Trip to the Bahamas!

Guys. It's the final day of this mission trip, and I've just cried for the first time in years.

I felt it would be really interesting being in a leadership position on trip over people my own age and some even older, but nonetheless, I was excited. When we got here, I was anticipating hard construction work and cold showers. And that is what I got. Just with the added benefit of a gorgeous Caribbean Sea just across the street. I was blown away on our drive from the airport. The island of Eleuthera is very skinny, so much so in fact, that at several places on the island, you can see both the Caribbean and the Atlantic Oceans. It's simply astounding. We stay at the Eleuthera Bible Training Center, right across the street from the most beautiful water you'll ever see. Every day, we'd wake up, have a devo, and start working for a few hours. After lunch, it would be time for an adventure. We explored several pristine beaches, deep caves, and a few holes that just so happened to filled with water. I discovered very quickly how much I enjoy snorkeling. I also tried my hand at spear fishing, but never saw anything worth shooting. Our mission hosts, the Doster family, are some really cool people, and make sure there is always something for us to do. For the first few days, our construction project was to be building a garage for the Doster family. It was hard work, but we had fun with it as well. While two groups were doing that, another was painting the building we were staying at, while one more group went to a school called "The School for Exceptional Learners". We would be rotating jobs every week, so every group got tho do everything. the group at the school eventually got the guy who runs the school in talks with Keith Doster, the guy who runs the Eleuthera Bible Training Center, to build a basketball court for the students. So our work project changed. My group's job was painting the second week, but the third week we were assigned the jobs of being teachers to these students. The students at this school are here because for whatever reason, they fell behind what they should know in their grade. A few students have various forms of autism, one girl had a stroke that left her paralyzed and without many of the skills she had gained in her 16 years, and others are there for reasons I never found out. There are eleven of them in total, and only two teachers. There was a main class, where Mr. Holland would teach and a few people in my team would help the students with their assignments, and a second class with only four students. This is where I was. This class was typically taught by Mrs. Petty, who has been teaching for ten years. She was originally the school's custodian, but somehow began teaching the students who were very far behind the rest of the class. However, because she never officially obtained a degree in education, she still only receives a custodian's pay. I had the pleasure of helping Alan and Justin with their math and language skills. The most heartbreaking moment of the month was when it dawned on me that, at about 14 years old, Alan couldn't read. The simple books they were assigned to read, he had memorized just to get through lessons. So, we had to go back to the beginning and learn how to write every letter and what they sounded like. Justin was bright, but only about 8 years old, which explains why he wasn't learning fractions with the big class. All in all, I enjoyed hanging out with them during breaks and playing with them every chance we got. The next week, I was on construction again. The basketball court was very nearly done, and just need to have concrete mixed and poured over it. That week was fun as well, because whenever the students came outside during their breaks, we could play and hang out. Some of them even decided to help us shovel rocks and sand to mix in the concrete. After working through the weekend to finish, we had the next few days free for adventuring to places far away. We went to a bunch of beaches, each more amazing than the last, but I'm sure no one wants to hear about the crystal-clear waters, the rushing waves that almost carried me away while exploring a island just a few hundred yards from the southern tip of Eleuthera, or the tons of fish I aw swimming in the same places I was. Today is the last day, so we decided we should have a ribbon cutting ceremony for the basketball court and say our goodbyes to the students. I was perfectly fine the entire time, but as we watched the kids go out the door to go home, hugging everyone in a line as they went, I began tearing up. A few minutes later, there was a steady stream of tears falling down my face. I couldn't pull myself together for about twenty minutes. I believe the last time I cried was when I realized Mr Matt wouldn't make it. I realized long ago how fickle life can be, as well as the friendships in it, so knowing that I'll never see a particular person again is definitely not enough to make me cry. I can only attest it to the simple fact that I've grown to love these kids in the time I've spent with them. I don't even know half of their last names, but they are 11 of the sweetest kids Ive ever known. I'll definitely miss them a ton, and will be praying for them long after they've forgotten my name and who I am. I have just over 15 hours left in the Bahamas, and part of me wishes I could stay longer. But I'm overall very satisfied with this trip. If you or anyone you know is looking for a fun summer job, the Doster family has interns that stay here and help the teams that come through. You could also be a part of a team and come on a mission trip here! Or anyone feeling generous can donate to help with their projects and services to the island. Contact them from their website here! Thanks for reading!

You can see my pictures here!

The Final Post...

Well, it’s about that time. I know we were all expecting it to be so far away, but it’s finally here. The final blog post. In a week, Link Year will over. It’s a very sad fact, but looking back it’s been a great year. Last night at the Q&A with Donyes, he said something about how much I’ve grown this year. Its been an incredible amount, and I doubt he even knows the extent of it. I was even browsing through my Facebook history (and obviously deleted stuff) and was astonished at some of the things I’ve said and done. I’ve been told various times over the year that I seemed different, and I can finally see it. Different in a good way, though, because I am so much closer to the Lord as a result. Although Link Year is coming to an end, I have a ton to be excited about! I am going to get the opportunity to come back next year as a protégé! I’ll have the opportunity to mentor the students of next year while also being mentored myself. I’ll be so ready to take on whatever the world has for me. Anyway, our speaker this week has been Jonathan Pokluda, the leader of the Porch, a youth ministry under Watermark in Dallas. He’s a really great speaker, and a worthy speaker of our last week of class. He spoke at the final Fort of the Year as well. Quite an ending. He spoke on ways to ruin your life in your 20’s, and several pitfalls people fall into in their lives. I am trying to write a blog entry worthy of being the final one, but I have no idea how to do that. This year I’ve learned how to have legitimate friendships and relate to people, how to start a conversation with anyone, and how to live a life that’s honorable to Christ, yet I can’t end a blog correctly. Oh well, maybe I’ll learn how to do it if I continue blogging next year. We’ll see. For the last time, until next time…

Today was a very good day.

