Fun Fiction Friday - October 26th, 2018

Fun Fiction Friday
October 26th, 2018

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday. I am so sorry I have neglected to post for over a month. Yes, we've still been reading, I just haven't been able to find the time to post. 

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading.

We've read quite a few books since the last time I posted.

Tabitha and I have both finished the entire The Land of Stories series. It was quite good, though I did think there was a bit too much "language" for a juvenile series. These aren't words that would be a concern in a young adult book (though I still don't like them there), but they are words we don't allow in our house (words that are synonyms which are used in place of other off-limit words by some). They weren't prevalent, but I was sad to see them included. And, I have to admit, there are quite a few times I was left scratching my head at certain parts when the timeline didn't seem to be adding up. Some of the later books in the series took on a different feel than the first few, but it was quite the intriguing series. Alex and Conner are twins who find out their father came from the fairy tale world. Sadly he had passed away before the series started. The twins find their way to the "Land of Stories" through a magic storybook their grandmother (their dad's mother) gives them. They have all sorts of dangerous, yet wonderful adventures.

In the first book, The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, they must travel through the lands to collect ingredients to complete a spell that can take them home. They discover all the different characters from fairy tales and nursery rhymes on their travels, making friends and enemies. They also find out that their grandmother is quite an important person in this world. If you would like to find out more, I invite you to read my full review from last year.

Then their are several more books in the series:

• The Enchantress Returns
• A Grimm Warning
• Beyond the Kingdoms
• An Author's Odyssey
• World's Collide

One of these days, I may reread them so I can actually write reviews of each of them. I really need to stop for a breather between books so I can write a review before my mind has the next story jumbled in. 

I also finished the I am Number Four and Lorien Legacies Reborn series again, including reading the newest book for the first time.

You can read some sneaky peeks for most of the books above over on my book blog: Me, Myself, I Read (and write), as I posted my Book Beginnings on Fridays and The Friday 56 focusing on most of those books recently.

I have several series waiting to be read, but they have been put on hold so I can reread the Keeper of the Lost Cities series again. The last time I posted we were still waiting on the fourth book, Neverseen, to become available at the library. Unfortunately, it still isn't available. We thought we were going to have it in hand this week, only to find out I am third in the queue to receive it, not first like I thought. So, I sort of became desperate, and begged my husband to buy me just that book, so we could read the series all the way through before the seventh book is released in a week and a half. He never really confirmed whether we could get it or not, but then a surprise package arrived from Amazon yesterday afternoon. My husband bought me the boxed set of the first five books!!! I am so very excited.

So now all of them besides the sixth book, Nightfall, can go back to the library. Or I can keep them so Tabitha and I can read at the same time and not fight over them. LOL.

Anyway, I have written reviews for the first two books (Keeper of the Lost Cities review and Keeper of the Lost Cities: Exile review), and now I can get to reading the remainder of the books so I can finally write reviews of those.

Obviously, for the next few weeks, Tabitha and I are going to be focusing on The Keeper of the Lost Cities. 

Amelia is still reading Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter.

As for family read-alouds, we are still trying to make our way through the Percy Jackson book: The Titan's Curse. We finished all the books we had for review. Here is a list of the books we reviewed recently through the Homeschool Review Crew, with the link for the review.

• Kingdom Files books by Matt Koceich (Who was Jonah?, and Who was Mary, Mother of Jesus?)
• Rescue Me! What Superheroes Can Teach Us About the Power of Faith by Bryce Morgan
• Forensic Faith for Kids by J. Warner Wallace and Susie Wallace

We are also reading The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare during our school reading time, along with our main reader, Augustus Caesar's World.

Don't forget to stop back next week for my review of The Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze. 

Wordless Wednesday: October 24, 2018 (w/linky) - Carman Concert

We had the opportunity last week to see Carman in concert at a church in a nearby town. We had a lovely time and even got to meet him and his wife afterward at the Meet and Greet.

Looking forward to seeing your Wordless (or not so wordless) Wednesday posts this week.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button on your Wordless Wednesday post or in a list of Wordless Wednesday linkies. Just link it to my Wordless Wednesday permalink please.

An InLinkz Link-up

Littles Learning Link Up: October 23, 2018: Simple Bundled Cotton Swab Fall Trees

 Each month you will find:

• A seasonal round-up (usually toward the beginning of the month)
• Posts where I share what I have been up to with my early elementary children (including occasional highlight posts where I share how we used ideas that have been linked up here on Littles Learning Link Up).

