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Delany Fredrick

@linklifelany

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weekly updates on my life at link year!
@linkyear '22 • @delanyfredrick
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My LAST week at Link Year! Wow. It’s hard to believe how fast the year flew by. I will have a separate post with all my reflections of the year, but for now I’ll walk you through all the happenings of this week. On Saturday, I had my last shift at TRCR :’( I LOVED working there and I’m grateful to have a group of coworkers who care about me so much and are passionate about coffee. Sunday was our last church service in Branson. It was a bittersweet day filled with lots of tears. We had a picnic at the lower fields, and spent most of the day down there soaking in our last moments together. Monday was our last day of class! We had Sean McDowell speak with us. We, as a class, picked his brain on WHY he believed what he believed, and his perspective was insightful. Throughout the week we had a few “campus beautification” days where we worked to get the K1 campus prepped for the kamps that will be held there this summer! We spent quite a bit of time packing and cleaning our rooms and getting everything ready to move out. Wednesday, we had a retreat to the K7 campus. This was a time for us all to be together, play games, reflect on the year, and pray for this next season ahead of us all. Thursday was PACKED! I got all of my things moved out of my room, we had graduation rehearsal, watched the sunset together and opened letters that we had all written to ourselves in August when we first moved to Link Year. Something I said in my letter was, “I hope that these strangers turn into family.” They have. They are now family to me and I am so SO grateful. That night we stayed up SO late and had one last dance party. GOSH I LOVE THESE PEOPLE SO MUCH! The next day, we graduated. I have never had a goodbye as hard as this one. This year has been transformative and has changed the trajectory of the rest of my life. The Lord has been so KIND to let us have this year together, and it is a blessing to have a goodbye as hard as this one. Thank you for everything, Link Year. • Challenge: Write a letter to yourself to open a year from now! Song: I Don’t Wanna Go by Chris Renzema BONUS: As It Was by Harry Styles by @linklifelany
FAMILY! FRIENDS! HELLO! • I might go crazy & say this was my favorite week of Link so far. But that would be crazy. On Thursday we celebrated hillbilly tacky prom. It was a BLAST. On Friday we went to Fritz Adventure which was simply the coolest thing I have ever done. If you are ever in Branson and have fun people in your life- definitely make a visit to Fritz! I also got to work this weekend at the ICONIC turcur. My time there is quickly coming to an end & every shift I have has been very special. I used Saturday to rest & get some things checked of my to-do list. Sunday we went to church then had a picnic with the Link Ladies at top of the rock! Later that night, my small group surprised our small group leader, Preslie, with a fun night out! Basically, nothing had gone to plan with this surprise; but we still had a GREAT time made complete with flowers, hurts donuts, and reminiscing. Monday was Link Year picture day! We took some group pics and individual headshots for our graduation slide. Tuesday, Joe White came to talk to us. This is when the reality set in that we are almost finished with our time at Link. I'm sad to leave, but I know we are all equipped and prepared to go out & be lights in this next season of life. On Wednesday, I had my last meeting with my mentor, Lori. We talked about how far we have come this year and we BOTH sharpen eachother and challenge eachother to be better. That night, I had my last game night with my coworkers. These coworkers have been such a gift for me. They make me feel valued & welcome, even in my short time there. Thursday was the FULLEST day! I went to lunch with some dear family friends: Kim & Dee. Then I went to watch “Jesus” at the Sight and Sound Theatre with my friend Hannah. This play was SO impactful. To sit and watch all the Jesus did in His lifetime in order for us to walk in freedom through His atonement. We are so undeserving of a love so deep. • Challenge of the Week: write three spiritual disciplines that you would like to implement into your life in April! Song of the Week: The Kiss of Venus (Dominic Fike) by Paul McCartney and Dominic Fike BONUS: Let the Filthy Dance with the Righteous by John Lucas by @linklifelany