Really excited right now! But more on right now later. Last TGIF we got to take kayaks across the lake to get ice cream, and we were accompanied by Joe White himself! I decided to walk down the the street with Link Laurel and talk to some friends of hers. They were some kids selling t-shirts for their rehab program. We talked to them for a while and even lost track of the time. When we decided to get back to the others, we discovered they had left! Once we got back to the dock we saw a few people left, who were looking for us. It was all around a pretty fun experience. This weekend, a bunch of people went on a trip to California, so classes were kind of small this week. Our speaker was Austin Ochs this week. Some of the main things he spoke on were being courageous leaders, being good stewards of what we are given, and that we never truly own anything, it is always given to us. At the end, he gave us all money to go out and do with it as we please, but we were encouraged to use it to serve someone and email him, telling him what we did. I got an entire hundred dollars, while the lowest amount given was twenty. I feel a ton of pressure, because someone last year found a guy who practiced golf every day on a course that he couldn’t afford to actually play on. The student paid for the guy to play a whole round  and played with him. Definitely inspiring, but also raises the bar. If you have any suggestions, I’d be happy to hear them! Until next time, folks! 

Excitement Is Rushing Through My Veins Right Now!

This week has been an absolute blast! Last Friday for TGIF we went to Ride the Ducks, a ride around Branson in an amphibious truck! It was pretty cool riding around and suddenly splashing into the water of the lake. Can’t remember the name right now. I’ve also worked this weekend at Hollister and actually enjoyed it. I’ve become closer to my co-workers, which has definitely made it much more bearable. The weather has probably been a huge factor in making this week so wonderful as well. It’s been bright and sunny, until it rained on us for 20 minutes today. This week’s speaker was Rich Ferrera .He runs a gap year program similar to Link Year, but up in the mountains of California. The thing I enjoyed most about his talks was definitely how much he knew about first century Jewish culture. Knowing things like that is hugely beneficial to understanding the Bible better and even brings some of Jesus’ parables to life. This has been a weird week, because the speaker came on Monday and Tuesday. We had small groups and accountability Wednesday, and today we have been working. I’ve been shoveling mulch for seven hours total today, so that’s fun. But really it was great, I got the chance to get to know one of my classmates who I’ve hardly talked to at all this year. Moments like that are definitive of the Link Year experience. We were shoveling for a few hours this morning, then a storm passed over us and it rained hard. Only for a bit though (see above). This week, I’ve been realizing how much I took the Hope Center and the things they did for me for granted. I plan on letting them know how grateful I am soon… I also had my protégé interview today. Within two weeks, I’ll know whether or not I’m going to get to live in wonderful Branson for another year! That’s all I have for you guys this week, enjoy it, share it with friends, and praise Jesus for literally everything!!!!!

Productive? Nope.

This week has been good, but certainly not the best. I had productivity goals that I haven’t been making and that’s frustrating me slightly. I even took a nap today, one that set me so far behind in my work. Naps are not good for being productive. I’ve broken my Lentin fast and been on the internet several times. Not a great week. On the other hand, our speaker this week was Joe White’s son, Brady White. He’s pretty funny, and Donyes likes him apparently, so he was sure to be a great speaker. He spoke on several things this week, certainly not the least of which was how much emphasis our society puts on feelings. In relationships, if we no longer feel love towards our partner we divorce or break up with them. On a related note, we were created to love God and one another in the way God loves us. Αγαπε, or “agape” (I have a Greek keyboard now (I know some Greek now)) is the divine, selfless love we were created for, and we put much more emphasis on ερος, or eros, the sexual love. This causes the feelings of emptiness people get from one night stands or putting their identity in a significant other. I haven’t even talked about Logos! We got this super expensive bible software at highly discounted prices (~$2,000 off and 50% discounts after that!!) and all we have to do is take a class over using it. It was an awesome deal. With Logos, you get a ton of different books, both teaching books and textbook-type deals. You can cross reference them side by side, read related verses in separate tabs, and even see the original Greek and Hebrew words used so that you can truly understand what God meant originally. I recommend it to anyone with a few thousand just lying around. I got my job back at Hollister as well! Not super excited about it, but I now have an income and can finish paying for Ireland, so that was definitely a plus for this week. My friendships here are going amazingly, these guys are the best. Okay, the random updates are over. Until next week, party peeps!

Very Productive Week!

