A TOS Review: The Brinkman Adventures: Season 2

I {heart} Missionaries. I, myself, was born to Missionary parents way back in the early 70’s. Don’t start counting. I am well aware of my age. 

When I was given the opportunity to review The Brinkman Adventures Season 2: Episodes 13-24 from The Brinkman Adventures, I said, “Yes, please!” I knew it was going to be something I wanted to share with my family.

What I Received

The The Brinkman Adventures are audio dramatized stories on CD or MP3 downloads. They feature Real Life Missionary stories told by the fictional Brinkman Family. 

Instead of merely relaying the inspirational stories, the Brinkman Family have been inserted right in the thick of the adventures. 

I received Season 2 in a 4 CD Set ($25). A MP3 Download ($17) is available. Now before you shake your head in despair (us homeschool parents are chronic belt tighteners), these prices are suggested donations. So if your "cup runneth over" or you are pinching pennies this is a great way to a)expose the kiddos and family to missions and b) support missions in a tangible way. 

How We Used It

The Brinkmans are a homeschooling of 8. I only have 1. This didn’t mean that Josiah felt left out. He absolutely loved the whole bunch.

We do a lot of car riding and absolutely love having quality CDs to pop in the player when we are on the road. I also liked to use them when we were doing chores at home.

There are 12 episodes in Season 2…that’s 5 hours of listening!

Josiah’s favorite parts were numerous. He laughed when they were chasing a chicken. He has been there (and done that). He could relate.

He also enjoyed the Pirates of Mayan Island. It has adventure! It has humor! It also has a Message. He is also ready to join the Brinkman family.

I love that you can see God’s hand at work throughout their adventures. Yes, there is adversity. That is part of serving Christ, especially in Mission work. There are travesties and tragedies every day. The Brinkman Adventures doesn’t gloss over the hard parts. But, what we do hear of is God’s Faithfulness and His miracle working power.

In my opinion, this is money well spent. A few thoughts, however. While these adventures are intended for the whole family, I would suggest to listen to them with your kids (especially with the young ones). I think that extra conversation is needed.  And even though this is my first exposure to the Brinkman Adventures, I didn’t feel as if I had been dropped in the middle of an elaborate story plot. We were able to jump right into the adventures right away. 

The overall quality of the Brinkman Adventures is terrific. There are exciting sound effects, exceptional acting and captivating story lines. I was really inspired when I read this note by the creator of The Brinkman Adventures, Ian Bultman. What a way to get something done for God!

I also encourage my Children's Pastor friends to take a look at The Brinkman Adventures. We as children's pastors use a lot of different resources in our ministries. While this is not a visual resource it is a wonderful way to keep missions alive. I also see it as a good product for giveaways, etc. 

You can check out Brinkman Adventures on the website. There are fun things to do and a place to check out the stories behind the stories (got that?). You can also listen to an episode (I believe it is from Season 1) called The Provider. 

You can also connect with Brinkman Adventures on Facebook. In fact, it was on FB that we learned that the actress who plays Susan Brinkman lost her husband over the weekend. Such a sad event, but it is comforting to know that such a compassionate body of believers are out there supporting one another. 

I look forward to having the Brinkman Adventures as part of our listening library. Road Trip anyone? You can read more Reviews by clicking on the Banner Below.