Each week, I will host a link up, where you can share either what you have been up to recently, or old posts that may go with the theme.  Feel free to link up more than one post.

Each week I will continue to feature a couple of posts from those that have been linked up. 

I hope you will continue to share your wonderful posts, and I hope you will find something new to try with your child(ren).

It would be great for everyone to stop by and visit the other linked-up posts as well. Check them out, leave some comments, pin those that interest you. Let's make this a real party and socialize with each other.

What have we been up to?

First, I would like to apologize for there being no Littles Learning Link Up last week. We were without internet for a couple of days, which was very frustrating. I am so thankful it is back. We rely on the internet so much, and not just for this blog, but the children do quite a bit of their learning online. 

Anyway, we have been busy learning about Ancient Rome and body systems. Last week we learned a bit about Roman architecture, bridges and arches. The children are using a different online site for learning math this year. Thanks to the Homeschool Review Crew we are trying out Math Whizz. So far the children seem to be enjoying it. Though for some reason they are on it a lot longer than when we used CTCMath, which means they aren't getting to their Latin and Grammar. 

Moving on to the craft of the week. . .

A couple of weeks ago we made Shape Firetrucks on a Fire Background at co-op. My Shape Firetruck post from a couple of years ago is actually my most popular post of all time. Which amazes me. This time, instead of using acrylic paint and having the children smoosh it around under plastic wrap, we just used Kwik Sticks to create the fire. I'm not sure which I like better. 

These are the firetrucks from this year using the Kwik Sticks.

And here is one from a couple of years ago.

If you would like to see how to make the shape firetrucks (which also includes measurement details for this shapes), you can find them here, in my Shape Firetruck on Flame Painting post.

Last week we made a fall tree. this was another craft I have done before, but I had never done it at co-op. My children and I made these Bundled Cotton Swab Fall Trees a couple of years ago, but we made them before co-op had started for the year. When I learned the older children were going to the Lumber Museum for a field trip this month, I thought it would be fun for the younger kiddos to make a fall tree. I did change it up a bit from the original creation as the children I have now are a lot younger and have very short attention spans. 

Simple Bundled Cotton Swab Fall Trees

Here is what you will need:

Acrylic paint in fall colors (I used red, orange, and yellow)

Glue sticks

Brown Construction paper

White paper (I used cardstock)

Cotton Swabs

Rubber bands

I use an egg carton as a paint holder/pallette

In preparation all I did was bundle approximately 20 cotton swabs together and secure them with a rubber band. There is one bundle per child. Then I cut out the brown paper into the shape of tree trunks. Older children could cut them out themselves, or paint their own tree trunks like my children did a couple of years ago.

The children glued their tree trunk onto the white paper.

Even the little guy, who's one and a half was able to make the project with some help.

Then I placed glops of  paint in the egg carton lid, close to each other, but not mixed in. The children made leaves for their trees by dipping the cotton swab bundles into the paint and dabbing them onto the top of the tree trunk. I told them not to rub the bundle across the paper, but to make sure to bump up and down.

I love the effect this makes:

Let's take a look at that review schedule real quick:

A couple of weeks ago I shared my review for season six of The Brinkman Adventures. Last week I shared my review for St. Bartholomew's Eve from Heirloom Audio Productions. Next week I will be posting my review of Math-Whizz from Whizz Education. 

In November I will be sharing reviews for two products. The first will be of the MasterKitz from Kidzaw. We will be making our own The Starry Night paintings. And then I will share about Guitar360. Tabitha and my husband were both thrilled to find out we were going to be learning to play guitar.

Here are a few things I would like to share with you:

Pumpkin Fun Round Up
(Some wonderfully fun pumpkin ideas, no jack-o-lanterns involved)

Torn Paper Pumpkins

Two-Sided Paper Plate Pumpkins

And, seeing as Thanksgiving is just a month away. . . 

Thanksgiving Round Up

Now onto:

Littles Learning Link Up Features

On my last Littles Learning Link Up post, there were 8 wonderful post linked up. I will be featuring the most clicked on post, plus one randomly selected post.

Please, don't forget to stop by other posts that are linked up. See what catches your eye, stop by, pin the post to a relevant board, and perhaps leave a comment to let the author of the blog know you have been by for a visit. I know I appreciate others commenting and letting me know they have read my posts, so I am sure others do too.

This week's randomly selected post is:

Small Worlds Preschool shared Fall Peg Doll Crafts to Make.

This week's most clicked on post is:

Preschool Naturally shared Making a Tree Scrapbook.

