August 1, 2017
East Texas Baptist University students spent the summer serving in a variety of areas locally and internationally. From youth internships at local churches and Christian camps to overseas opportunities, students actively stepped out in faith to partner with ETBU mission efforts.
More than 130 ETBU students served in over 10 countries throughout the summer. Many of these trips allowed students to receive course credit. In addition, some of ETBU's Religion and History faculty experienced Israel for the first time as they traveled with students on the Global Study & Serve trip to the Holy Land.
"This was our first trip to Israel. Debra, my wife, and I had high expectations and the actual experience exceeded these," ETBU Dean of the School of Humanities and Professor of History Jerry Summers said. "I was asked to provide a devotional at the Mount of Beatitudes. At that place, I was powerfully impressed with the immense influence Jesus was for His disciples. His was a ministry of teaching in every activity with His disciples, but the words and the 'being' they shared together were the foundation for our faith. The power of place, life, and service were strong impressions on me and our group."
ETBU's Global Study & Serve trips enable students to receive individualized instruction while being spiritually refined through the relationships with faculty and staff. The University supports the holistic education of all students and provides many avenues for students to be involved beyond the traditions on campus. Many students share that these global experiences challenge and shape their Christian worldview. ETBU is committed to developing and sending out students who are prepared to serve in any capacity that God calls them.
"I worked for Pine Cove at Camp in the City. We traveled to 10 different churches for 11 weeks. The first half of the summer, I was a counselor and the second half, I was the Media Content Creator," ETBU junior Madison Mayfield said. "God taught me to give Him control of situations that I don't understand and that only He can give me strength. Sometimes it was hard, but choosing Him and choosing joy kept me going."
Regardless of where each student served, the Lord consistently cultivated growth in and through students. The impact that service and mission trips have on student development is evident to ETBU faculty and staff.
"Every year as I help students prepare to go on mission and to study abroad, I know that something great is going to happen. Students return from every trip with amazing stories of God's work in their lives and the lives of those they meet in the field," ETBU Director of Global Education and the Great Commission Center Lisa Seeley shared. "My prayer is that more and more ETBU students will take the opportunity to participate in God's work around the world during their time as college students."
This summer, ETBU hosted Global Study & Serve trips to China for Biology, Germany for Music, Israel for Religion, and the Philippines for Nursing. As a part of the Tiger Athletic Mission Experience (TAME), the ETBU Men's Soccer Team traveled to Nicaragua to use the sport of soccer (f'utbol) as a platform to share the gospel of Christ. This summer, ETBU students also ministered in an array of positions at churches, camps, and mission organizations in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, California, South Korea, Uganda, Honduras, and Indonesia.
"I was in Indonesia for three months. I had an internship with a business there," ETBU junior Chloe Hudson shared. "I went because I wanted to live independently in another country amongst the unreached to see if this is something I could do with my life. God used my story to show His grace and it was amazing. ETBU prepared me even before I arrived in Indonesia. From chapel to times of fellowship, ETBU has shown me the importance of investing in people."