"On behalf of every man,-

-Looking out for every girl.
You are the god and the weight of her world."
John Mayer


I did ride my bike down Chicago yesterday, and it was interesting to say the least.
The thing about riding in Chicago compared to Topeka is that people in Chicago are expecting bike riders.
In Topeka, no one thinks anyone is riding their bike on the street.
Chicago drivers are used to it.
Now there are streets that are too narrow and busy to ride on the streets, so sidewalk is mandatory.
And people are who walking on the sidewalk, hate bike riders.
I did experience that.
And when I did and I just had to say to myself "Do it."
So I just did it!

Oh, and that picture in the post before this is not mine.
I googled for a picture and got that.


Along with bike riding in the streets, Intro. to Bible was an odd experience.
During that class we, well, talked about the Bible.
But she talked about things I thought everyone knew.. me and my ignorance at work.
How there were two sections of the Bible, old and new.
God is omnipotent, how God has no gender.
And how to read "Gen. 1:1".
How books are broken up into chapters, then in verses.
Then we had a reading for that class in one of our books and it talked about how you can read the bible-- in a group, chapter by chapter, meditation, connecting different verses to form one big idea.
All in all, it was just odd to not be surrounded by people just inherently knew that.
I was blessed growing up.

Then we got into this reading we had in our book called "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth".
The reading for that was long, and filled with a lot of repetition about how all translations are different, and a little jaded.
The one thing I thing I benefited from was understanding exegesis and hermeneutics.
The concept and the words themselves.

I liked the idea of discussing what "Word of God" really meant.
Last night, I saw a speaker, and he talked about what "Word" was too.
So now I have a lot to bring to class next week.
And "Word" is from "logos" and "logos" means "idea".



A girl has an extra ticket to see the Cubs tomorrow night.. but I already have plans. :(
The girls and I are going downtown tomorrow.
Cubs will have to wait.





Rowing starts on Monday.
And I am really excited and hope I can meet the expectations set by the coach.
And that I can work as hard as he expects us to, and meet the standards.
Of course with hopes of being up immediately on varsity, rather than racing novice.
But who doesn't want that?!





I went to visit the Art Department yesterday.
For the first time I saw all the art classrooms.
Wow, I am excited.
I emailed one of the professors, specifically the photography one, and introduced myself.
And he told me all the classes I should take next semester so that all the other classes, the bigger ones, I can get started on next year.
And get the "general" art classes out of the way this year.
So the next years I can mix in art and other general ed.

Girls on our floor are starting to meet boys, and having them in their rooms.
Now this would not be a problem, if we only knew when they were showing up.
There have already been a few awkward confrontations, some were really funny.
It is so sudden that girls are pairing off and separating themselves into relationships.

I had an experience last night I won't ever forget.
As much as I try.
It was with Jesus House.
The church I was interested in.
I won't go into too much detail, I will just make a few points of interest.

• a healer was there, who I thought was only a speaker
• I witnessed him guilt people into giving money to the church
• I was in a church service for four hours, and an hour into it I had to go pee, but had to wait three hours.

I.. don't know really how to take it.
And I am sort of having a hard time with it.

Next class isn't for another two and a half hours!
Tonight we are doing a movie night and playing board games!




Hannah Joy.

Rebellion?

My rebellion in college will be doing what I know my mom would not have let me do in Topeka..



Riding my bike down the busy streets of Chicago.
Sorry mom. ;)

I will update later tonight.

Hannah Joy.

Pslam 22:24

It is strange that today while in Intro. to Bible we were to write how we have been influenced by our faith in the past, and how we are right now in our faith.
And I wrote that right now I am doing very well in my faith, but I now have to face the hardships of college.
Without knowing whether that would be in two weeks, months, or tonight.

Sometimes don't you just know you have really messed something up?
Whether it is a friendship, important audition, or the decision to go left or right.
I had that today, it is one of those heavy feelings on your shoulders that strains your legs until you just want to collapse.

Brooke sent me a message of encouragement and in that message she gave me her favorite verse and wished that it would help me as much as it has helped her.
"For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help." -Psalm 22:24


I have officially written my first college paper.
It was minimal, but full of pressure to make a first good impression on the teacher.

