so i haven't really updated this blog, honestly, because i haven't wanted to. i knew missoulians were laid back and the city had such a presence of relaxation, but it has kind of taken me over... and i like it. i have been 100% hollee, making lists and getting things done. for those of you who know me, you know it is difficult for me to sleep at night if i feel i haven't accomplished much during the day. but i have done it all at a slow pace. with breaks in between. stopping to breathe and enjoy the scenery. i have laid in bed and read for hours... and the view from my room is so beautiful i don't even feel guilty for sitting in here all day long!

yesterday i went to lolo pass. it is at the montana/idaho state line. once we parked, we hike up a little trail to the most beautiful snow-covered area. we built a fire in the snow (yeah... in the snow...), ate lunch, sledded, tubed, and hooked random things up to the snowmobile and held on tight! but i have really never laid eyes on such a beautiful place. i could've stayed forever, in fact i plan on going back soon. i'd try to describe it in words... but i won't. i'll just let you look at these:

i have no idea what i'll do until school starts. continue working out and striking up conversation with people (who probably aren't interested in talking) like i have the past three days is an option. i'll probably just lay here and read more. go find a job (i could use some prayer on this one... i'm finding it will be difficult to do here at this time of year). and continue to enjoy the sounds of mariokart and overuse of the word "dude" around the house (i honestly love living here).

peace and love

01.14.10

where to begin?!

let's begin with my host home. i couldn't have hand-picked it better. i'm living with sheila, the administrative assistant at e3 (i think lol) and her 3 sons. she is completely fantastic! just as sweet and humble as everyone has described her to me. she's originally from atl, so she gets the whole "south" thing. and she has lived here in missoula for about 30 years, so she knows the ins and outs of the town. her sons are really easy to get along with. the best part: they miiiiight be as picky of eaters as i am. i walked in today and the oldest was cooking macaroni and cheese. walked in tonight and they were eating pizza. hallelujah! i'm grateful for how welcoming the boys were to me. i could easily see three teenage boys having someone take over a room in their house be a difficult situation. it may be interesting for me, the only child, to adjust to the (self-proclaimed!) loud boys in the house, but hey! God is good and He knows what He's doing. so i'm not too worried.

the view from my bedroom window is to die for. i tried to take a picture to post, but i need my panoramic camera to get it all in, which i didn't have with me. i'll get to that asap. but i can see the entire city and the mountains that border it. the house is set on a hill, and right below us is a church. so i see the steeple with the city behind it. i'll probably just stare out my window most of the time i'm here.

it was pretty exciting to see people from home last night at e3. of course the beautiful woodard family was beyond welcoming. i can't wait to spend time with those children!! then there was zach williams and david lloyd, of course. and i was excited to meet a few more of their friends i had heard about along the way. i'm anxious to see jordan and jenny, too, once everything calms down a little bit! i am so grateful to already have a  few connections here... i know it will make all the difference.

the 'rents and i went to campus today and got everything straightened out for the semester. the most important thing is that i now have a mailbox so that everyone can send me things:)
Hollee Harris
91 Campus Drive
PMB# 2818
Missoula, MT 59801

ya know, my life would be so much easier if i ha just chosen political science 3 majors ago. i am so very excited about starting classes... i wish i didn't have to wait 10 more days to get going! also, everyone on campus today was so incredibly nice. and i mean everyone! it was almost uncomfortable at times... ha! i'm really excited about all things U of M and am more confident than ever in my decision to transfer there... go griz!

i suppose i will spend the next few days breathing deep, organizing, and driving in circles until i'm more familiar with the city. it has been a little more of a change than i had expected, but i'm more than ready to learn how to do it.



all things montana aside, my heart is breaking for haiti. it hurts me to know i just moved 2,000 miles in the other direction, and, a part of me wishes i could've gone their way instead. i'm most sad that it took such an earthquake to grab our attention, break our hearts, and give ourselves to a country that was devastated long before this week. i border hypocrisy with the following statements, but i'm willing to take the risk. sure, let's pray for haiti. let's pray long, hard, and intentionally. but then (and i'm preaching to myself!) let's figure out what we're going to do about it. and by "it" i don't mean simply disaster relief. sure, their immediate needs are huge and important. but what can be done about it that will be lasting? that will extend beyond getting them to merely stand up on their feet again. how is God going to be glorified not just this week, but in all time to come? in a few weeks, the press will be gone and society's attention turned elsewhere. it's a sad cycle, but it's what we've subjected ourselves to. don't let haiti's pain and depravity that existed before this week extend after this week. i feel useless all the way out here in montana, but i'd love to hear anyone's suggestions on how i can help. send them my way, please!! "Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!"