Hello! Happy Thursday! • This week was SO sweet! I was supposed to drive to Omaha last weekend for a concert, but the concert was rescheduled so I got to spend my weekend at Link. Since I had already gotten off work for the weekend, I had lots of time to rest & spend quality time with my people. For TGIF on Friday, we started with a red paperclip and tried to work our way up to the highest value item we could. Zoe and I partnered up and we worked our way up to a pair of airpods (wild).That night, I had a game night with my coworkers which is always a highlight of my week. On Saturday we had a BBQ at Kassie’s house. This was SO fun! We sat on her roof, ate GOOD food, played Dutch Blitz, and Kassie even made us some Peruvian lattes (literally, this made my day). On Sunday, I went to church and later on that day I went to Pour House with some friends and had the BEST BURGER AND SWEET POTATO FRIES OF MY LIFE. The weekend was so much fun! To be transparent, I have the hardest time resting. I always feel an internal push to go DO something, go to work, or fill my schedule to the brim. The Bible tells us to keep the sabbath holy, and I have never practiced that in my life. So, the opportunity to rest was challenging to me but I know that it was good for me. While I did a lot of fun activities this weekend, I also spent a lot of time alone with the Lord! It is a GIFT to spend time in the Word and I’m excited to make it more of a priority. In class this week, we had a guest speaker talk to us about heaven and earth. He had FASCINATING things to say and pointed out things about the Bible that I have never noticed before. I’m reminded that there is ALWAYS something new to learn about the Bible. No matter how much I study it, I can always learn more about God’s character through His Word! • Challenge of the Week: Find a way to celebrate your friends/family in a simple way this week. Treat them to their favorite donut! Write them a letter! Ask them more intentional questions about themselves! It is so easy to celebrate the people in our lives, we just need to be reminded of that sometimes. Song of the Week: You Didn't Break It by Mark Barlow BONUS: honey by Coastal Club by @linklifelany
Hello friends! • Welcome to another end of week review WOO! This week was pretty normal, nothing too crazy (which is totally okay with me). This weekend a bunch of link year students played hostage which is essentially a large-scale version of hide and seek (kinda?). I worked at the roastery this weekend which was kinda fun! It was spring break for a lot of people so the coffee shop was BUSY and it made the shift go by quicker. On Sunday, we went to church and had our weekly routine of running around Branson trying to find a restaurant with less than a 2 hour waiting time (lol). Zoe and I ended up getting donuts from Krispy Kreme then grabbing Starbucks. On Monday, our lives changed because we found out the Greta Van Fleet concert was postponed! That’s a little dramatic, but we were really bummed that our weekend plans got canceled :( BUT I know that spending the weekend at Link will bring incredible memories too. Tuesday was incredibly normal. We started class off with some student-led worship, then Adam Martin talked with us about finances. Money is such a taboo topic for people, but it’s something we should be good stewards of. I’m excited to take some steps to manage my money in a more productive way! On Wednesday, Link Year went to Fayetteville to serve Potter’s House. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get work off and so I stayed back in Branson. I’m thankful for the extra time I had back at campus and was actually really productive with it. I got to kid-sit for the Martins and then I had a great shift at work. • My main takeaway from this week is to treasure the time I have left here and lean on the Lord in the midst of the unknown. Life is so unpredictable and we have ZERO control over what tomorrow looks like. We so often lose sight of the Lord’s provision, even in the littlest things. Even though we are forgetful and sinful, God STILL chooses us! He chases after us with grace and mercy that we don’t deserve. That is the GREATEST news! • Challenge of the Week: Write a letter to someone! Handwritten notes are such a lost art. It’s such an easy way to make someone feel loved and seen. Song of the Week: Conversation by Soulsician BONUS: Free by Zion Goins by @linklifelany
Another great week has come and gone here at Link and I’m excited to tell you all about it! To be transparent, I feel like all I did over the weekend was work. It’s easy for me to think about all that I “missed” while I was at work, and truthfully there were a lot of fun things my friends did this weekend and I couldn’t attend because I was at work. If I’m not careful, the FOMO can creep in and it can be a really sad place to be. But then I remember that there is a greater purpose behind the time I spend at work. I’m building relationships with coworkers and getting opportunities to speak truth into their lives. I’m interacting with the locals and tourists of Branson, hopefully putting a smile on their faces and a good cup of coffee in their hands. The opportunity to be a light in the workplace is PRICELESS and I want to maximize every second of that in my last month here. • Here is a list of some life-giving moments from this week: -grabbing coffee with friends and watching the sun set at a cute little look out spot -kidsitting for the Martin family and getting to run around in the sun! -seeing prospective students tour Link Year (If you’re considering a gap year, PLEASE reach out to me. Link Year is such a special place for me and I would love to tell you about all that the Lord has done in me and through me this year. I refuse to believe that I have to