This week has been quite a fun one. Link Year is a fantastic place and I learn so much each week. First off, last Friday, we went rock wall climbing! Don’t worry, it was in an indoor gym. I found out I’m not the worst climber in the world, but my forearms don’t much endurance. I made it up the easy and medium difficulty walls without much problem, but by the time I thought I was ready to try the harder walls, my arms were cramping and I couldn’t even do a full pull-up. I even waited another hour to try and get rested up and go for it again, but I still couldn’t do it, I was exhausted. It was fun though, and the Chik-fil-a definitely helped heal my sore arms. I had a productive weekend and accomplished all my goals for the week, so that was fun. Right now, I feel like I’m rambling slightly more than usual. I may be a bit out of practice with this blog thing. Over the week, we’ve had different speakers from the staff of the  Kanakuk Institute, the older people who we share a campus with. Joey Tisdale talked to us mostly about college and how to be lights wherever we go, no matter what we choose to do. Chad Hampsh acme on Wednesday, but I forgot my journal in my room, so no notes were taken that day. I remember playing an altered version of the morality game where we were asked to split based on whether or not we loved Jesus with our whole hearts, felt confident about sharing the Gospel, and believed wholeheartedly that Jesus is who He said He is. We also discussed the validity of the Bible and relationship/dating stuff. Dating is, to me, a pointless tradition that only encourages premarital sex, but he made some valid restrictions to actual dating that could work, I guess. One of the lesser-known things that make Link Year such a fantastic program is the thinking it makes you do on your own. My view of dating was formed here, but not because of anything a speaker said to us in class. I came to my conclusion after discussing with protégés and reflecting on my life and experiences. Anyway, back to the week. Today we had Keith Chancey, the president of the Kanakuk Institute, and he walked us through Paul’s journey after becoming a follower of Christ. I once tried reading through the book of Acts, but couldn’t get very far. I may try again soon, the talk was interesting. If you wanted more updates on the week, I’ve been working out a bit harder than before, have enjoyed the warm weather days and sat by the dock on a few occasions, and have made sure to build community and hang out with people daily, rather than sit on my computer or read in my room all day. I’ve got a masquerade ball starting now, that I’ve gotta leave and get ready for. In case you missed it, I’m in the place a semi-formal party is starting dressed in basketball shorts. I now have to leave the party, get ready for it, and come back. Later, party people!

Hello There Lads and Lassies!

Hey there strangers! SO much has happened in the past month! I’ve gone to Ireland and had a blast over there, hung out with my dad and brother, and came back and had a blast with my Linky friends. Ireland was fantastic, I built friendships on stellar levels while gazing out at that beautiful countryside every day. Just writing that and remembering how amazing the trip was makes me miss it terribly. I am so incredibly blessed to be able say I was in those places with those uber amazing people. We saw the place the R.M.S. Titanic was built. It was actually three separate places. Dangerously deep places. We also saw Tollymore Forest. Probably the second most fun day there. I was with Heather, Selby, Caroline, and Victoria. We climbed trees, told scary stories in the denser areas, and even jumped rivers. It was so awesome. On the last day we were there we got to climb a mountain! It started out in an insanely beautiful forest, full of streams and rocks and junk. I didn’t stop a ton to pay attention to it because we had been told we weren’t going to make it to the top because of time and I was determined. Later, once we passed the wooded area of the mountain we saw a sort of valley between the two peaks. It was pretty much what you’d expect to see when in an Irish valley. There were even sheep grazing near us! I filled my water bottle with the surprisingly clear stream water as we neared the top. The last leg got really steep and was really tiring. We ended up not making it to the top, a fact that disappointed me immensely. So that was Ireland highlights. Besides the amazing friends. Did I mention them? They’re pretty amazing. I also got pretty into poetry over there and wrote about ten poems, some for others and some for the poetry nights. Being back at Link Year has been a whole experience in itself. Having everyone back in the same place has certainly been nothing less than incredible. I’ve also enjoyed the speaker this week. His name is Joshua Straub, and he’s definitely in my top three of this year. I unfortunately don’t have my journal with at the moment, and this is due very soon, so I can’t share his wisdom with you guys. Maybe next time! Later!

MAN WEEK!!!! ROAR!!!

This has been a great week. I’ll start with TGIF, where we learned a few MMA and self-defense moves from an ex cage fighter. I’m no black belt or anything, but let’s just say you don’t wanna mess with me. Those few hours taught me a lot about tearing people’s hands open, breaking arms in several places with one quick jerk, and the number one rule of defense against random strangers. It’s groin shots. We were literally told that that is the first place to go. Then the eyes and throat. But groin first. Yeah. It was still fun getting to fight the other guys and not get in trouble though. The weekend came and went, and thus man week came into existence. This week has been dedicated to helping us Link Year guys become men the way the Bible says we should be. All of our classes have been separate from the girls’ this week, allowing the opportunity to talk about otherwise awkward subjects like the purity all Christian men should have, pornography and the complete revulsion we should feel toward it, or even the way should be viewing and looking at (or refusing to do so) our ladies and women all around us. We also got an extra hour of sleep all week. So all that stuff. Joe White’s house was awesome, too. We had a slam dunk competition on his trampoline, and then we got a lesson from Joe White himself on the weight that pornography and lust on our souls, hearts, and minds. Definitely the best talk of the week. I have been procrastinating doing this blog all day, so I have to cut it short so it’s not late. Peace homies!

Tough week... Also What Is Wrong With Me??