Join the Party!

I would love to have you join in this week! What sort of activities do you do with your young children? Do you have some favorite activities you would like to share? I invite you to link up below. I will be pinning posts on one of my relevant boards, and I would love to feature some of the activities each week from what is linked up.

Please know I may share a picture from your post and link back to it, along with sharing how we used your idea in our school time. By linking up you are giving me permission to use a picture from your post. I will ALWAYS give credit and link back. Additionally, if you choose to try out any of the ideas with your child, please make sure you give credit where credit is due.

Linky will be open through Monday night, to give me time to check out all the posts and get the Features organized. Please take the time to visit some of the other wonderful posts linked up.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button. Just link it to my Littles Learning Link Up permalink please.

I am sharing over at

An InLinkz Link-up

Epic Audio Drama with St. Bartholomew's Eve from Heirloom Audio Productions {A TOS Review}

Heirloom Audio has done it again!! They have produced yet another epic audio adventure based on one of G.A. Henty's powerful books from history. It is no secret that we have enjoyed every release we have had the opportunity to review thanks to the Homeschool Review Crew. This time around, we had the pleasure of listening to St. Bartholomew's Eve, a tale that takes place in France during the time of the Huguenot wars.

Each Heirloom Audio Productions release helps us live one of the "extraordinary adventures of G.A.Henty" through a two-and-a-half hour audio drama. As with the previous stories we have listened to, we received the 2-CD set.

   

At the beginning of the story, we are reintroduced to a couple of old friends, Mr. George and Ned, along with a new friend named Sebastian who is from France. As with all the other adventures, Mr. George (who is meant to be G.A. Henty) tells the story to a couple of boys, who happen to be the same age as the main characters in the historical tale. Ned and Sebastian were caught "being boys" and skipping the first church service, so they could "experience God outside." Mr. George then reminds them of those who fought and died so they could have the right to worship the way God has placed it upon their hearts to do. Sebastian, of course, understood that Mr. George was referring to the time of the Huguenot persecution and the "French Wars of Religion" that took place in the late 1500's. And from here, we segue into the historical adventure. 

The year is 1567, and Philip Fletcher has traveled from England to be with his mother's family who lives in France. It has been his dream to fight alongside those who have been struggling for the right to worship God, as it is his belief that when any one of God's children are persecuted, we are all persecuted. He spends time with his cousin Francois and his aunt and uncle, the Count and Countess De Laville, visiting and training in their chateau until it is time join in the battle. We learn that he has wonderful sword-fighting skills, though he is hesitant to add a dagger, and finds the thought of using a pistol unhelpful as it takes too long to reload.

Throughout the story we are introduced to the different characters as our brave young men either fight with them or against them. They join Admiral Coligny, Prince Conde, Henry, Prince of Navarre, and others to fight against the tyranny of King Charles and the Queen mother Catherine De Medici, along with the Duke of Guise. The Catholic leaders consider such things as eating meat on Friday and the signing of psalms by the common people, along with having a personal relationship with God, as blasphemy. The Huguenots, or the French Protestants, on the other hand feel they have the right to worship God the way He has placed it upon their hearts, following in the path of others during this time of reformation started by Luther several decades earlier. 

As would be expected, there are multiple battles and lots of intense scenes in this audio drama, including some brutal, heart-wrenching murders (though there are no gruesome details). 

The first battle Philip and Francois participate in takes place in Orleans, which was a Catholic stronghold. Orleans was an unexpected target, and victory here would open passage to southern France, along with encouraging other Huguenots. This battle also contains one of the scenes that was most memorable to Tabitha. Philip had volunteered to watch for the opening of the city gates, but he didn't notice a guard who was shooting an arrow at him. Thankfully Francois had been "watching his back" as he had promised to do, and saved his life. It was also during this time that Philip saw the benefits of having a pistol, as it helped lead to a victory. 

Speaking of pistols, during another battle we discover a unique way that Philip has found to utilize the pistol to his liking, which came as quite a surprise when we were listening, to us and the enemy. 

As is normal during a war, though there are victories (at times even defeat is a victory when they are still alive), there are also defeats. Additionally, there are times when people are taken prisoner. It is during the rescue attempt of a couple of our characters that a new friend is made, a young boy named Argento, who has recently lost his father. Though they have to leave him behind when they first meet him, Argento becomes an important character later in the story. 

