This week, we are excited to welcome Emily Johnson as our summer missions intern. She hit the ground running on Monday, meeting the church office staff and settling into her office space. Following that, she joined Melanie and Larry Hart, along with their Hearts for Internationals team, to prepare meals for a group of international students.

Emily will be with us until August 2. Her role involves strengthening the community between the international students in our area and First Baptist Church. Many of these students have never read a Bible or had someone share the gospel with them. The Hearts for Internationals team uses various fellowship opportunities—such as meals and games at FBC, gatherings at the International Residence Hall at Dollywood, day and night hikes, and picnics—to reach out to these students. Emily will enhance these efforts by organizing one-on-one and group get-togethers.

Emily is a schoolteacher in Louisiana, where she teaches a variety of subjects to students in grades 7 through 12, including agricultural science, STEM, and physics. During her internship at First Baptist Church, she is staying with friends in the area.