It’s definitely been a while. Hey peoples!! In case you can’t tell, I’m kinda stuck on what to say here. It’s been way too long. Christmas was awesome, I got to spend a ton of time with my family. They’re awesome peeps. It was amazing just sitting and hanging with my brothers. I absolutely loved it. So much so, in fact, that I didn’t want to come back to Link Year and all the work, growth, and learning involved. Once I got here, though, I was super pumped for everyone to get back. It was great seeing everyone after being away for so long. This very first week back has been tough, but sooo beneficial. On Monday, we had a normal day minus bible study. In small group time, we went and saw a plane that had landed in the wrong airport, and got an interview because one of our students was on the flight. We then went back to Adam Martin’s house to watch the news and see if we made it. The guy who was on the plane did make the cut, but none of the rest of us did. We talked about our breaks and since I played a bunch of video games, that was a heavy topic for the day. The talk was convicting and even though I wanted to argue against everything that was said, I did realize the validity of the points being made. The rest of this week so far has been great as well. Our guest speaker was Ted Cunningham, the lead pastor at Woodland Hills, a church here in Branson. He spoke on marriage relationships and what they looks like, from how our relationships with our parents will be, to how to tell your kids about sex. He is great at what he does, and did very well with what he came to do at Link Year. I feel like what he had to say was received very well, especially because it’s second semester and we can date now. Another topic was distancing ourselves from being under our parents’ authority, especially because of this relatively new idea we call adolescence. This idea is barely a hundred years old, and brought with it a huge slew of problems. Many people fail to ever actually grow up and become independent because of this extended childhood. Couple this with overbearing parents, and we have a generation of lazy, unemployed adults completely dependent on their parents. Definitely a good speaker, and I can say I loved and agreed almost completely with just about everything he said. There’s a reason Donyes keeps bringing him back. Until next week, my faithful readers (or lack thereof)!

P.S. Looking at my previous entry, I don't even understand the reference in the title... I have no idea what kinda junk I was talking about...

Another Home Calls...

And so goes another exciting week here at Link Year. Last week’s T.G.I.F. we got to go see The Hobbit 2: The Desolation of Smaug! It’s an awesome movie, as any would have to be with that many goblins getting their heads cut off so cleanly. No spoilers here, mainly because I feel asleep for maybe 15 minutes and was confused ever after. Still really good, though! Jefferson Bethke and his wife came to speak to us, in quite an impromptu fashion, then went with us to see the movie, so that was cool. I slacked all week and rushed through my precepts this weekend, which was super stressful. Sunday evening our small group had dinner at Adam Martin’s house, watched Man of Steel, and had sleepover! It was pretty cool, especially since the hammocks didn’t have hot water in the showers for some reason. But Monday was a normal day, with the exception of going to Adam’s and having another sleepover, this time including free haircuts. I tried a Mohawk, but didn’t like it a ton. When we finally decided to move out of Adam’s house, the timing was perfect, because there was hot water again! Since the Institute left a week earlier than us, we got to use their classroom, which is on campus and is kinda sweet. The speaker for the week was a house church pastor named Bret Jenson. He’s really cool. Though he spoke on some great things, mainly focused on fighting a spiritual war in the physical realm, I was mostly impressed at his involvement in our community here at Link Year. He came to breakfast (which most of the students don’t even attend), lunch and dinner with us all three days he was here. He was at the Fort and led a great Q&A, full of discussion including all the attendees. He and his partner-in-ministry even came and talked amongst us during the breaks in class. I’m not at all surprised he’s come every year to speak to the Link Year students, he’s great. Donyes needs to continue to invite him every year. Tomorrow is the last day before we take almost a month away to be with family over Christmas. I love Link Year, but I’m absolutely ready to be home for a while. So I’ll be reading Mere Christianity and writing an 8-page paper over it while I’m home- in L.A. Fun. Until next time!

P.S. If you get the title reference, you're cool. ;)

So Many Feelings About This One!!!

So, in case you didn’t know, this is a very special week! It’s called Link Year Gives Back, and is essentially a week of missions in the Branson Area. It is so exciting to be exposed to so many ministries that are so close to where we live!  To be completely honest, we have so much free time I could’ve found out about some of these and just volunteered, but I now know about them! After a fun weekend (I think) that I seriously don’t remember at all, came Monday. Monday was a very normal Monday, with the basic Monday schedule. With the exception that I didn’t go to elective because I went to the airport with my small group leader, Adam Martin. Tuesday, however, was a completely different story. On Tuesday…..I got an extra hour of sleep!!! It was great, really. After the hour came and went, we got up and headed to the Ala Moana to discuss the plans for the day. Because of weather, we went into the community and shoveled driveways and walkways. I went to Brian Wang’s neighborhood and we even got to invite a girl to the Fort! Later on in the day, we went to a home for the elderly. We just sat and talked with them for a while, got to know them, and even sang Christmas carols! It was definitely a good time. On Wednesday, there was no extra hour of sleep, much to my disappointment, but we went to the classroom to be greeted by the Mayor of Branson! She spoke to all of us for a while, encouraged us, and asked a few questions about who we are and what we plan to do in life. She’s kind of a cool person. Afterwards, we went to a Boys And Girls Club. There were donuts and delicious hot chocolate waiting for us there, and it was great. The guy running the place talked to us about the impact we were gonna have on the kids without even seeing them, when they see the work we’ve done there. He also told a really inspiring story about a kid who have all the right ingredients for a troubled teen, one who would possibly end up in a serious prison, and how Christ molded him into the person he was meant to be through his engagement and involvement in the Club. After hearing all this, we ready to do some hard work and have fun doing it. I joined the group that would be doing dirty, outside work. Our first task was to move a greenhouse without taking it apart. Easier done than it seems, actually. We really just lifted it up and moved it over a fence. After that we got to take apart the platforms it was on and burn the wood, so a really good day. There was also some really good snow on the ground, so we had a few snowball fights. I love it here, just saying. I tended the fire for a while and talked with a fellow link, Derek. I left before lunch there to be interviewed about Urban Entry. I’m confident about most of my answers, but I also feel like some of them were delivered rather less good than they could’ve been. We were then given the assignment to go out into community on our own and perform a random act of kindness, or RAK. I got food because I missed lunch, but then went with Vito and Emily to the Walmart. I ended helping an old lady load her groceries into her car, including a 50 lb. bag of dog food. Then I went to work at Hollister for a few hours, also knocking of a day of Advent. The time passed very slowly, and I was so tired, but I did talk a bit to a coworker I hadn’t met yet and I really want to get to know him more and I really hope to be able to show him Christ’s love and make an impact on his life. I’m so excited for this!!! I’m encouraged to go to work now! But back on topic, Thursday, we went to ministry called Jesus Was Homeless and bagged meals for the housed homeless of Branson. The term housed homeless is used to describe people living permanently in hotels because apartments are too expensive on their salaries, so they can only afford the weekly rates of about $200 in the hotels. These people work on the strip, and so the added lure of the hotels is their proximity to the places the people work. Many of the hotels don’t have kitchen areas and so the families live on fast food and microwaveables. It was fun there, all the volunteers are great people.  Josh Ong’s mom was also there, so that was cool. Once that was done, we went back the classroom to watch the video projects over one of the seven pillars we should’ve been working on for two months. No one did, they were all done this past weekend. A lot of them were so funny, others really deep and insightful, but they were all done really well and were amazing. Most of us were free to go after that, but a few students got to out and hand out the food bags we had made earlier and hand them out. I was amongst those lucky few. It was great seeing the happiness in the kids eyes, the gratefulness in the adults, and the joyful serving hearts of the volunteers. I really did love doing, and I got to see Robin, someone I usually only see on Monday nights, so that was cool too. It was great, but we got back just before this blog was due, and I always write about the entire week so I’m turning this in late. But only eight minutes late, thankfully! Also, in Word this post is three pages long. That may make it the longest post so far. This week was great, in case you can’t tell. Until next time peeps!

