Hello from the Media Team at OneLife at Pleasant View! For our first blog, we decided to all write together about our orientation week and first official classroom week. We will be putting out a blog consistently,, keeping you updated on the exciting adventures taking place here at Pleasant View!
Our first week of OneLife was an amazing bonding week. After move-in, we started our week by going on a spontaneous camping trip to Cowans Gap State Park, where we began to grow closer as a class. Our night there was an amazing experience that we continued to talk about throughout the week. The next morning, we gathered to watch the sunrise on the top of a mountain, enjoying our devotional time there. It was truly a spiritual moment. We arrived back in PV, eager to sleep but ready to start our first week of orientation. Throughout the next week, we grew closer, not only as a class, but as friends. We all seemed to click during this first week, and the media team is excited to document our “Year Like No Other” at OneLife, while also living out the “OneLife way” (student policy/handbook) here at Pleasant View.
Aside from soaking up the valuable lessons from Troy Mulberry in class, one of the best parts of this week was experiencing the community aspect of OneLife. Tuesday evening, we got our first taste of PV Fit—the fitness side of the program. The whole crew showed up ready to sweat as we lifted heavy weights, dashed across speedy treadmills, and pedaled endlessly on the bikes. The atmosphere was electric. It wasn’t just about the workouts—it was about pushing each other, cheering each other on, and knowing all this training is gearing us up for the leg-breaking Trek Trip in April. And then came the surprise twist… The gym doesn’t stop with just weights and cardio. NOW INTRODUCING: the relaxation zone. The muscle-soothing, stress-melting, AMAZING swimming area!
Okay, admit it—you thought I was building up to some epic rock-climbing wall, didn’t you? Nope. But honestly, the pool setup is just as epic: a full-sized swimming pool, a bubbling hot tub, and yes, even a dry sauna. Not everyone braved the dry sauna (too hot for some of us), but those who did came out looking like shriveled raisins. (If shriveled raisins were also smooth and moist with sweat). By the end of the night, we wobbled back to our dorms completely spent—but with huge smiles, because it wasn’t just a workout. It was a community in action.
This week, we had a fantastic speaker, Troy Mulberry, who provided us with valuable insights into the meta-narrative of scripture. He introduced us to so many interesting concepts that really made us think, for example, the theological triage, identifying how to respond to non-believers questioning Jesus’ resurrection, Biblical vs. Systematic theology, textual criticism, and so many other theories. He delved deeper into all the ways the coming and death of Jesus were foreshadowed in the Old Testament, which was truly remarkable and demonstrated how God had His plan in motion from the beginning. In addition, we learned different ways to study the Bible, such as the Inductive Study method, which is a four-step process for better understanding and reflecting on passages in the Bible. We practiced this method by applying it to Psalm 51. We also learned about something called ‘Lectio Divina,’ which is a deeper way to engage in daily devotionals and meditate on God’s word. On Wednesday, Troy taught about the concept of Collectivist vs. Individualist cultures and how it is healthy to lean on your community, which we will have so many opportunities here during our 9 months together! We talked about The Fall in Genesis 1, all the way to Jesus’ second coming in Revelation.
It was an all around wonderful week. Thank you, Jesus!