peace and love

you can find mehhh in st. lou-ehhhh.

and so the traveling has begun. so far, i'm still sane. i have justin's gracious gift of noise-reducing headphones to thank for that. also, watching my parents struggle through the world of the iPod in the front seat has provided priceless entertainment.

my weekend has been incredibly humbling. friday night's party at the stumm's was genuinely one of the best nights of my life. everyone who showed up was special to me, and it was a beautiful feeling to rest in those friendships for a night... and embarrass myself playing just dance. this morning, i was commissioned at the church i grew up in. my friend ("youth minister" just doesn't cut it), chad, led family and friends in prayer over me, and this evening aarron did the same at restoration... talk about humbling! i can't even begin to express how much both faith families mean to me and the power that i felt in their words and intentional encouragement to me. my last moments at home were spent worshipping with the most important people in my life and proclaiming how beautiful our God is. i'm so excited to be exiting on that note!

so to all of you, thanks. i hope i let everyone i hugged this weekend know the ways you have affected me. if i did not, i sincerely apologize. why can't i just take everyone with me?!

as for holiday inn express in shiloh, illinois: the shampoo/conditioner smells like cinnamon apples and the bath water like cake batter. i am completely serious. i don't know what their getting at, but i like it. here's to a complimentary hot breakfast! tomorrow--> destination: denver.

peace and love

t-1 day.

"...permit me a reminder, friends, and this is not a new commandment but simply a repetition of our original and basic charter: that we love each other. Love means following his commandments, and his unifying commandment is that you conduct your lives in love. This is the first thing you heard, and nothing has changed."

2 John 1:6; The Message

I find this message beautiful. John does us a favor here by reminding what it is all about. Reminding us that the stresses of evaluation, judgement, analysis can be reconciled by this simple commandment. Love. Because of their gnostic mindset, John's audience was well acquainted with the search for knowledge-- for finding the right answers, forming the correct opinion, searching for black and white answers. Love isn't black or white, nor is it satisfied by objective definitions. Though it is the latest buzzword in the world,  it is truly the one thing that resolves everything. It all flows from love. Without love, nothing else can exist.

I feel like I could speak of God's love from now until the moment I die. How I feel it, what it gives me, what I do with it, how I see it in others, and on and on and on and on and on. And on. But I'd prefer to not convey it merely through speech. See, God has done this silly little thing. He has given me a talent: writing. He has given me one topic that is so difficult for me to record in written form: Himself. I have slowly come to find this to be a blessing and a commission to go out into the world and discuss it with my hands, my feet, my voice, my intellect, every part of me.

In about 40 hours, I will be in my Jeep heading out to begin satisfying this commission in a place away from "home." Tonight, a group of my family and friends came together just so I could spend time with them and be reminded of the incredible, unthinkable preparation God has provided me with to follow His call. Thanks guys! I am on my knees in humility tonight because of the people that have expressed excitement and care for me. I am going to try to keep this blog updated frequently from now on... not because I want to let you guys know every detail of my days, but because I wish that all of my friends were moving with me, experiencing the things I am about to, seeing new landscapes, meeting new people, and drinking lots of good coffee! I am in love with Missoula. If I have told you to come visit the city.... I mean it. I have spent a total of 13 days there, but it nestled its way right into my heart. In those days, Missoulians showed me what it means to be passionate. Not just to love something, but be devoted to and excited about it. Many people I met were living life on purpose... with purpose. I want people everywhere to be able to experience Missoula with me. I hope my experience stretches beyond myself, beyond Missoula, Montana, the West, the States. If I affect one person, but never am aware of it, my heart will be deeply pleased.

All this to say, you should probably keep up with my blog (a) because I want you to go here with me, even if just virtually and (b) because I deserve a gold medal for getting my attention span to a place where I can handle writing a blog. ;-)