I've Really Missed This Place

It has been so long since I’ve written a blog post!! I think the past few weeks have had some of the deepest meaning to me of the entire year. Urban entry taught humility, love and to have a teachable heart through all of life. Thanksgiving break taught me how easy it could be to fall into temptation without the Link Year Bubble, and the impact I have on others, particularly those younger than me. And how much I’m gonna miss Link Year in May. I think it would be the best graduation gift ever if Donyes told us Link Year was officially expanded into a two-year program. So I got back on Saturday to start working at Hollister, what a joy that was, and the island was dead. I hung out the entire next day with my buddies Link Vito and Link Hannah Grace, so fun. Until my life happened and everything went awkward. But whatever. Everyone else got back on Monday, to great fanfare, and we all met up in the chapel to do advent calendars! On these calendars we have nice things to do for other people for each day leading up to Christmas. If you’re on mine, you’ll know in a few days! Tuesday was our Monday and we had accountability and small groups. Wednesday we had Brian Wang as our speaker for the week (Wednesday and Thursday) and he taught on the three things we should understand as we follow Christ. First, we need to deny ourselves. Basically, this means we should put others before ourselves. Second, we need to be completely dedicated to following Him. I can’t say that any more clearly than I just did… Third, we need to willingly be obedient to His commands when He gives them. No questions asked, just as Abraham did when he was told to sacrifice his son, Isaac. And thus is the rundown of my week. Until next time peeps!

Side note: It snowed today!! After class though, so we didn’t have a snow day, it only messes with our TGIF.

Incredibly Tired, But So Full Of Energy!!!!

This has been an extremely amazing week here at Link Year, full of growth, perspective, and of course relationship building. I’ll start with our very first work day, which we had last Friday. In order to  keep our student tuition as low as possible, we have one day a month where us students work maintenance on K-Kauai. The guys and girls went to different areas to work, so no one would be distracted, and us guys began to work on the lower fields and making the ground and soil loose and clean enough to plant grass. The lower fields are quite large, so we were busy from 8 until noon. It was freezing at first, but later got really hot. So that was the only thing interesting about about Friday, until I began doing precepts and got to the day about reconciliation. It talked about righting wrongs and reconciling relationships, especially when you are the one doing the wrong and hurting the relationship. Jesus said that unrighteous anger is murder in your heart. This rocked me very deeply, and I felt terrible for all the anger I’ve felt at others and all the anger I’ve made others feel towards me. I have been trying to reconcile for a few different things I’ve done and said lately, and will continue at that as long as I need to. So there went my weekend. Monday was accountability and bible study, probably one of the best yet. We also started our new electives. The one I chose is a book study of “Just Do Something”. The book tells us how Christians are always trying to live their lives according to God’s will, but though He has a plan for you, you don’t know it and will never find out until you take chances and fail a few times. The speaker this Tuesday-Thursday was Shay Robbins, men’s director for K2 Kamp. He spoke to us about intimacy with God, Spiritual gifts, and how God speaks to us. It’s been awesome hearing him speak, but I’ve been so tired lately I could barely pay attention. I got some decent notes, though! The most amazing part of the week was the Q&A with Adam Donyes after The Fort. We got quite a few insights, learned a bit about Donyes, and saw how much spiritual warfare really is going on around us. It’s triggered a huge increase in communal prayer, and is only making us more excited for how awesome Urban Entry is going to be! By the way, I can’t wait for Kansas City! It’s going to be amazing and give huge amounts of perspective. Thanksgiving is going to be the week right after, and I’m gonna miss all my Linky friends so much!! I also got a job at Hollister this week. Blah. This may be my last post for a few weeks, so whenever I get another chance to post, I’ll see you then, I guess. Later!