Unlike other battles in which Philip and Francois have ridden out with the Huguenots to other locations, there is a time when they must hold the chateau against the onslaught of the Catholic forces. Even though they had held back the attackers for a while, the people had begun to despair, because they knew the Catholics would be coming back, better prepared and with more firepower. During talk of surrender, Argento's voice arose in song, with the first words of "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." As the song continues, more and more voices join in (including our family's), creating a powerful, unified song to the Lord. For me, this was one of the most powerful scenes in this production. The song ended with Argento repeating the final line, and then arose a defiant, "NO SURRENDER!" which was repeated over and over. This led to an unusual, yet effective plan for defense that could only have come from the Lord, an answer to the song. This is actually another one of our favorite scenes; however, I will not share any details, as I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.

Sadly, these events are all just leading up to the ultimate horror, the massacres that begin on St. Bartholomew's Day, August 24th,1572. Even sadder is the fact that the Huguenots believed things were getting better for them. Though there was still persecution, there was a tentative new peace, which was supposed to become even stronger with the marriage of the Catholic Margaret of Valois to the Protestant Henry of Navarre. Unfortunately, with a few well placed lies, deceit and hints of betrayal, the Queen Mother was able to influence her son, King Charles, to attack the Huguenots, which led to tens of thousands of deaths. These deaths were made more personal as some of the deaths were of characters we had been hearing about. One in particular hit quite hard. 

Through all the death and bloodshed, through all the years of further persecution, those who continued to fight did so as their duty toward God, the duty to protect and to remain vigilant against tyranny. One of the most important quotes that stuck in my head, which I discovered is also under the insert in the CD set, is "Whom shall we obey? The King of France or the King of Kings?" This is a question that Christians throughout the centuries have had to ask. "Whom shall we obey? The leaders in the government or the King of Kings?" The Bible tells us we are to obey our authorities... UNLESS doing so will require us to disobey the Lord. Though I admit, I am conflicted due to teachings of nonresistance I have learned since becoming Mennonite. Does God truly want us to fight back and cause more bloodshed? Could the Huguenots have relocated as Mennonites did? How far can we continue to relocate if the lands where we move continue to turn against Christians? 

Once again I find myself wondering if I would have had the strength to stand by my convictions in the face of certain death. Once again I am horrified by the slaughters that took place in the name of God by leaders in the church. I had heard about the Inquisition before listening to the first release by Heirloom Audio Productions: Under Drake's Flag, but the story brought it to life and made it more real. However, I had never known of the atrocities committed against the Huguenots. It saddens and frustrates me to realize that those who are to show love through Jesus, could commit such heinous acts. It scares me to see how easy it is to stir up people, and the way people will follow in this mob mentality. However, I am also encouraged to see that people have been able to stand strong with the power of God through Christ.

I highly recommend St. Bartholomew's Eve for your family's audio drama library. Though, if you have sensitive children, I do recommend you listen first to see if you think it will be too intense for them. The recommended age for this production is six and up, and all of my children enjoy listening, though Harold (who is six) admits to not remembering many details, so I am not sure how closely he was listening. This is one reason I really, really wish Heirloom Audio still provided the study guides which we received with most of the other releases. We would use these to review the story, so I could see how much the children were understanding. It also helped us to understand the details of the story which could be missed, and I have to tell you, there are a lot of details that were tricky to follow, especially name of people and locations. These were more difficult than in other stories as they had to be deciphered around the French accent. Granted, you can do as I did and do your own research into the Huguenots; however, the study guides would have been so helpful. 

As always, Heirloom Audio Productions has done a wonderful job bringing history to life. The cast and acting were wonderful as always. The sound effects and music truly do bring us right into the story. Though I have to say, I have never been so drawn into the story as we were while joining in with "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." I wonder how many other listeners have lifted their voices to the Lord while listening to this program.

You can find Heirloom Audio Productions on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram.

If you would like to see my reviews of the previous adventures, I invite you to check out my Heirloom Audio Productions label.

  

Don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about St. Bartholomew's Eve.

Exciting Audio Adventures with Season Six of the Brinkman Adventures {A TOS Review}

Thanks to the Homeschool Review Crew, we had the wonderful opportunity of reviewing the latest season of the Brinkman Adventures. We have loved these audio adventures since we learned about them a few years ago. So far, we have reviewed seasons 3, 4, and now 6. As the children have gotten older, they have been enjoying them more and more. In fact, thanks to getting to listen to the digital version of Season 6: Underground Rising, they have pulled out the older seasons and have been listening to them at bedtime, in both bedrooms!

What exactly are these Brinkman Adventures?

