile and say, "Thank you" and realize 5 minutes later what she was telling me.

Picture from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/646119

Yep, this is my life.  Maybe one day I'll be able to communicate effectively here.  But until then, at least I get to laugh a lot!

If asked what came to your mind with holiday's approaching, what would you say? 

For me, it's traveling...other than Jesus of course.  :)  Since moving to Wake Forest in May 2010, we have traveled back to our home state of Alabama a few times, and let's just say that the 10+ hour drive is not one that I look forward too.  Don't get me wrong, I long for the last hour of traveling and the anticipation of seeing family and friends, but I do not long for the countless hours getting through Atlanta traffic or the awful/hilarious  "South of the Border" billboards.  I remember the first Christmas that we went back to Alabama.  It was the first time since moving to WF that we had traveled back.  During Christmas 2010, it was just my husband and myself, and our little car packed with presents and luggage.  This Christmas we will be traveling with a few more items. 

Our home trek now includes our 15-month old daughter.  And as most of you know, traveling with a child is a completely different experience.  Instead of extra trunk room, and being able to lay my seat back, we will have the car seat, baby bag, stroller, toys, food, extra diapers, wipes, luggage, gifts....you get the picture.  I have a feeling like we are going to look like a stuffed snowball in our little white Volvo with no window views.

Whether you are traveling 10+ hours or even just a hour away by car, if  kiddos are involved there are certain essentials to have in your car.  This is by no means an exhaustive list.  Some are personal favorites, and some are great tips from other moms.  These are also great for flying too.  Check out the links below for more tips on flying with kids. 

• Extra diapers/wipes.
• Extra pacifiers AT HAND.  I stuff paci's everywhere.  My jacket pockets, purse, baby bag, door sides of the car...everywhere! Because you will lose them.  I think there is a pacifier fairy that takes them and hides them in places you never think to look. 
• Hand/Face Wipes.
• Your child's comfort item.  For HG it is a pink giraffe blanket. I find myself thinking over and over again, "Don't leave the house without the giraffe blanket!!!"
• A few of their favorite toys and books.
• If you have older kids, maybe even go by the Dollar Tree or the $1 section at Target and get a few new toys that you can break out over the long trip. 
• Some sort of toy that makes noise.  Just grin and bear it.  You know you would rather take a singing duck over a crying baby.
• An extra blanket to place over the car seat for when your child falls asleep, so that the sun won't wake them up.  *Side note: I do find myself peeking under the blanket several times to make sure that she is still breathing well.  When I have done this in the past I use a really light blanket and usually try to maneuver it to where it is open on one side for air to circulate. 
• Trash bag.  Either a small trash bag or grab a few extra plastic Wal-Mart bags you have stuffed under your sink.  Trust me, you will want this for those banana peels, dirty hand wipes, and crumbs. 
• iPod/iPad/DVD for the car.  I absolutely know that our iPad is going to save us this trip with HG.  The Backyardigan's, Sesame Street and Fresh Beat's will be on rerun...or at least until the battery runs out.  Or maybe it's a fun cd that your child enjoys. 
• Extra change of clothes for your child(ren).  One of our first little day trips to Wrightsville Beach, HG threw up about 10 minutes down Capital! 
• If traveling by plane, I HIGHLY recommend bringing a carrier (Bjorn, Moby wrap, etc.).  This saved me the times that we have flown.   

HG isn't old enough for this, but how fun would this Travel Bingo be for older kids? 

Here are a few more links with some great tips on traveling with kids!  They specifically talk about flying, but the ideas work for road trips as well.

Tips for traveling with small kids on airplanes click here.

Tips for flying alone with kids click here. **I'll be flying back to RDU by myself with HG, and I got some great tips from this blog.  Check it out for sure if you are flying solo with your kid(s).

I would LOVE to hear any tips you have on traveling with kids, or just traveling in general! I pray that if you are traveling over Christmas holidays that you have a safe trip, and that we would all take the time to make our trips memorable.   Let's take advantage of the hours we have (stuck) in the car with each other to talk more about the beautiful story of Christmas.  

What are some of your tricks that make the trip bearable?  How about the folks traveling without little ones; what do you do to make your travels more fun?

Photos courtesy of 52 Perfect Days and Oh Happy Day! 

Laura is married to L, who is in the International Church Planting program at SEBTS.  They have one child, HG, who brings so much joy into their lives each day.  Laura is an Administrative Assistant in the Women's Life Office, and serves on the Connecting Point Team.  Laura and her family attend The Summit and lead a small group.  They will be leaving next fall to serve as missionaries in Europe.