leave this place soon!) -meeting with my small group and reflecting on God’s promises! -belting out Whitney Houston with Faith in our room (sorry neighbors!) -going thrifting with Zoe and getting quality time for the first time in foreverrr -getting two new pet fish at TRCR! Pray that “Tur” and “Cur” adjust to their new home quickly! -driving to church with Mak and Kenzie on Sunday (which is Mak’s favorite day of the week) • It is a JOY to be alive. God LOVES you and has a plan for your life that is better than you could ever imagine. Thankful thankful thankful. • Challenge: Watch the sunset somewhere. Intentionally with no distractions. Take in the beauty of God’s creation and remind yourself of His faithfulness. There’s truly nothing better than to sit in His presence :) Song: Miserable Man by David Kushner by @linklifelany
Whattup howdy hello :) • After a month in Egypt and a week in Nebraska, I am FINALLY home in my Link Year dorm! Yay! Now that I am back, I have been reflecting on the past five weeks. I grew, learned, and laughed a lot. I’m grateful for all of the experiences I had, but it also feels great to be back to regular life and to not be living out of a suitcase anymore lol. It was sweet getting to hug some of my favorite people and catch up on the past month of our lives. It was so good for my soul. On Sunday I went with some friends to Qdoba and Starbucks (in the middle of a tornado warning, oops!) and we had a blast. Monday was spent with my small group! We went to Revive and told stories from our trips (the good, the hard, and the ugly). Later that night I got to hang out with a few coworkers. It feels GREAT to be back to work and get to catch up with my work friends. On Tuesday we had class and told stories from our trips and reflected on some of our hardest moments as well as our sweetest memories. On Wednesday, Stephanie Donyes came in to talk with us about the ENNEAGRAM! I loved what she had to say about it, she always connected it back to scripture. I loved getting to wrestle through some of the strengths and weaknesses that come with each enneagram type. I also loved starting a discussion with my friends about their enneagram types, it helped me understand them better. I am an enneagram type 7 with a 6 wing. If you haven’t looked into the enneagram much, I think you should! It has been such a helpful tool for me as it points out weaknesses so you can grow. Thursday we finished up our enneagram talk and then Adam Donyes talked about spiritual gifts. As Christians, we have all been given spiritual gifts that help further the kingdom. This is something I’ve always wanted to look into, but never got around to it until now! Based on what we learned in class and based on what others have pointed out in me, I think I have the gift of exhortation (or encouragement), hospitality, and faith. I’m excited to look into this more and examine how God has used these gifts in my life! • COTW: download BeReal and add me as a friend on there hehe :) SOTW: I got 3 by Jack Gray by @linklifelany
H E L L O ! it has been a crazy week PACKED with action because tomorrow morning, i will begin my travel to EGYPT! I have had so many things to check off my list this week, but we are finally here! • Last Friday I had TGIF with my small group and we went on a coffee tour in Branson! We visited four of the best coffee shops in town to see which one had the best iced white mocha. Most of us really loved Table Rock Coffee Roasters (I agree, but I'm biased). I worked a lot this weekend and got to work with some people I usually don't get to work with (I loved getting to know them better!) On Sunday we went to church where we talked about living your life on mission and how ALL christians are called to make disciples. I have felt convicted recently of not sharing the gospel nearly as much as I'd like. Later that day, a couple of friends drove with me to Rogers, AR to help me pick out a necklace for my birthday. Since my birthday will be spent in Egypt, I celebrated a little bit early with some friends who I won't be seeing for a while. I tried a new coffeeshop called seven brew and I liked it a LOT! Wow, coffee is so great. On Wednesday I worked again and had a game night with my coworkers (if you haven't played poetry for neanderthals YOU NEED TO!) Every other part of my week has been spent preparing for this trip. It is surreal that I get to travel especially with how crazy the world has been. There are so many details that needed to come together perfectly in order for this trip to happen, and I feel blessed to get this opportunity. Please keep Link Year in your prayers as we go out into the WORLD! God. is. so. good. • If you have read this far, please know that I appreciate you and that you are more loved than you know. Also, this is a reminder that social media is only a highlight reel. Resist from comparing your life to others. Life is too short for that. I love y'all! See you in a month! 🤍 (follow @linkyear for updates throughout the month!) • challenge of the week: learn something new this week! there is ALWAYS more to learn, that's the beauty of life song of the week: Egypt by Bethel Music :)) by @linklifelany