In case this is the first time you are hearing about the Brinkman's, let me tell you a little about them. They are based on a real-life family, the Bultman's. This family has ten children, one of which was born in the last season we listened to, season 4. Yes, the fictional family has the same number of children; in fact, the Bultman children actually voice the Brinkman children on these productions. The majority of the stories are based on true stories that have happened to the Bultman family or to missionaries they have met. However, there have been some fun, fully-fictional episodes as well. The father, Ian Bultman, is the man behind the series becoming a reality. Nine years ago, while a pastor of worship arts in Wisconsin, he started out with the goal of creating "a missionary radio show that will inspire future missionaries." For the past two years he has dedicated himself fully to this ministry.

What did we receive? 

This time around we received the digital version of the adventures, as opposed to a physical CD. This was a bit different for us, but thanks to the fact that my husband could download them to his phone, the differences have been minimal.
Though we can't listen to them on the way to co-op anymore, and the children won't be able to listen to them in their rooms until we can burn them to a CD, we've still been able to listen to them in the car. The biggest difference is these are usually longer trips, as my husband has to be with us, so we get to listen to multiple episodes at a time instead of just one. Of course, we also listen to them from the computer while gathered in the living room and dining room.

The other difference this time around, is that the release is half as long as the previous releases we've reviewed. Instead of 12 seperate 26 minute episodes, there are only 6, for a total of just over two hours of missionary adventure fun. As always, each of the episodes was full of excitement and adventure, and they definitely captured our attention. 

Here is a list of all of the episodes:

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

Let us tell you a little about each episode.

First of all, I asked each of the children to tell me which episode they liked the best. Let me tell you, this was a difficult task as they like them all. So, I asked them, "if you had to pick just one that you would like to listen to over and over again, which one would it be?" Tabitha decided that would be the episode "Dutch Underground," while the rest of the children really love "I Wonder Why." So, I asked the children to give me a bit of a summary of their "favorite" episodes.

This is what Tabitha had to say about "Dutch Underground":

Kate and Kitri go to visit their great grandma who tells them a story about World War 2. Reng has two brothers and they started "stealing" ration cards from people who were willing to give them. And they got them to help the Onderduikers. Eventually his two brothers and wife got arrested. 

Mom's thoughts.

This was also one of my favorite episodes. My husband and I were surprised it wasn't Amelia's as well, seeing as she loves history. The story is based on actual events that happened to the Bultman's great grandmother (or Omie) and great grandfather (or Opa) during the Nazi occupation in Holland, which began after the invasion in May of 1940. We hear of the ways Lynn and Reng, along with Reng's brothers, helped get ration cards to give to families who were hiding Onderduikers, those hiding from the Nazis, such as the Jews and those Dutch who were refusing to go to work for the Nazis. They had started their resistance after discussing the implications in Proverbs 24:11-12, which states, "Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, 'Behold, we did not know this,' does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?"

12 

There are instances where it is evident that God's hand is at work, such as one of my favorite scenes that takes place on New Year's Eve. During this time when the Nazis were tightening their grip, it was illegal to have such things as radios (which would broadcast the Queen's messages) or electricity. But Reng had rigged it so they could have electricity by running a wire to the house from the garage as the Nazis had neglected to turn it off there. This meant they had a light on during their meetings. On this night, the Nazis saw the light through the black-out curtains and demanded entry. As the one soldier reached for the hastily unscrewed  light bulb, Reng offered him an oliebollen. As a result, the soldiers left them alone that night. What's really amazing is that this is one of the events that actually happened. I learned this and more in the "Stories Behind the Stories" section of the website.

The second half of this story tells of both Reng's brothers Otto and Hans, plus his wife Lynn being captured and the events that follow. Reng continues to do his part to help the Onderduikers, even though he is quite upset that his wife has been incarcerated. Originally he had decided he would only continue to work with the resistance if his wife wasn't in danger. And yet, here he was, free, while she was in prison. We hear of how he helps a Jewish family, and of a plan to free Lynn. 

(Drawing by Tabitha of a scene from Dutch Underground)

The episode concludes by mentioning what Reng wanted his legacy to be, to "stand up for the weak, help those in need in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ." 

Dad's thoughts:

I really enjoyed "Dutch Underground."  Hearing history from those that lived it makes the best learning.  It was eye opening to hear the reasons that people not only welcomed Hitler at first, but welcomed him with open arms.  Seeing God work through Lynn, Reng, and the others was inspiring. All in all, this episode gave me some really cool pointers for when I attempt world domination. (Yes, he's just kidding...I hope...)

