Meet the Women at NAOBC – Emily McKemy
On Mondays, we’ll take time to meet the women of NAOBC. Five questions followed by how you can connect with the NAOBC women on social media. Today’s interview is with Emily McKemy.
Q: Tell us about yourself
A: I was born and raised in Bowling Green, KY. I moved to South Dakota after graduating college for an internship where I ended up meeting my husband, Dan. He was completing his masters at one of the universities there. He was from North Carolina and me from Kentucky, both of us far, far away from “home”. We met one Sunday afternoon at a church potluck and he asked me out the next week for a hike on a local trail. The rest is history. God pushed us both out of our comfort zones of “home” and led us to each other. We will celebrate nine years of marriage this September. Dan, is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service here in town. Prior to entering motherhood and becoming a stay at home mom, I was a Registered Dietitian for WIC (Women, Infants, and Children). I enjoyed serving that population but I love being home with our boys now. Our oldest son, Isaac, is 5 ½, and I will be homeschooling him this year. We also have identical twin boys, Matthew and Philip, who turn 3 in July. They keep us on our toes and are non-stop in the energy department.
Q: Tell us about your time at NAOBC
A: We have been coming to NAOBC for almost 3 ½ years. We are members of YC3! It was the first and only group we visited because we felt right at home. Within the first year, our BFG group had like eight babies born. Now we have a lively group of toddlers/preschoolers running around each fellowship we have. We love it! I am currently serving in the Preschool ministry and love helping out with VBS.
Q: What is a fun fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
A: I spent most of my summers growing up traveling in a RV with my grandparents across the USA. I visited almost 40 states before I entered highschool. We named the RV “Ole’ Betsy”.
Q: What woman has made the most impact in your life?
A: My Mom without a doubt. My father died shortly before I turned two. She was a young widow with two very young girls but she made it. With the help of family and friends and her faith in God she did everything to the fullest. I didn’t realize all the sacrifices that she had to make as a single parent until I was older but she made sure that we didn’t miss out. She was faithful to getting us to church weekly. She remarried when I was about 14 years old to my stepfather who was a widower and a Southern Baptist preacher. She continues to impact my life and is always on my speed dial.
Q: What is something the Lord has taught you in the last year?
A: Perseverance! Prior to Covid I was involved with a Bible Study that would meet weekly and I was a Children’s Leader within the program. When Covid hit we moved only to Zoom for the adults and I had to pre-record my lessons for the preschoolers to watch. I terribly missed being in an actual class with the kids. So many times this year I wanted to quit as the fear of recording myself was daunting and extra stressful. But God saw me through the year and helped me realize the benefits of Zoom and I was able to still keep community with our other leaders in the Bible Study. Through a rough year God has seen me through and I’m excited to start again in “normal” classes this fall. I know he will see me through this adjustment year back to normalcy.
You can follow Emily on Facebook and on Instagram @mcboymom3.