Well, hello there! This week I joined the bandwagon and I tested positive for covid. I kind of saw this coming, as most of Link Year has gotten it and I have been exposed numerous times. Thankfully, I was able to isolate myself in an extra room on campus with some friends who also tested positive. During my time in isolation, I experienced just about every symptom there is except for loss of taste and smell. You can see from the videos in this post, we got a little stir crazy. But, I am thankful to have it over with and to have the antibodies just in time for the mission trip to Egypt!!! God’s timing is so good! Over the weekend, I was able to Facetime my mom and watch a show choir competition which was the HIGHLIGHT of my quarantine. We had plenty of papers to write and assignments to complete this week and I spent a good chunk of time working on them. One of my favorite assignments we had was our “seven pillars” project. We choose seven words/statements that we want to center our lives around as a reminder of our values. For each pillar we wrote a page about what it means to us and pulled scripture that applies to each. Contagious Joy. Selfless Love. Faithful Servant. Gospel-Centered. Eternal Perspective. Pure Heart. Clothed in Humility. Looking at these seven pillars gets me excited because they are all deeply personal areas of growth in my life. When I look at my life a year ago, none of these things meant much to me. They were not nearly as important in my life then as they are now. So much spiritual growth has taken place! As I go through life, these seven things will propel me forward and ultimately point me back to scripture! • (NINE DAYS UNTIL TRIP TO EGYPT! Thank you for your continued prayers and donations, I feel so blessed and thankful!) • Challenge of the Week: Find a way to honor someone in your life. I have been wrestling with this idea of how many people only express honor once a person has passed. I am a firm believer that we should be making our friends and family feel honored while they are still on Earth with us. Tomorrow is not promised, love the people in your life HERE and NOW :) Song of the Week: House of Miracles by Brandon Lake by @linklifelany
HELLO FRIENDS! • Welcome back to another end of week review, I am so thankful you are here YAY! This week flew by so quickly, but it was packed full of things. On Friday, Link Year went to an indoor water park for a couple of hours which was so fun. The majority of my weekend was spent at work, but I love making coffee and being a part of the community in Branson. During my Saturday shift, the ice machine broke and we had to dump ALL of the ice into the grass (see video). It was bizarre. On Sunday I went to church and we learned about living our lives on mission for God! I left feeling inspired and excited. That night, I went to Springfield for dinner with some of my coworkers to celebrate their birthdays! On Monday, my small group got together and we had Bible study back at Link. The rest of the week we had guest speakers come in. Kevin Harrison talked to us about living a gospel-centered life. I learned a lot from his lesson about keeping God at the center of all aspects in life and that will keep me balanced. The other guest speaker was a christian rapper named Tedashii. He has a powerful testimony and I learned a lot about what it looks like to “renew my mind” which is covered in Romans 12:1-2. I also got to see a sweet family friend that I haven’t seen in a while: BIG BILLY! He is so sweet to our family and it was fun to catch up with him. God is so good!!!!! See y’all next week :) • ANNOUNCEMENT: My trip to Egypt is coming up quickly! Just about two weeks left until we fly out! I have a link to my gofundme if you are looking for a way to support. The full description of my trip is included in the link. Thank you in advance for your prayers and generosity!!! We are navigating a lot of unknowns as omicron ramps up and praying this doesn’t interfere with the mission trips we are preparing for! • Challenge of the Week: Pick someone to pray for this week without telling them. There is POWER in prayer, and you never know who might be fighting a battle you know nothing about. Praying for someone is the sweetest thing you can do for a friend :)) Song of the Week: Pastels by The Brook and The Bluff BONUS SONG: Sunroof by Nicky Youre by @linklifelany
HELLO FRIENDS! • This week we are back at Link and it feels SO good. My time in Nebraska was so restful, but being back in Branson has been heart-warming. On Monday we had small group at Chick Fil A and we talked about the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible) and how they play an important role in the formation of the rest of the Bible. My elective this semester is “Missions: Muslim” which I am HYPED about. In preparation for my trip to Egypt, I am learning more about the Islamic faith as it is the predominant religion over there. At the very end of the day, Faith and I found a little mouse in our mouse trap which was so sad but it was time for him to stop leaving little poops all around our room :) On Tuesday I answered an apologetic question in front of the class. My question was “Can Satan attack more than