Stress......But Tons of Fun!!!

Blog time!!! This week has been pretty exciting, for many reasons, as you’ll soon find out. If you have the patience or interest to read through this thing. So let’s start with TGIF! In last Friday’s activity, we (the guys) got to ask one of the lovely Link Year ladies out on a date with a $20 budget! I asked out Link Victoria and we went to eat at a café in this really fancy hotel next to the lake. We saw Christmas decorations inside, sat and looked out over the water, and walked around the grounds. It was kinda awesome. I’m nowhere near the best date, but we had fun. After a weekend of hilarious haunted houses and slacking off of homework, I had a super stressful Sunday night. On Monday, Link Selby’s parents ordered a charter bus for all of us students to come down to Tulsa and attend a private concert by Steve Moakler. Their house is beautiful, and Link Selby’s room is covered in pictures, I think mostly from Kanakuk. It’s a little ridiculous, but it is Link Selby. The concert was a lot better than I expected! I really only went to maximize my moments here at Link Year and hang out with my fellow Linkys, but I enjoyed the concert a lot too. The four-hour ride there and back was great as well. We got back around 2 and I was in bed around 10 minutes later. Mostly normal week since then, with Pastor Marvin Daniels speaking to our class on Tuesday  and Wednesday. He spoke on morality, living above the standard of the world, and being “insulated not isolated” from the rest of the world. We got to play a game of sorts where we go to a side of the room based on whether we agree or disagree with a statement, such as “Abortions are bad unless the mother is raped or could die from the pregnancy”. The arguments got pretty deep and intense, but ultimately brought us all closer together as a family. Because once a month we have a work day to make Link Year tuition cheaper, Friday’s TGIF was moved to this morning! We split into groups and went around campus learning various skills such as how to change tires, how to write “Thank You” cards (we wrote some to Link Selby’s parents), and dancing lessons! It was pretty fun, and a lot of our dancing was hilariously atrocious. Overall, a really great week, one that I will certainly look back on at the end of the year. Until next time, later peoples!

The Week of Awkward...

Hello world! TGIF was most recently a very fun but competitive game called Bigger and Better. Basically, we all started with a paper clip and you trade that with someone for something they have. You trade that to a different person, and keep going until you’re satisfied, or in our case, until you have to be back in the classroom to see who won. My team got up to a mandolin, and probably would’ve won, but at the last second traded for a vending machine. Due to legal issues and the uncertainty of whether that is a profit or if we just went bankrupt, we did not win. The winner was a washing machine. Whatevs. We had fun, and I (we) owned a mandolin for a while. Our local Spaniard Xenia was in love with the mandolin and barely let go of it, but I played it a bit. On Monday in Worldview Studies, we talked about both Cosmic Humanism and Post-modernism, as most of us will be gone next week for a concert. Cosmic Humanism is the overall term for Scientology, Buddhism, Hinduism, Pantheism, etc. Post-Modernism is the The speaker this week Was BJ Thompson, and his series was called “Who am I? Who Are We? Why Are We Here?” The most memorable things from his talks were over our relationships with one another. He told us that we are so often hiding behind a mask that we don’t let people know the real us and thus never form true relationships. From that we can never know real love. He said that the reason so many of us love our mothers so much is that they know exactly who we are and we can’t hide from them. The very first people were naked and unashamed, but when sin entered the world, they were ashamed and wanted to hide from both God and each other. What’s remarkable about this is that this drive to hide ourselves has continued to plague us as long as sin has been around. We hide most often behind our own accomplishments and achievements in an attempt to put our best foot forward, but never actually take a full step and show our weaknesses and flaws. All in all, a very good speaker with a hard hitting message. That’s all for this post, and I’m currently very excited for the upcoming trip into Kansas City. Next week, same time?

I've Learned To Manage Time!! Coincidence???

It’s blog time again!!! Honestly, I stress so much over these because they’re technically homework assignments, but when I do them, I realize how useful they are! I have to go through everything that’s happened throughout the week and I retain so much more information. I also realize more how blessed I am to be able to do this program. I can definitely say that this is where I am meant to be right now. That being said, on to stuff that’s happened! Friday morning, I had breakfast with my mentor Adam Martin before TGIF as our one-on-one.  We talked for a while then headed back to the island to meet everyone else for the activity. We went to Big Cedar and got to play archery tag, where I proceeded to dominate. Along with the rest of my team, of course. There was a tournament, which my team won, and it was so much fun.  Don’t exactly remember this weekend, but I’m sure it was really fun… On to Monday and worldview studies! This week was about Leninism/Marxism or Communism. This worldview holds the belief that everyone is equal in power, status, and responsibility to help out the whole group. This leads to lack of incentive to work hard and does nothing to stimulate creativity. So the system doesn’t work, basically. Not to mention the fact that it denies the existence of God. This week the staff has been talking to us about managing ourselves, our money, and our time! You’ll see the coincidence if you scroll down to the previous post and read it… I highly recommend doing so. In managing ourselves, which Brian Wang taught, there was so much information discussed. The main and longest point was the “killer P’s”. These included wanting pity for having so much to do, pats on the back, people pleasing, and pride. Adam Martin led the class in managing money on Wednesday. This was a much shorter recap of high school economics, basically. He talked about credit, how to use it safely and wisely, banking, debt, and how to manage the money you have in a budget. The safest thing to do is to live below your means, at the most spending 80% of your monthly income on yourself and necessities. The other 20% should be split between tithing and saving. Thursday, we heard about managing time from Adam Donyes. He told us how much time we waste on things like social media, television, and….. video games. Yup. We get angry at people who waste our time, yet on things like these we waste literal years! We have tons of time in between everything else on our schedule that we waste over and over again. Time we could spend reading a valuable book, i.e. the bible, or listening to a good commentary. We also waste time watching pointless shows, movies, and endless commercials. Literally, years;  yet we claim not to have enough time to have quiet time, get homework done, or get things done. We make time for things that are important to us. This is a pretty easy way to see where your priorities lie without going on a soul searching walk along the beach, skipping stones every few minutes. Valuable life lessons are the daily norm here at Link Year. And that concludes my time here with you guys, until next week, I’m learning and praying! Later!

