Meet Bethany
By Ernesto Duke, Co-President: Director of Partnerships
Friends!
I’ve been sharing about our incredible alumni these last few weeks, and today I’m excited to tell another story about a remarkable student who has faithfully pursued God’s call through all kinds of unforeseen twists and turns—including a natural disaster. Allow me to introduce you to Bethany Reinbolt.
Some students enter college with set career goals and a solid 10-year plan, while others are a bit more open to what comes next. Bethany falls into that second group. When she applied for Eternity, she didn’t know what God was calling her to do. But she knew that whatever God’s plan for her was, she needed to have a strong, biblical foundation built. And as it turned out, God’s plan for her included going to places she could never have imagined.
After graduating from Eternity, Bethany served as a missionary in Asia for a few years. She worked hard to make an impact for the kingdom among the people she served in that part of the world. But when a natural disaster occurred, her plans were suddenly interrupted. She was forced to reevaluate her current situation and, ultimately, she had to leave the country. Though it wasn’t her plan at the time, she found herself back in the States to pursue a career in healthcare. Today, Bethany works as a registered nurse while studying to become a nurse practitioner.
Blooming Wherever God Places Her
Bethany may have left Asia, but she has by no means left the mission field. She continues to provide tangible expressions of the good news of Jesus, caring for others as a nurse. The robust, biblical foundation she received from Eternity Bible College proved to be an invaluable resource for fulfilling her calling no matter what context she finds herself in—whether in Asia or in the U.S. And she is confident it will continue to help her wherever God takes her in the future.
Bethany’s story is not common among American Christians today, and it’s even less common among college students today. We want the shortest, most direct path forward—but sometimes God calls us to something a bit different. Sometimes we move across the globe and expect to spend decades there…only to be displaced by a natural disaster. Sometimes we make entire life changes and go back to school, while others are settling into their careers. I think many people would have at some point just settled for something “easier.” But not Bethany. She’s committed to be a servant of the Kingdom no matter where she’s living and no matter where that takes her. She’s determined to bloom wherever God plants her.
That’s why Bethany is a wonderful example to all of us. She looks for opportunities in all the ebbs and flows that life brings. We are truly humbled by her eternally-focused commitment to pursue God’s calling on her life—no matter where she lives or what her occupation may be, no matter where God calls her.
Bethany, we’re so proud of you and proud to call you one of our alumni!