Welcome to Africa

Today was my first sunday in London! Two other girls, Katy and Lisa, and myself are assigned to the Peckham ward in the Wandsworth stake (it's impossible to say that without an english accent!). It takes an hour to get to church on the tube, because the chapel is located south of the Thames. So the experience is quite different than the one-and-a-half-minute-car-ride-up-the-street I'm am accustomed to at home, to say the least.

We finally came above ground at the Kennington stop, and promptly discovered we were lost. We wondered around for about ten minutes before spotting a man in a suit carrying.... SCRIPTURES!

Bingo.

So we covertly followed him and found the chapel.

Because it is fast sunday today, I had the privilege to hear a wide variety of testimonies and the first counselor asked us three to come up to the pulpit to introduce ourselves and bear our testimonies as well. It was amazing to see how the church is the same no matter where you are! It was the first time I really felt at home since I moved here almost a week ago.

After the meeting we met the two pairs of missionaries assigned to the ward, and one elder from Argentina shook my hand and said with a smile, "Welcome to Africa!" It was pretty funny and very appropriate considering that there are maybe 7 white people in the entire Peckham ward. It was fantastic. We also met the stake president (who is black too) because he happened to be visiting the ward.

Everyone was so friendly and nice, and I was pretty surprised about that to be honest. British people aren't exactly well-known for their charismatic natures...

We got our ward assignments/callings right after sacrament meeting -- Katy is a primary teacher for CTR 4-5, Lisa is a YSA (young single adult) sunday school teacher, and I am the ward pianist and the primary pianist/chorister.

Yes, I am supposed to lead music time AND play the piano for it. Oh, and the primary program is in 6 weeks and the kids don't know any of the songs except for 'Follow the Prophet.' Haha this is promising to be a very interesting experience.

I'm really excited to be serving though! I'm glad that I am able to put all those piano lessons and hours of practicing and money my parents spent on me to good use!

Cheers!

p.s. I went and saw a concert last night at St. Martin-in-the-fields Church. Vivaldi's Four Seasons was performed, as well as Pachelbel's Canon in D and a few others. The acoustics were so amazing that everyone in attendance could hear the noise when I dropped my water bottle on the floor!