Stressful, Tiring Week...

Okay, forgive me, but I’m gonna go off the beaten path and start by saying I love living here. The things we get to do living in such a wonderful place, like midnight Capture the Flag, walks along the beach (lake shore) and through the forest, are amazing and make me so grateful to be here. That’s all. Okay, the other Links aren’t bad to be around. On to TGIF! Last Friday we went to some place (I can’t remember the name) and we got to bike through this ginormous park. So I can truthfully say that I’ve biked from Missouri to Arkansas. It was awesome, even if I don’t sound like it. I’m sure I do, though! I dived into a cave, watched others jump a stream, and ate apples. Three, to be exact. Later we ate at the best place in Branson, on a blueberry farm. The weekend was really fun, doing the activities mentioned at the beginning, although I was left a bit sore and a lot more like Link Selby with a bum arm. Monday we learned about Secular Humanism, as Donyes unpacked that for us. Humanism is the belief that humanity is the highest of all beings and that science and reason can answer any question presented. The two religious affiliations that are included in Secular Humanism are Agnostics and Atheists. Agnostics claim that there simply not enough evidence to prove the existence of a god, all-powerful or otherwise. Atheists fully deny the existence of such a being, and believe everything that happens is pure chance. On Tuesday, Karren Chancey came and talked to us about the bible! We learned the chronology involved and the order of the events in the bible, and the major locations of these happenings. On Wednesday, Donyes talked to us about dating. Basically, the world is doing everything wrong, and the standards of a “good” dating relationship from the world’s perspective are nowhere near God’s standards, and Christians should not conform. Extremely beneficial, and possibly one of the most relevant talks yet. To accompany him, Joe White talked about guarding our hearts from the world and its snares. If we allow the world in, there can be no room for Jesus. I also won a really soft Kanakuk blanket that day. Thursday, Ward Weibe walked us through the gospels, but also went really deep into how the entire bible is the story of God and His glory. It was great, except I was (regrettably) so tired that I couldn’t take decent notes. I’m learning to manage time more wisely, though. We’ll see how well I do by next week! Later!

I'm Stuck On A Title...

It’s the end of the third week, meaning the thrill of the honeymoon stage is all but gone, along with my excitement and non-writer's block for these blogs. But I will press on, and help make the awesomeness that is Link Year better understood by those that actually read these. So last Friday, T.G.I.F was paintball! We had a huge amount of fun firing paintballs at each other (like it’s not a daily thing… [fun I mean, Link Year does not condone violence of any sort, especially with guns]). On Monday we started our accountability groups, which are going to be great for everyone obviously, but I really expect this group to be extremely beneficial, and I hope to be able to call these guys and get help well into the future. We also started our small groups, which is a separate thing. A group of a few more guys than in the accountability groups, but also a mentor, who will hang out with everyone in the small group one on one at least once a week. I was lucky enough to be in Adam Martin’s small group, and am really looking forward to one on one time with him. Since I’m already talking about all the groups we started this week, I’ll jump to Thursday and tell about the mentor from Kanakuk Institute we all get as well. The purpose of this relationship is to condition us into seeking out mentors actively, and so we will have to wake up at 6:30 to meet with those guys. Going back to Tuesday, Adam Donyes told us all we needed to know about the Seven Pillars of Link Year and everything we’d need to write our papers over them. On Wednesday, a very nice woman by the name of Amy Simmons came and spoke to us about her life and testimony, including meeting the President of the United States. She spoke on the importance of the Lord’s plan above our own, and that no matter how insignificant something may seem, He could have such a great plan for it with a huge impact on others. On Thursday, we learned about all the benefits of the software Logos. It is a bible study tool that gives commentaries on scripture and also the original Greek and Hebrew words to allow the user to infer their own translations and study the Bible inductively. Also on Tuesday, I was called to answer an apologetical question. I was asked if it is a sin to watch “R” rated movies. The answer is that it’s not a sin because ratings are based on the standards of humans. A content rating is not God’s standard. So the sin would be in either watching a movie full of cussing if you know that it is going to make you want to cuss, or causing a believer less well-versed than you to believe things like are okay if they aren’t. When going to see a movie, don’t judge it by the rating, but by its content, almost the same as you would a person. Except you don’t need to study a movie in-depth to decide if the themes are not God-glorifying.

In the words of Tanya, be awesome, love Jesus.

 Later.

Getting The Hang of Things!