Twice Born Fly was a different sort of episode. The focus is that we don't fear death when we love Jesus. Little Charlie is shown worrying about flying over the lake and later he ends up swallowing a "twice born fly," one that has just emerged from it's pupa. We just loved that Hope sang in the tune of "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly." Of course, this doesn't help Charlie's fear of death. This leads to an account told by Mr. Brinkman of a time when he was in prison and makes an escape with another character named Russ. It ends up that this story is actually an allegory, and was really based on something true in Ian Bultman's past. But, I'm not going to give away exactly what it was.

(Drawing by Hannah of the scene where Mr. Brinkman is telling the story.)

This is what Amelia had to say about her favorite episode, "I Wonder Why":

Sam's family goes camping and finds out God wants them to go to India to help out at an orphanage. They were helping the kids learn about Jesus. They had a difficult time there, and weren't sure if they should stay. It was a difficult decision.

(Drawing by Amelia of Sam's family)

Harold liked, "That they taught them about God."

And here is what Hannah had to say, (WARNING Big Spoiler ahead)
**
**
**
"I liked that at the end the children at the orphanage gave their life to Jesus. And that Julie stopped being mean to the orphans, because that was teaching them more to be mean to the other kids."
**
**
**
End of spoiler.

Mom's thoughts.

This was another one of the episodes I really enjoyed. We see a family trying to come to grips with the loss of a baby a year earlier. Samantha (or Sam) and her mom, dad, and brothers Huck and little Joey go camping. On this trip, both the mom and dad have the thought to go to India to help out at an orphanage. So, after getting rid of most of their belongings (which was a big hardship, especially for young Sam) they head over to India, learning what it means to "love without reason." There are many struggles, including the meanness of the orphans and the lady in charge, an unexplained rash, and a life-threatening allergic reaction. These difficulties, along with the fact that they aren't seeing any fruit, cause the family to question whether they are supposed to be there. The episode ends with answered prayers (one a complete surprise) and answered questions (particularly an answer to that rash they were all getting). I love that this story demonstrates Romans 8:28, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

As you can see, Free Burma Rangers is another two part episode. This one is full of action. It tells the story of Dave Eubank who was raised in Thailand by his missionary parents. The first part is the story of Dave growing up, getting into trouble, going into the military with the goal of becoming a Green Beret, and his pursuit of a young lady named Karen. He comes to a point where he isn't sure whether he should pursue his military goal or become a missionary. In part two, we see some of the Brinkman family visiting Dave and his wife in Burma, where they have a ministry to help bring hope to a war-torn country. I love that we see how Dave's growing up years have prepared him for this ministry God called him to. And it was neat to see the Brinkman's interacting with them.

(Drawing by Harold of Jack Brinkman)

I just love each of these stories, but I tried to go into a little more detail on the two that were our family "favorites." I can definitely empathize with the children. It is really hard to choose just one as a favorite. I love seeing how God worked in all of these separate situations. What is really cool is that each one of them has a theme, which you can find in the "Real Stories" section of their website. But, I would recommend not reading the behind the scenes information until after you listen to the episodes, as it is full of spoilers. Also included at that link is a map of where all the Brinkman Adventure stories have taken place.

As always, this season of the Brinkman Adventures was of wonderful quality, with great storytelling and acting. The music and sound effects really help pull you into the story. And each of the tales themselves are gripping enough that they captured our attention and we wanted to see what was going to happen.

These are perfect for together time with the family and can lead to further discussions. There is also wonderful information on the website to delve deeper. I loved reading the story behind the story info. There was even some neat science info to share with the children (such as information on asthma and metamorphosis), and you can work on geography as you check out the map and see where the Brinkman's have told stories about.

You can find the Brinkman Adventures on Facebook.

Check out this wonderful offer:

The people behind The Brinkman Adventures is offering you a 10% discount on any of their products, now through October 31st!! Stop by to see what they have.

If this review of Season 6 of the Brinkman Adventures has interested you, I invite you to read my reviews for season 3 and season 4. Also, don't forget to check out the reviews of my fellow Crew Mates by clicking the banner below.

Wordless Wednesday: October 10, 2018 (w/linky) - Fall Family Fun

Looking forward to seeing your Wordless (or not so wordless) Wednesday posts this week.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button on your Wordless Wednesday post or in a list of Wordless Wednesday linkies. Just link it to my Wordless Wednesday permalink please.

An InLinkz Link-up