Brinkman Adventures Season 6 ~~ A New TOS Review!!

A few years ago I stumbled upon a homeschooling lightbulb. It came in the form of audio dramas. Do you know what those are? They are times where you all as a family can connect, listen, and imagine what is happening while listening to amazing stories. Then this lightbulb of audio dramas got even better when we were introduced to real life missionary stories from the Brinkman Adventures last year. This year we've been able to have the opportunity to listen to the digital version of these adventures called Season 6: Underground Rising and it has been a thrill listening.

This season is is six episodes, about 25 minutes a piece, is just shy of 3 hours of listening. In season 6 there are two 2 part episodes, and then two individual episodes. They are short enough to fit in while eating a meal together or right before bedtime. Here's a list of the episode titles:

• Dutch Underground, Part 1
• Dutch Underground, Part 2
• Twice Born Fly
• I Wonder Why
• Free Burma Rangers, Part 1
• Free Burma Rangers, Part 2

You can also listen to brief snippets of the adventures, but let me warn you they will hook you and then you will want to buy them! But now is a great time to purchase because they have generously offered giving my readers a coupon code for 10% off!! The code is FALL10 and is good on all their products, but just until October 31, 2018, so hurry go now take a listen and purchase them. I'll wait.

Okay, now that you are back, let's talk about these adventurous missionary stories. Our family can really relate now that we have very close friends who have been missionaries for the past 4 years. They live on a remote island off the coast of Madagascar and have had many of their own stories to share when they come back to the states on home assignment. It has been a wonderful experience for our children and our family as a whole to realize that our friends are not alone. There are MANY missionaries out there, spreading the Gospel, but also sacrificing so much along the journey. That is what I was pondering while we listened to Dutch Underground, parts 1 & 2. The dramatized story takes the real life situations of Reng and Lynn VanKesteren during World War II as part of the Dutch resistance. This episode is broken up into two parts, as I mentioned, and at the end of the first it was a definite cliffhanger. My kids could not wait so we listened to them in one sitting. Without telling you everything, this one story has it all -- love, war, honor, valor, suspense and intrigue.

Listening to a story while back in SC with family.

Then later when we went to the website to learn more we found out that Lynn, Omie, and her husband had 10 children and 60 grandchildren! We also learned that she loved making them milk buckles and it filled her heart with "gezellig". That feeling you get when you are surrounded by those you love and your heart is fullest. There is more to the story then the hour of listening. Once you go to the website you can get extras on their "Real Stories" page, including more details of the real life people, pictures, links, maps, intervies, and even videos like the one we watched on making homemade oliebols which my children so want me to make. We would have made them in connection with the listening, but we've been travelling (as I've mentioned) between IN and SC and we aren't staying in a place that is fully ours ... but they are on the list to do SOON! What are oliebols? Little desert fried dough balls, but they saved Reng and Lynn from almost complete disaster!

The third episode was a story from the life of Jack Brinkman, but is spurred on from an incident that Charlie has when he swallows a fly! Yes a fly! My kids all gasped and then laughed (so much we had to pause the story for a bit). My eldest daughter really loved the ending of Jack's story. It was all about his time in prison, including a prison break, and  well, I don't want to spoil the ending for you, but she said it reminded her of how when you become a Christian and a Jesus follower that you are changed forever.

In the episode called I Wonder Why? we are following Sam and Huck, children missionaries, as her family go to an orphange in India after selling 90% of their belongings. We see the struggles of the children through sickness, loss of friends and possesions, rashes from bugs, and other issues, as they wonder why their family was chosen by God to go. And it is all to show them LOVE. This story really hit home and ties in with our missionary friends who have done this same thing ... sold all their possessions, sacrifice many things including electricity and running water, to bring the LOVE of God to the people on the remote island. My children could so relate to this story and brought an eye opening to our own call to SW Indiana and reaching the lost who are there.

The last 2 episodes focus on Dave Eubanks and his life as a soldier and then later a missionary with his wife Karen as they found a relief organization for the people of Burma. My son really enjoyed these two audio dramas the most. What little boy wouldn't want to listen to stories of becoming a Green Beret or a Captain in the Army, and listen as they all jump out of an airplane! What an exciting adventure!

I emplore you to take a listen to the episode snippets and find you some to infuse into your own family culture. These audio dramas have been a fantastic way to focus more on how we are all missionaries where we are and that we are called to LOVE His people. The Real Stories section of the website is by far my favorite where we can delve into mini unit lessons and explore, talk, and wonder in all that we had encountered by listening.

So what are you waiting for? Go straight to Brinkman Adventures and purchase your own copy of Season 6: Underground Rising! And take a few minutes to read other Crew reviews by clicking the link below. You can also find them on Facebook. Oh, and don't forget 10% off with code FALL10 by the 31st!!!