It’s truly amazing how much can happen in a single week! Since these are due on Thursday, the really fun things will be the first I talk about. TGIF, or Thank God It’s Friday. Always a surprise to us students, the first one was a real treat. We got to play The Hunger Games. I cannot express with words how excited I was as my fellow Link (everyone’s name is preceded by Link now) Maria and I stood on our circle, devising a strategy for getting that pool noodle, to me the most efficient weapon in the cornucopia. Somehow, we stood at the center, still alive and surrounded by ammunition of water guns, balloons, and even survival packs in case we needed to run. Long story short, we would’ve won the game if we were playing king of the hill. But whatevs, we had fun and dominated for a while. Southpaw!!! After a pretty fun weekend, involving breaking a washing machine and losing $2 in it, and swing dancing, Monday we had our first Bible Study and Worldview study. The next few, Islam, Deism, etc, are going to be so great and beneficial. We will learn about the central doctrines of these various religions and compare them to our own. I expect this to be a great thing every time, although the things we went over this week about Christianity I already knew. It’s always good to recap, though. Which brings us to the speaker for this week (speakers generally come into our class Tues-Thurs). Late last week I was studying for our first New City Catechism quiz, a thing every Wednesday, and I noted that one of the answers was that nothing happens except through the Lord. I was deeply shaken by this, as I’ve recently been making a case on a Youtube video entitled “Black Christians=Uncle Toms”. After reading the statement that nothing happens except through Him, I thought, “This can’t be true, why would He actively will the enslavement and torture of millions? And to take it a few steps further, why would He actively send people to Hell?” After talking through these things with our Link Selby, I was helped to realized that God’s grace is a gift that not everyone is given, simply because. His grace is sufficient to save everyone, however, some are destined to never receive it. I was just getting used to this when D.A Horton, the executive director at ReachLife Ministries. He spoke on a lot of different things, but this is only a two page blog, not an in-depth analysis of the Bible. So I’m going to say that when he talked about this very thing, I was wrestling with, I knew that God was helping me understand a bit better. He has a hand in everything, remember? D.A. went on for a while about this and the main point was that although some see it as God willing people to eternal suffering, it is more likely that a loving, omniscient God knows who would’ve rejected Him anyway, and has made things a bit easier for the rest of us. He also talked about the need for ministry. Everywhere, and not just the far away part of everywere, but maybe your own home, your neighborhood, or even within some churches! He knew a kid that had gone to church often and didn’t know the message of man’s sin and separation! My final piece of information being moved is the idea of demons possessing people, ghosts haunting people, and even the friendly grandma wanting her children to receive a message. We learned that biblically, ghosts don’t exist and dead people certainly don’t come back to talk to us, as shown by the seer’s surprise when Saul asked to speak to a dead Samuel and he actually appeared by God’s will. Demons, however are fallen angels and do exist. They serve our enemy, the one who hates us, Satan. But because of the Holy Spirit’s influence and presence, believers are not susceptible to attacks from demons. After D.A. left, the apologetical questions started and Link Subers was asked why there are innocent people suffering when God can stop it all? This rung a bell with me, as my brother asked the same question this past summer. Also I had a similar question, and I was most prepared for that one. Now I won’t be asked that one next week, unfortunately. But anyways, the question is flawed. No one is innocent. We are all vile, disgusting creatures with horrendous thoughts, and sometimes actions. These are simply the norm here on Earth and are socially acceptable and even encouraged by our governments. But even though we are not innocent, doesn’t God love us enough to stop all the suffering? Yes, but because of our sin, we are pushing away His helping hand, and things are considered sin for a reason. They bring bad with them! Premarital sex can lead to unwanted pregnancy, infidelity can lead to disease, stealing and murdering have the obvious effects as well as causing distress to other people. No sin can cause good, as well as no bad can come from God. I’ve also been thinking pretty deeply about this. What stops Hell from being a sinner’s paradise? The small, often overlooked fact that without the Lord’s influence, we would not take pleasure in anything. As a small treat for the class on Tuesday, Tedashii came along with his wife and spoke to us for a while, but I couldn’t stay for the Apologetics or picture time because of lunch duty. Also, on Monday, I played sports and even enjoyed myself. I also began working out seriously this week, and now my body hates me. These last few are my random thoughts over the week, and I think I may make that a regular thing. A small look into the wonderful, messy, cluttered place that is my mind.

Until next Thursday, Jamari ;)

P.S. Everyone else's blogs are super organized and mine are all blah and random.
P.P.S. I wanna tell so much more stuff!!!!! But don't wanna be boring and overly random.
EDIT: I called the speaker D.A. Hunter, it's Horton.... awkward...

The Very First Post!

The past two weeks have been incredible. It’s amazing to think that that’s all the time it takes to change a person so much. But it happened, and because of so much more than just the new friends I’ve been around, the experiences we've had, or the. In class Monday, September 23, 2013 I was given a book. This book was about me. How I learn, my biggest weaknesses, my leadership style and a huge amount more. I believe this book knew me almost better than I knew myself. There were things I knew and just simply refused to acknowledge. There were also things I never realized about myself until seeing them written on paper. Seeing all of these things and more laid out so simply I can visualize where I am in my life, where I want to go, and what I need to do to get there. Then came Don Ford and his lecture about settings goals. About how important they are for a life lived well, prosperously for The Lord, and full of meaning. Setting goals makes one live to a certain standard and continuously go higher. The final lecture of the week was on Thursday and was led by Brian Wang, who told us about the goals we would be setting for ourselves. After 6 continuous hours of silent, offline, away-from-the-world self-reflection, of course. It’s not like I get very good service in Branson anyway. I don’t really know what I expected when I applied, but Link Year is much more challenging and at the same time more awesome than I could have imagined. I’ve only just started Link Year and it is utterly amazing. I cannot wait to see what the next few months have in store.