Apparently, people here never go barefoot. Everyone literally always has socks on. So when I wear sandals because it's 65 out and that's warm by my standards, people freak out. I've probably been asked that question at least twenty times in the past week.
*Sidebar* I'm having difficulty deciding how much to include in my posts. My default desire is to write about everything, but (1) that takes forever, and (2) I don't think everyone really cares about what I had for breakfast, etc. So, if there's something you want to hear more (or less) about, let me know! *End sidebar*
*Sidebar* I'm having difficulty deciding how much to include in my posts. My default desire is to write about everything, but (1) that takes forever, and (2) I don't think everyone really cares about what I had for breakfast, etc. So, if there's something you want to hear more (or less) about, let me know! *End sidebar*
(Last) Thursday (9/19/13) was the first day where I felt really challenged. Koinonia meets every Thursday for a prayer meeting, which we call “Reload.” The one last week was sort of a pre-cursor to the year, so we just called it “Load.” ; ) Peter and I were asked to organize/run it, but weren't given much notice (welcome to UCO...). I was in charge of running an extended time of intercession (which is basically just praying for different things). We got everything planned alright, but I was still nervous heading into it. So, I gave it up the Lord, and put it in His hands, and it went great! I was really blessed by leading, and it was very beneficial to take so much time to lift up the coming year in prayer. And of course, after the meeting we went to the pub.
Now, there is a difference between a pub
and a bar. Bars are places where you go
to drink (potentially to excess), eat, dance/party, stay out late, etc.
A pub, which is short for “public house,” is more a place to get a pint,
and have an in-depth conversation with people. A lot of pubs here close at 11 or midnight. The one we got to after Koinonia, The Bricklayers Arms, doesn't have a
kitchen (but you can get crisps!). I
really like the atmosphere of the pubs I've been to so far; it’s really
conducive to getting to know someone and having a good time.
That Saturday Lindsey, Finja, and I went to
the Brothers’ house for a Lord’s Day Celebration. Antioch is ecumenical, which means that it is
made up of Christians who are Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. Because
of this, we all go to different churches on Sundays. A Lord’s Day is a way to celebrate and
commemorate the Sabbath together, no matter your church background. I was excited to go to the Brothers’ house
for two reasons: (1) all of those guys are awesome and I love socializing with
them, and (2) amazing food. You can
always count on a good meal at their house, or any Servants of the Word house for that matter. Also invited was another addition to my household, Miriam Salkhanian. She is an Armenian who lives in Lebanon, and
is in London for the year studying to get her Masters degree.
Sunday brought yet another round of church
shopping. This time I went with Finja to
Christ Church, a non-denominational church in central London near St. Paul’s
Cathedral. I liked it, but I don’t think
it’s quite what I want. The more
churches I explore, the more I realize what exactly I'm looking for. I like modern worship songs, but I'm not opposed to some hymns either. I've also realized that I really prefer a certain amount of liturgy, rather than just free-form preaching. Having criteria is helping to narrow down my search, so hopefully I'll find what I'm looking for soon.
After the service we explored the Tower
Hill area before heading back to Acton
Proper for the Antioch gathering, followed by the pub. The one that the community folk frequent is
called the Red Lion & Pineapple. And
before you ask, I have no idea why there’s a pineapple in the title (there are
several paintings that feature a lion with a pineapple though). The people my age stayed for a few hours,
then headed to the Brothers’ for an impromptu movie night. We watched an episode of the BBC Sherlock
Holmes. If you haven’t seen it, I highly
recommend it. I've seen the series
before, but this time I recognized some of the places on screen! Cue freak-out.
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| Lindsey (l) and Finja (r) in front of Tower Bridge. |
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| The Red Lion & Pineapple! Literally right across the street from where Antioch meets on Sundays. |
This past week was all about preparing for
Fresher’s Fayre. A “fresher” is a new
student coming into university (aka a freshman). And yeah, they spell fair weird, among other
words. It’s like Festifall at the
University of Michigan; all the student clubs and societies have tables, and
the new students wander about and see which groups they’re interested in. UCL has about 3,000 new students this
term! This was a huge event for Koinonia
to attract new students and get our name out there. We had what I like to call a “three-pronged
attack”: there was a coffee stall outside, a booth inside ULU, and we had
people in the Kube giving out free food and hanging out with anyone who dropped
in. Overall, I think it went really
well. We got a lot of interest from
students, and hopefully a lot of them will be coming back to our events in the
next couple of weeks.
