My family had the privilege of trying the Season 6: Underground Rising, Digital version from Brinkman Adventures for this review to use in conjunction with our own homeschool curriculum. This is a Homeschool Review Crew Review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.
Brinkman Adventures are audio missionary dramas that are about the action packed stories of the fictional Brinkman family. These audio dramas are based on true events. Since they are missionary stories they talk about Christian values, bible verses and stories, and sharing about Christ to others. These are faith-building and help inspire little ones to come unto Christ and follow Him.
There are now 6 seasons of Brinkman Adventures total. Season 6 is called Underground Rising and has 6 episodes. In these 6 episodes there are four stories (two have two parts). These episodes are each about 30 minutes long. You can pick from physical or digital. You can also listen to previews of episodes on the website.
Here are the Contents:
55 – Dutch Underground Part 1 {About the second World War in Holland featuring Reng and Lynn VanKesteren in the Netherlands. The theme is about resisting evil.}
56 – Dutch Underground Part 2 {About the World War II in Holland/Netherlands featuring Reng and Lynn VanKesteren in the Netherlands. The theme is about helping even when it is risky.}
57 – Twice Born Fly {About the Brinkman Family in Wisconsin. The theme is salvation.}
58 – I Wonder Why? {About Brian and Kelly Wonder, a missionary family that went to India. The theme is about trusting God’s plan.}
59 – Free Burma Rangers Part 1 {Follows the life of Dave Eubank through his schooling as a Green Beret to the mission field in Burma. Takes place in Thailand and the USA. The theme is "Can God use a warrior?".}
60 – Free Burma Rangers Part 2 {About the Missionaries Dave and Karen Eubank in Myanmar/Burma. The theme is "God guides us even when He feels distant".}
How We Used This and Our Thoughts:
We received Brinkman Adventures Season 6: Underground Rising as a digital downloadable ZIP file. The episodes are in MP3 format. I downloaded them onto my computer and then unzipped them to a folder. The episodes are about 30 minutes long which is perfect for a car trip or devotion time at home as a family. You are welcome to burn them onto CDs yourself after purchase or play them on an MP3 player.
I had heard of Brinkman Adventures, but never had the opportunity to listen to them until now. The Brinkman Adventures have moved to a six episode release structure, so this season is about half the size of their previous seasons, 3 hours rather than 5+.
I loved the two part episode, Dutch Underground, about the Brinkman kids' Great Grandmother, Lynn VanKesteren, whom they call Omi, and her adventures in Holland/Netherlands during World War II with her husband Reng. I thought the scene where Lynn was jailed was funny because of her antics. I am so thankful for people like them who risked their lives to save Jews and others that were being persecuted back then. It just goes to show that when you trust the Lord and do what you know is right even when the path is fraught with danger He will take care of you and keep you safe from harm.
Twice Born Fly was a great story even if the Father of the Brinkmans dreamed the whole thing. I loved how the dream was action packed and in the end had parallels with Jesus Christ's sacrifice for us for our salvation. I also think it is wonderful what happens to Charlie Brinkman.
I Wonder Why? is a story about a missionary family that goes to India to help orphaned children. In this episode Sam, an 11 year old girl, is the main character with her two brothers Huck and Joey and her parents, Brian and Kelly Wonder. Huck has awful food allergies, but the family trusts in the Lord to go to India on an evangelical missionary trip. After Huck has a bad allergy episode Sam ends up questioning why they are there. I could relate to Huck as I had bad asthma attacks when I was a child. I know that my parents were scared when I couldn't breath...it was scary for me too. I love the surprise ending of this story.
Free Burma Rangers is a two part episode about Dave Eubank and his life from school age, becoming a Green Beret to eventually marrying Karen and both of them going to Myanmar/Burma on a mission. They went there to help the Wa tribe and work alongside government officials to help local farmers replace their opium crops with healthier solutions. They founded the Free Burma Rangers which helped bring aid to people in attack zones and help them escape. They also built Good Life Clubs at IDP (refugee) camps. This was a great story and very eye opening to the wars in Burma.
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| Real Stories on the website. |
On the website for Brinkman Adventures we found information about the Real Stories behind the episodes. These have major spoilers, so I suggest you listen to the dramatized audio shows first before you read about them here. Click on the links on the side or the pull down menu at the top to go to the correct season. For season 6 we learned that the sound of Reng's steps you hear in the audio are made with a pair of his actual boots and the sound of the board being removed from the hole is the actual one in the house in Holland where Reng and Lynn lived during the war! We also watched a video about the maggot to fly transformation, what rove beetles look like, watched a video of a ranger doing a water jump out of a plane, and listen to audio clips of the real people telling parts of their stories, etc.
They also have neat podcasts that you can listen to as well. These are free and are about the production, people behind the scenes, facts, etc. about the audio dramas. These have spoilers as well, so make sure you listen to the audio episodes first before listening to the podcasts.
The Brinkman Adventures Season 6: Underground Rising was a great addition to our supplemental education at home. We enjoyed listening to and learning about the stories. I am glad we tried the Brinkman Adventures and love that you are able to start anywhere in the series.
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