one person at once?” I loved this question because it made me dive deeper into what the Bible tells us about the omnipresence of God and the limitations of Satan. We had a guest speaker come in this week named Ted Cunningham. I LOVED his message about dating, marriage, communication, and laughter! He is a funny guy and so passionate about ministering to young couples and preaching the goodness of Christ. On Thursday, it snowed in Branson! A lot of my friends here are from Texas or other places where it doesn’t snow often, so they were SO excited to see snow. I got to babysit for the Martin family and we had a blast running around in the snow. I felt like a kid again! Sometimes it’s really the little things :) • For anyone following along with my mom’s cancer journey, thank you for your prayers! Her last appointment brought some tough news, but we will continue to pray for complete healing. God is so good and we will continue to glorify Him through it all! • Challenge of the Week: Make a list of the little things that are sparking joy in your life right now. Some will have a harder time than others finding joyful things, but it IS possible :) Song of the Week: My Portion by Isla Vista Worship and Mark Barlow by @linklifelany
End of Semester Review :)) • Exactly four months ago, I unloaded my things into an orange room in Branson, MO. The night before we moved in I remember feeling overwhelmed by the unknown. I knew nobody at Link Year, had no idea what I was getting myself into, and debated if this was all a mistake. Four months later... this was the BEST decision I have ever made! I wish I could have shown myself this video four months ago and given her a glimpse into the future, but I had to see for myself just how incredible it would be. WHAT A SWEET SEASON!!! • I am honestly at a loss of words when I think about all that God has done over the past semester. I am surrounded by a loving community who wants to see me grow and hold me accountable to my goals. I have laughed, cried, danced, fallen, fallen again, stepped out of my comfort zone, grown, made mistakes and learned from them. I have fallen in love with learning about God and studying deeper into His word! This video is only a highlight reel and doesn’t capture the hardships that came with it, so please don’t think it was all sunshine and rainbows. But even as I reflect on the difficult parts of the semester, I still find joy knowing that it contributed to overall growth. Lake Shore Drive has quickly become a refuge for me and a place I call home. I have watched this video nearly a hundred times and pinch myself that this is real life. I will probably watch it a few hundred more, cry a little, thank God for ALL of it, and look forward to another amazing semester of growth! God. is. so. good! • Challenge of the Semester: Thank someone who has made a difference in your life this year. As you walk into the new year, strive to BE that person for somebody else. Community is a gift, treasure it well :)) Song of the Semester: Lake Shore Drive by Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah by @linklifelany
ALOHA! • Welcome to another end of week review! This week has been challenging in a lot of ways but still good. On Friday we went to SkateWorld and had an 80s theme (I am not great at skating, but that’s part of what makes it so fun!). I worked quite a bit again this weekend at the coffee shop, I am still learning SO much about coffee. On Sunday I went to church in the morning, then drove to Ozark for some sweet time with the Parker family. We went to the dog park and saw a house with the coolest Christmas lights (see video). On Monday we had small group and Bible study. For the first time in a WHILE, I had nothing else to do that day! I went out for coffee with a friend and went thrifting for a little while as well. On Tuesday we had a guest speaker come in and talk about Sabbath and mental health. Later that night, we had a christmas party paired with a white elephant exchange. My roommates and I also finally got our Christmas lights up this week which was the HIGHLIGHT of my LIFE! Sometimes it really is the little things that spark the most joy. On Wednesday I spent time with my mentor, Lori. We talked about how God is still sovereign in the midst of suffering and we can still have unconditional joy! Later that night I went to work again and we had another game night which was a BLAST as always :) • Friendly reminder that social media is only a highlight reel. I’ve walked through some heavy stuff over the past week and I know so many people are walking through struggles of their own. This is also a reminder to be kind to everyone because you have no idea what they might be walking through right now. If you are feeling discouraged, please reach out to somebody and be transparent about where you’re at. Know that you are loved and valued and seen! • Challenge: Message a college student and encourage them as they walk through finals week. If you’re in college and you’re reading this: YOU ARE AWESOME AND I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! Song: Rumors by Maverick City Music by @linklifelany

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