Pinebrook’s First Blog Post!

Date

Greetings everyone!

Welcome to our first Pinebrook blog! We received our committee assignments on Tuesday. So without further ado, the first ever Pinebrook media committee is; Bryce, Abi, and Izzie (me). We hope you enjoy this sneak peek into what our community is like.

Identity, community, vulnerability, calling; all of these are important words in general. However, as a OneLife Pinebrook student they have already begun to mean so much more to me. This past week, Derek Melleby joined us and talked about, “taking Christian life and academic life, and making them one life”. We did an experiential learning experience called “BaFa BaFa” that was both hilarious to participate in and very informative in learning about other cultures. We also got to do a scavenger hunt in downtown Stroudsburg that really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but was also a blast! We also hiked up Spruce Mountain and got to see the beauty of God’s creation from the top. I think the highlight of my week would have to be our time of worship that we had around the campfire on Monday night. Although the bugs were eating us alive, it was a marvelous time to gather as a community and worship God. Throughout this week, we have been sharing our stories with each other. While sharing our stories with each other has been difficult for many of us, I have also noticed how it is bringing all of closer together. I can’t wait to see what these next several months hold.

-Izzie Johnson

Thoughts from the Week…

Gillian

“The first couple of weeks have been wonderful! The group is connecting so well and when I came here I was looking for a Christian community to be a part of. After orientation this week I have felt I felt a lot more security about knowing what the year is gonna look like. I’m excited for a good year.”

Ash

“The move in was really fast and crazy. I originally was like who are these people but then I realized it was a gathering of weirdos like me so it has been a lot of fun!”

Abigail

“The All Site Gathering was a lot of fun, we were all pushed into an unknown and that helped everyone bond. The work at Pinebrook caught me a little off guard but it has been good overall.”

Ian

“Everyone is getting along well ,and there has been minor conflicts but they have been dealt with well. Not having a phone has made a huge difference.”

Nathan

“The E-free policy helps us be more intentional with each other.”

Kenna

“I was little unsure about how I would connect with people when I got here but we all have gotten along really well.”

Mose

“The first 2 weeks have been really great and not as stressful as expected. The E-free policy isn’t bad. It is basically only 32 hours without electronics ,but it means we can be in life more presently rather than passively.”

Izzie

“Oww…My toe.”

Bryce

“It’s be pretty fun, the guys are crazy at midnight it’s like we drank some go go juice. But over all I’m hungry so I’m gonna eat.”

Isaac

“The vulnerability everyone has been having has helped all of us grow and become more open with each other.”

Kaelan

“Wow, it’s been a crazy two weeks. Somehow we had lots of adventures, exploring, camping, hiking, rafting, cliff jumping, climbing, learning in class, and playing just about every sport that exists, and much more, all in two weeks.”

Spencer

“I liked the white water rafting because it showed how much we have to trust in God and how we are not in control.”

Abi

“It’s been amazing and yet so challenging!! I’m so excited to see how I will change before the end of the year.”