Tomorrow is our first day of chapel and Judy Peterson will be speaking.

Who I just googled and YouTubed, interesting what you will find when you do that.
But I did not know that her husband passed Dec. 2007.
Interesting fact.



I look forward to German tomorrow.
It is starting to look like that is the class I will enjoy the most.
Also reading Augustine for Dialogue.

I have a prayer list taped on the wall next to wear I sleep at night, so prayer requests are open.

Enjoy the pictures.




We were at lunch and realized we all would have different drivers licenses.



Before the talent show.
Kelly, Ali, Abbie and I.



Lunch at Tre Krenor.
Abbie, Brooke, Brooke's mom and sister, then me.



They were hanging up to dry, and Brooke pointed out that it wouldn't fit her thigh.



Haha, this was hilarious..
Then again, we were all really tired and everything was funny.



Erin walked in and we forced her to try them on.



The other pair of pants hanging up.
Both pieces belong to our RA.

Hannah Joy

Drag the corners of the transparent box below to crop this photo into your profile picture.

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

Me, Abbie, Joy, and Brooke poking her head in too.



Erin and I were in our rooms, and our door creaked open and a round clock rolled into our room.
Erin had the brilliant idea of wrapping it up and sticking a note on it and rolling it back outside the door.



Down the hallway, while rolling clock out the door.
Brooke and Abbie.



My name tag.



Erin's.




Erin about to express herself artistically.



And that is hanging up in Brooke's room now for all to see.



The view out our window at night.





Time to get to bed.
It is 11:13.
Class at 9:15, then chapel!

Hannah Joy.

I am alive and well,

Your spirit is within me.


I just got back from my first class!
It was German 1010.
And I learned -- ich heisst Hannah
ich weiss nict
It was not our teacher today, our teacher is in Russia and will not be returning until next week.

Today I also have Algebra and Dialogue.
But those don't start until 2:10.


Yesterday was a great day!
So the church thing was not a fair..
It was show up and receive a piece of paper with a list of churches and the depart time, and attend them.
All the churches were the same ol' thing I am used to.
And I just didn't feel called to go about my Sunday morning like I always have.
I didn't.
The church I chose was described like this:

Jesus House
Service 8:30 & 11, depart at 10:40
www.jesushouse.org
Sarah Thontwa
An international Redeemed Christian Church of God congregation
with indigenous African leadership and charismatic worship.
Within walking distance of campus.

A group of girls and I wanted to stick together so they signed up with me.
It was Joy, Brooke, Abbie and I.
And a girl named Sarah who is from the Congo and was the one designated to show us where it was.
The walk took about fifteen minutes.
Which is a doable walk, especially because it is a straight shot down Kedzie.

I don't really know how to explain it, except that I am going back.
Probably on Friday.
I am going to email the church and ask if I can get someone to come and get me and bring me home because I don't want to walk home that late and I am unsure if anyone else wants to join me.

At the end of the two hour service, they had all the guests stand up.
Lets just say we had a whole row of white girls stand up, minus Joy who is Japanese.
And then everyone started to clap [everyone is around 300-400 people] and they escorted us to the front where we were shaking so many peoples hands and shown into a "guest room".
Where we got a bag of goodies... a.k.a. chocolate and key chain, some informational papers.
And introduced ourselves.
Now we were not the only guests, people from Nigeria, one lady who had the day off from working the bus and wants to find a church.
The welcomed us so well.
I felt at home, and comfortable.
I just wish I could pronounce all their names.
...All African descents, or travelers.. yadda ya da.

The other girls are going to try different church next weekend.
But I want to give this church another shot because their pastor was gone this week.
And I am interested in hearing the real pastor.
The associate pastor gave the most amazing sermon.
Something that I wish my whole church in Topeka could hear, especially right now.
It was about working for God.
And working in his house.
The part that has stuck was when he said:
"If you don't give anything that doesn't cost anything, it is not a gift."
And he said that in the context of working as an usher and how people don't like to do it because it involves being aware and often standing most of the service, and working with children can be hard but you have to do it in order to be truly giving a gift.
He spoke about how you have to try new things in the church, as uncomfortable as you feel, it is important that you do it.
Especially that their are no excuses.
Which he used this verse: Matthew 10:35-36 "35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."
And no matter what, even if it against thy family, you have no excuses not to join.

