EOWR (6)

                     Last week at Link year, we have learned our fourth pillar out of the seven. The pillar that we learned this past week was 'Biblical Worldview'. The idea of this pillar was to make people see the world and its morals as they are, but from a biblical perspective. Also, this past week I've found it easier to start working on myself and letting God work from within me. I have been working more on how to take control of the balance between friends and responsibilities. Though most importantly and recently, I have been striving to fall back into Gods word, striving to apply recent pillars to myself, and making Him number one. This is something I have talked on with my discipleship leader and we even started a chronologically ordered reading group on the Bible app. My group leader and my discipleship leader have been very supportive. I grow daily in my gratefulness towards them and the rest of Link Year staff, mainly for their passion in being disciplined disciples towards the lot of us. Overall, last week was cooo and I wouldn't want it any other way.

EOWR (3)

                   


                In my recent week in the Link Year program I have gotten consumed in friends, assignments, obligations and remembering to sharpen my knife. Although, on the bright side, I realized that this is a good thing because it strengthens my responsibility and devotion to seeing things through. This Monday I started my new job cooking at Smith Creek Moonshine on the Landing. The name is a bit misleading but it's a family friendly environment that also serves meals besides legal moonshine and so far I am enjoying the people and atmosphere. This week we also traveled to the K2 camps for a retreat of some sort. We played a very silly game that I hope didn't have a metaphor within it because I did not get it. We killed chickens too. Part of me feels like If I would have known that they already had store bought chicken I wouldn't have been as compliant with going through with it because we slaughtered a bunch of chickens for no reason basically. Genesis 9: 3 talks about how animals were given to us for food. Anyways, besides that This week has gone really well, especially with our key speakers teaching us about healthy habits and exercise. It was like a review of things Ive already learned in Highschool, but everyone needs a refresher on certain things to help them retain that information.

EOWR (2)

       



                (British accent, just do It) In my third week at Link Year we discovered our accountability groups, small group leaders and listened to some influential speakers. The speakers taught us some key factors behind the meaning of success. We also learned about the historical accuracies of the Bible, how the Bible is not a book of moral value nor a book of quotes. I learned If you don't comprehend the word of God then you will not know who He is. One of this weeks speakers, Garett Perkins went on to explain how our goals can be reached through solid relationships and determination. Not only that, but learning how his word applies to our everyday lives in setting a standard for each and every one of those goals. In class one of the thing's I took pleasure in learning was that if you break down the word family into abbreviations it turns to: F.A.M.I.L.Y. (Forget About Me I Love You). This really struck me because family is all we have in the end, if everything else fails they truly have your best interests in mind just as God does. We also went on a cave exploration, we crawled through tight corners, stained our clothes and painted war markings on faces with clay. In that cave expedition was yet another metaphor. When we turned all our lights off in the cave it was pitch black (of course), in that darkness Adam Donyes told us how God's word is a lamp to our feet, and If we all let His light shine through us we can 'see'. That way others 'see' God's grace through us and they want to know what is different. If there is a room full of light it is a lot easier to see where you are. In a sense when you are in a room with people letting their faith shine that can make finding your way in this world of darkness easier. While on the topic of family, after our cave exploration I received a text message that I am officially an Uncle Phil. My sister Meagan and her husband have been awaiting their baby Henry. He came to our family this Wednesday at 6:07 pm. and I couldn't be happier for them. On the last day of this week, I went to the T.G.I.F event at 10:00am.(Thank Goodness Its Friday). We played a Hunger Games like activity involving water guns and balloons. In the game all of us got to pair up in teams, get into position and run or hide, in competition for a gift card. Last team standing wins. Soon after I got to meet up with my small group leader to eat lunch and get to know each others past and not only talk about God's wonders he does for us but discuss some questions that arise as well.

                                                                   

EOWR (1)

 


             
            September 1st, my first day at Link Year. Ready for move in day after a long 15 hour drive (including stops) and staying at a hotel in Branson for a couple days. I arrived at what in the summer is known to me as K1 camps, in Branson Missouri around 1:00. For my check in to campus I was greeted by familiar faces and new smiles waiting to help/show me to my dorm where I met my two roommates whom I had been speaking with the previous week before opening day. Then began the interesting part of getting to really know them and their parents, which turned out to be a great experience and I couldn't have asked God for better roommates. The next morning we woke up around 5:30 and went out to a little spot on Lake Taneycomo where we were given a talk by Adam Donye. Right after we grabbed our belongings and hopped right on a bus headed for camp SOTO, otherwise known as Shepard of the Ozark's. The camp, being almost 2 hours away was secluded and tucked away from the public and had acres of land, a paintball course and tubing!  We spent three days, two nights there and got to familiarize myself with the other students which was cool. It is fun to meet new people, new personalities because when you meet that person individually you get a glimpse of their morals and views on certain things the more you converse. To conclude this end of week review, all in all my first week at Link Year was filled with a little anxiety, an interest to grow in christ with my fellow classmates and personally for me to really learn/become what it means to be a man in HIS own image.