Hallelujah:]

i cannot wait to go home for easter break! i get to fly out of chicago tomorrow evening and it is super exciting, which is why i used the "h" word for the title of this blog, even though i realize it isn't appropriate to use it in the Lutheran church until Easter. its just so exciting that it warranted me breaking that tradition. so anyway, life on the road has been crazy, and since i don't own a laptop its a bit harder for me to blog as much as i would like. i apologize for my lack of words this past month. even though i said its been crazy lately, it has also been pretty amazing. we have been travelling in wisconsin, illinois, michigan, and ohio. all in about a month and a half. wisconsin is old news because my team seems to travel to every nook and cranny of that state. illinois has been really great because we have had a lot of youth quakes and zones there [which are weekend retreats with hundreds of kids and two musicians and an inspirational speaker. they are held in hotels and resorts across the u.s. and youth encounter puts all of them on.] michigan was a short lived stay, but it was fun to be in a new state. ohio was wonderful because my super awesome teammate matt craig timm is from the toledo area, and we were able to spend time at his home church. 
all in all, i feel like i have a life changing experience every day i am on the road. it is awesome to meet so many people of faith, and to help people grow in their relationships with Christ through music and relational ministry. i couldn't ask for a better year, and we haven't even gotten into our vacation bible school filled summer. we get to be the music and help at churches for their VBS which should be a great experience.
some news you might be interested to know is that i now have a boyfriend. his name is Bobby Collins, and, yes, he is on my team. we talked it out and decided that it would be pointless to go through the rest of this year without defining our relationship since we are around each other 24/7, and so we had a discussion with our two other teammates, courtney and matt, and they were very happy for us. if you want anymore lovey dovey details about it you can ask me. i am a girl and i like to talk about my feelings. lol.
anyway, i discovered an amazing song by tenth avenue north, and i would like to leave you with some of the lyrics:
You are more than the choices that you've made, 
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, 
You are more than the problems you create, 
You've been remade. 

'Cause this is not about what you've done, 
But what's been done for you. 
This is not about where you've been, 
But where your brokenness brings you to 

This is not about what you feel, 
But what He felt to forgive you, 
And what He felt to make you loved. 

You are more than the choices that you've made, 
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, 
You are more than the problems you create, 
You've been remade. 


[yes, i realize this blog is very random. but lets be honest, when am i ever organized?] :]
love,
hannah joy <3