The girls and I had a hair-dyeing party. I dyed Lindsey's blond hair to a chestnut-y brown, and Finja went from brown to red.
 |
| Success! |
We spent Saturday and Sunday at a retreat center, spending time with each other and celebrating being together. On Saturday night we had a ceilidh (“kay-lee”): Gaelic folk music and dancing. So. Much. Fun. Click here for a video one of the community girls took featuring some highlights from the weekend. If you've ever wondered if I'm just making this whole thing up and all my pictures are actually photo-shopped, you can see me at:
- 0:47 - middle/right in the red top: worshiping with the Antioch kids
- 1:40 - left in black, back to the camera: eating dinner after the the Lord's Day
- 2:18 - second from the left: post-ceilidh campfire with the kids
- 3:23 - left: helping some of the younger kids with the "Cups" song (I was focusing on keeping a consistent tempo, hence the straight face)
I spent the majority of yesterday unpacking
and re-arranging my room. I've been here
for six weeks(!), so you may be thinking to yourself, “why is she only unpacking
now?” Excellent question! In a nutshell, it hadn't been decided who was
staying in what room for the year, so no one wanted to put all their stuff away
with the chance that they might have to then move it all and do it again. Thankfully, I am now fully moved in, and my
suitcases are put away. It’s such a nice
feeling, especially considering that I've been living out of a suitcase on and
off since May…
That, however, wasn't the most exciting thing so far this week. There isn't a grocery store in East Acton, or really anywhere near it. Most Londoners don't have cars, which makes it difficult to get to a grocery store. Solution? THEY DELIVER! Tesco is one of the more popular shops over here; you go on their website, make a shopping list, and have at it! It's so much fun, and you save money because you're not wandering down every aisle picking up random things you don't need. On Monday Finja and I did an online order, and arranged for it to be delivered Tuesday morning. So, Tuesday morning after morning prayer, we were all anxiously awaiting the Tesco Man. And when the delivery came, it was like Christmas. Major points to the UK for this (and, I'm totally going to get addicted to it, and resent having to drive to the store when I get home...). I'm going to write a song about waiting for the Tesco Man; Top 40 here I come!
That, however, wasn't the most exciting thing so far this week. There isn't a grocery store in East Acton, or really anywhere near it. Most Londoners don't have cars, which makes it difficult to get to a grocery store. Solution? THEY DELIVER! Tesco is one of the more popular shops over here; you go on their website, make a shopping list, and have at it! It's so much fun, and you save money because you're not wandering down every aisle picking up random things you don't need. On Monday Finja and I did an online order, and arranged for it to be delivered Tuesday morning. So, Tuesday morning after morning prayer, we were all anxiously awaiting the Tesco Man. And when the delivery came, it was like Christmas. Major points to the UK for this (and, I'm totally going to get addicted to it, and resent having to drive to the store when I get home...). I'm going to write a song about waiting for the Tesco Man; Top 40 here I come!
This morning Sawsan, our fifth and final
household member, arrived from Lebanon!
Now that everyone is finally here, our household activities can
officially start (woot!).
Random observations/facts/etc.:
1. When you walk into a building, you are
on the ground floor. You have to go up
one flight to get to the first floor. Weird.
2. I
am slowly getting used to being a front-seat passenger on the left side of the
car. Although when I look for cars when
crossing the street, my eyes still automatically go to where I think the driver
should be, not where they actually are.
This often leads to thinking “that car doesn't have a driver!” … and
then I realize.
3. I met SO MANY Americans during Fresher’s
Fayre. And people from Latvia, Kenya,
Uzbekistan, China, Italy, and Guyana, among other places.
4. This is my life right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waZy08wvPKU
5. The tube is a great place for profound thoughts and epiphanies.
<3 Molly
4. This is my life right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waZy08wvPKU
5. The tube is a great place for profound thoughts and epiphanies.
<3 Molly
"Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." ~ Romans 12: 9-12
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