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Howdy

Oops. I guess I'm not the best at this blogging thing considering it has been almost two months since my last update. But thanks to the friendly reminder from Risa Perkins I realized it was time for a new entry. My deepest apologies to those who actually read this thing. Anyway, there is snow everywhere here....I have to walk through blizzards every day...and as I walk through the fields to class I usually pass by a few cows. yep its everything I ever imagined it to be. Just kidding, but that's for all my fellow Texans who believe in that incredibly false image of Montana, well there might be a tad bit of truth in it: ) So where to start, there is just so much to tell. Well as of lately I have been building a purple schwinn bike from the 60's. Why you may ask? A few months back I had to do a project on sustainability, so I decided to research the local nonprofit group Free Cycles. They provide free cycles to anyone as long as you take their class and fulfill their volunteer requirements. So I've been spending numerous hours there every night for the past few weeks. Its been an enlightening experience to say the least....but I've had the privileged of meeting some really cool people, who thank goodness aren't associated with campus. Though I love UM its also really great to get off of campus and get involved within the community. I've also become a huge fan of the GoodFood Store ( Missoula's equivalent to Central Market..except not nearly as great as CM) I'm now regularly attending a really great Church in Missoula so thats been a huge answer to prayer. Each Sunday I ride out with a guy in my hall to Missoula Alliance Church where we go to first service, then college group and after that a family from the church has us over for brunch and serves us a home cooked meal for us. Its absolutely amazing!! Today we had eggs (real eggs too, a real treat), bacon, sausage, muffins, and tasty homemade jam! yummm. I now realize that my mother completely spoiled me when it comes to food. People here know me as the huge food snob..which surprisingly I'm ok with. I cant help it that I had a wonderful mom who made absolutely amazing food on a daily basis. I've eaten a bowl of cheerios every morning since I've been here...tear, tear. I miss you Mom. My roommate and I have decided to live together next year...and were even going to keep the same room..though according to room 454's past residents, the room is haunted.hmmmm. All in all though Montana has been amazing. There are definitely days when I wished I had stayed in Texas and gone to school with people similar to me. But being here in this incredibly different environment from home has been such a learning experience. Even the people are different from what I'm used to. Not to mention the out of state student population here is surprisingly high. I have friends from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Idaho, South Dakota, Texas: ), Tennessee, and numerous other states. So its been really cool to meet all these people because we've all grown up in different settings so there's a lot to learn from each other. Nevertheless, I'm pretty dang excited to go home in five weeks! I miss my family, my dog, my house (which is now finished..cant wait to see it) and BridgePoint so much. Not to mention I can't wait to see Joy, Lauren, Sarah, Emily, Taylor, Katie M, Christie, Rachael, Katie H, Kayla and Jessica...I miss those girls like crazy. I always knew we were blessed to have each other...but wow I never knew how blessed. Oh and thanks to all those who have sent me mail...getting mail is like getting a Christmas present...its just wonderful. Well I think I've written enough to last a lifetime...I hope this post finds everyone doing well.

In Him,
Melissa

So I've now been in Missoula for six days and so far I love it! Each day seems to bring some challenge I wish my parents were here to fix but for the most part I'm making it. Montana is a world within itself filled with really fun people and just an all around positive atmosphere. I'll start by telling yall (yes i still admit to some of my Texan heritage) my deliciously good news. On Sunday night I got to talk to Tim which is always fun....and I basically was telling him how I was struggling with not knowing anyone specifically not knowing any Christians. I told him how I planned to join Campus Crusade for Christ and his advice was to meet older girls in the organization so they can kind of be like a mentor or an older sister so to speak. Well the next day I ran into this senior girl on our floor ( who i had met earlier) and turns out she's a Campus Crusade student leader....it was such an answer to prayer..I was blown away. But hey it gets better....we were both on our way to pick up bikes in Missoula so naturally we went with eachother and that gave us a chance to talk..it was all very encouraging. I soon discovered that her and her roommate have been intentionally placed in my Dorm Hall to be college missionaries so to speak. So they will be leading the girls Bible Study for Knowles Hall!! God blessed me in so many ways this week and has answered everyone of my prayers. Yesterday when I went into my community bathroom (yay!) the boom box was playing loud and clear on a Christian radio station.!! As yall can probably tell I'm pretty darn excited right now...my classes are great, the foods not bad at all here, I have great places to run and I'm meeting super nice people here! For instance last night I went to the bookstore to pick up some last minute materials..but naturally like any store it was closed when i needed it most. There was another unlucky soul beside me so we kind of bonded through our common disappointment with the bookstore..Turns out he was a freshman from Vancouver, Washington....to make a long story short I got to play soccer with some cool people, learn how to slackline, meet two really nice girls and am going tubing on Monday all because of one nice person who included me into his group. Last night I got to sit on a porch and watch a wicked Mountain storm...meanwhile there was a guitar jam session on one side of me and on the other was a girl reading her Bible..this place is truly surreal. Anyways I hope this finds yall doing well...oh and I have a reason to justify my incredibly bad writing. For my writing class I had to read numerous pages explaining the benefit of writing badly....so yeah I'm giving it a try...: )

love
Melissa

Two weeks!!!

So I officially have less than two weeks until I invade the Big Sky Country. Today mom and I attempted to conquer the challenges of our storage room. Let me just say to those of you who are struggling with the burden of cramming your 18 years of junk into a car try cramming it into a suitcase and backpack plus add the challenges of unpacking the already packed.....its a tedious task. Either I will get up there and die of heat exhaustion the first two months due to my overpreparation of winter clothes or I will be delightfully warm...I'll keep you updated. I'm am waiting in anticipation for the day I'll enter into the radical world we call the north...in less than two weeks I will finally be apart of the world my mother has wishfully described for eighteen years. I will finally be living the life she encouraged me to dream about, the one she urged me to run to...finally my dream and her dream will come true. Who would have guessed that three years ago when I fell upon the University of Montana table at a college fair that it was going to be the one. I still remember the exact moment my mom showed me their brochure and said , "Melissa you really need to look at this school it seems really interesting...yes I know its in Montana but just go and at least look". So today I find myself about to be thrust into an environment far from familiar and I've never been more excited: ) So basically I hope you enjoy this little technology wonder where you can continually be updated on my new life in Montana. My apologies if the constant blabbering about myself becomes boring I'll try to describe other new and exciting things....but well it is a blog so dont anticipate too much.

love
Melissa