Brooke just came into my room [she is from KC] and I just showed her the video of dad in bed talking about how he is going to freeze.
I was laughing so hard and she was just like "Your dad is out of control."
In a good way. :)


So church started at 11, and I got back at two.
When we got back Brooke's mom and sister were still here.
And offered to take us out to lunch.
We ate at Tre Krenor [three crowns in Swedish].
Oh man, it was delicious!
It was a great lunch conversation the whole time.

After lunch I sort of bummed around the dorms until I went to Ohlson to meet the girls to go to Collegelife.
Which is our Sunday night worship.
Fabulous! is what it is.
I cannot get over that I get to see Judy Peterson speak every week, and the praise group that was there was the group that was at CHIC 2006.

Afterwards there was a ice cream social in the gym for all these wonderful opportunities to get involved at the college, out of the country, and in the city.
I have so many great chances these next few years to serve God!!
I have no idea where to start.

I FORGOT SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT!
During Collegelife one of the speakers said "I need ten volunteers to come up to the stage."
And out of the hundreds of us... Kelly and I were two of the ten to go up there.
This is what we were given:

For the unschooled.. Those are McDonald's gift cards.
Our volunteer work is to this week is to take a homeless person out to lunch and get to know their story.
I leave it in God's hands where it will take me.


We also had an Anderson meeting and a sixth floor meeting.
We all ran around our dorms giggling and talking until one in the morning.
Time for lunch with "da ladies".


Hannah Joy.

P.S. I have a lot of pictures to show! So be patient!

"Take me the way I am."

I am back at the dorms early tonight.
It is 10:48.
This whole week has just been really exhausting, and I want to be able to wake up tomorrow and go to the church fair here on campus.
And hopefully be able to get some ideas on churches to get involved in.

Today:

• Ran three miles.

• Did a service project, which was more like learning about this group called BreakThrough Urban Ministries.It is about fifteen minutes away from here and it serves homeless men&women.
  

[ http://www.breakthroughministries.com/ ]

And we also cleaned up their park area, that had a lot of trash/broken glass/weeds.

• When I got back to the dorms I walked by Joy's room. [She is from Hawaii.] And she was on her floor crying. She was on the phone. But I asked her if she was okay, and she said yes, then I asked if she was sure, and she responded yes. Then I asked if she was lying and she said yes. But she was on the phone so I told her to come over when she got off. She is already very home sick, then again her parents did just leave this morning. And her boyfriend lives in Hawaii and she is having a difficult time adjusting to that as well. And she came over upset, and asking me how to make friends. We talked and then I just decided we would not sit in the hot, sticky dorms and we would go out.
• Joy and I met Catherine and Kelly at Starbucks. Where we talked a long time.
• We picked Ali up from the L stop. She went to the city today with a bunch of people from campus. But wanted us to come get her so we could go to dinner.
  
• Went to dinner together and Abbie soon joined our table. [she lives four rooms from me.]
• Went to an awesome talent show our school put on, North Park has got talent.
• Then went to the Java Haus for "Coffee and Conversation".. there was no coffee and we all wanted to go back to our dorms to relax.

And here I am.


At some point we were in Kelly's room in Ohlson, and Ali told us that her ex-boyfriend was just jumped.
He recently moved to Arizona to be on border control...
And she was upset because she felt like this is creating a lot of hate and racism in him.
Kelly piped in and said "We should pray for him."
So Joy, Catherine, Ali and I all joined hands and I said a prayer.

I think that was the moment we realized we all found a great group of friends.
One that we all have never had before.


Everyone came back to my dorm after dinner so they could meet Nico via Skype.
Haha, it was funny to have all the girls staring at my screen and wanting to introduce themselves.

I can't get over the idea that Judy Peterson is the campus pastor.
What a huge blessing.
All of us are excited to go and hear her on Wednesdays.


The video above is such a wonderful song.
A girl tonight sang it.


Peace 'n love, from above!
Hannah Joy.

Clothe yourselves with compassion.

"As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothes yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience."
-Colossians 3:12


Hello Hello!

I have started this to record this great new adventure I am undergoing.
And to keep my family as near as possible.

I have settled in quicker than I thought I would.
Already there is a pack of girls I call "my girls".
We do everything together.
Lets start with Catherine.
I met Catherine at the Orchestra meeting, and quickly learned she is a violinist, whose mother makes lots of Swedish food and she also loves peanut butter on cheese.
She is studying Spanish and Global Studies.
And is in a relationship with a guy she met a few years ago in mission work and he lives in Honduras.
Kelly is a twenty year old freshman who has so much spunk, and speaks like she is from Canada.
Even though she is really from Pennsylvania [ I think?, somewhere on the East Coast].
She took a year off from school and did missions in Quebec [explains the Canadian "Ay" 's].
There, Kelly met her boyfriend, who lives in France, but went to do missions like she did, and he is currently living in France.
And she is studying elementary school education.
Ali.. I cannot remember how she fell into our group.
But it was a good catch.
She wants to teach ESL and work with youth.
Arielle is a tall African American girl, who thinks.. I am really funny.
Haha, I think if she read that she would laugh way too hard.
Arielle wants to eventually do seminary, but she doesn't feel like God has put that into her hands quite yet.

Last night at the boat dance we all stuck together.
We danced together, we sat on the deck together.
Arielle and Catherine tried to get some hymns going.
And enjoyed the skyline together.
[Boat dance-we were on the Spirit of Chicago until 1:30 a.m. off of Navy Pier.]



Spirit of Chicago.

I have left my roommate out!
Erin is wonderful!
We click well.
It was a match that will work out wonderfully.

The best part about this group of girls is their lack of importance on boys.
Lacking in a good way.
I don't feel like I have ever had that sort of group of friends before.
This is all so new.
Example: the dance was way more fun.
We can enjoy our lunch conversations and laughs more without looking around to check out the boys.
As freshman, and already in a "click" we hold ourselves with a lot of pride.
It is strange to prance into the lunch room with this group of friends with confidence and no concern for who is looking.
Unlike a few girls I have sat down to lunch with and it was only about who they were friends with on Facebook, or if they were our age.


"Click" is not a very good word for us.
Because today we were leaving my dorm [everyone lives in Ohlson except Erin and I who live in Anderson] and we walked by an open door and started to chat with a girl who was just sitting on her bed texting..
And invited her to join us as we walked down to the L and to check out some streets near by with shops.
And at lunch we always plop down next to whomever and get involved and spread the happiness.
Click? - heck no.


Today I road on my first public transportation.
First it was the bus, after our mile walk to the bus to take us to Target. [$2]
Then after Target [which had a parking garage beneath it, strange] we road in a Taxi. [$10.15]
Expensive, but it kicks gas prices out the window.


I have not bought books yet.
I was supposed to have a check ready for me to pick up today, it was not.
And it won't be until Tuesday, so they say.
Classes do start on Monday.


Being away from home is not so hard.
I have pictures up of everyone and know I am still closely connected to everyone.
Darby is missed, and Rivers.
Just that companionship is difficult to not have.

I am attending the Rowing meeting on Wednesday.
And am already highly considering it.
Lets just see if I can balance everything.

All "my girls" are all very excited about the ministries here at North Park too.
Which makes it super.
They too are wanting to hear all the speakers and get involved around the city.

Pictures to enjoy.



This was before we went to the Spirit of Chicago and we were sitting in Starbucks.



Me, Catherine, Kelly and Ali.
[Erin was on her way, and Arielle... was M.I.A]




Catherine and I.




ditto.



There are more to come, I have lots on my camera.
[Those above were off to Ali's, and she has more too.]

There ya have it.
My new life is setting sail.



Hannah Joy.