Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving: First Sunday in London

"I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter his courts with praise. I will say this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice for He has made me glad. He has made me glad. He has made me glad. I will rejoice for he has made me glad, glad, glad."

At the suggestion of several friends from my home church, the Greater Allen Cathderal (GAC), I visited Rauch Ministries in Brixton, London. While I had never heard of the church nor its Pastor, Bishop John Francis and Co-Pastor, Rev. Penny Francis, the recommendation came from three people that I not only respect but they are serious about their relationship with God. I found it no coincidence that each person suggested Rauch Ministries on different occasions.

Being the historian that I am, I immediately began doing research about Brixton, the area that the Rauch Ministries is located. I learned that the community is predominated by poor and working class black people. As with many inner cities with a certain socio-economic framework, Brixton is known for its gun and drug trafficing, crime is very high and there is a long standing tension between the community and the police. Similiar to BedStuy and Harlem, Brixton is also expericing gentrification and current residents are slowing being displaced by the middle class and upper class.

Several people looked at me with concern when I told them that I was going "to attend a church in Brixton." I, however, was not afraid. I knew that I had to exercise the same wisdom that I would while walking the streets of the Bronx, Brooklyn and my old stomping ground Harlem. I was actually looking forwarding to seeing where the "folk" live as well as picking up some hair care products which I so desperately need (smile).

After waking up an hour late, taking one of the two trains that I needed in the wrong direction, missing my stop on the bus and getting caught in a sudden down pour of rain (with no umbrella), I finally arrived to Brixton. It had the look and feel of any inner city in the states. It was quite early in the morning and the streets were not populated but I knew that I was in the "hood" when I saw Kennedy Fried Chicken (who knew they were international).

On my walk towards the church (after missing my bus stop), I stumbled upon two yellow signs. One sign read "They Want Your Pod" and just down the block another said "Beware of theives and pickpockets." I did a quick survey to see what was going on around me yet and still, I was not afraid. Even though the signs did not "scare" me, I thought it best that I stop taking pictures like a mad woman (yall know how I do) and put away the digital camera so that I would blend in just a little bit more.

After getting lost (again), I finally found Rauch Ministries. Because Bishop Francis is featured on TBN, I expected to see a larger ornate building no different from GAC or New Birth which is why I walked by the church a few times. Even though the church building was simple and rather inconspicuous, what was going one inside of the church was truly a mighty move of God. Upon entering, I heard the choir singing a song that I would normally hear at GAC and I felt at peace. I was so much at peace that I immediately started crying like I always do when I am in the unadulterated presence of God and his people.

The service was truly a blessing. It was just what I need after spending a week in a country that was not my own. Throughout the last week, my mind knew that God was with me but during today's service my entire being felt it. The service was so good and the presence of God was so strong that I ended up staying for two services. The praise and worship was amazing (they even had liturgical dancers ministering during praise and worship) and the Word was powerful. It is truly a "teaching" church. They break down the history, context, places, time periods, and the meanining of names and words in various translation, etc. You know the history buff in me gets excited about all this information.

Going to church, fellowshipping with other Christians, learning more about God and being in his presence are truly important to me. Life is SO hard that I have no idea how people get through life without a relationship with God and a church home that provides encouragement and support. I have no doubt in my mind that GAC has helped me to become successful in various facets of my life. While there is no church like your home church, I look forward to attending Rauch Ministries while I am in London. Getting there was a sacrifice but what I gained during service will last a life time.

Being at Rauch was bitter sweet. While I was thankful that God had led me there (through my friends), I was also reminded how much I totally miss GAC. I miss my church mothers who give me hugs and kisses and comforting words of encouragement. I miss the voice of a choir that sounds like angels to my ears. I miss ministering with the dance ministry and being ministered to by them. I miss the revelation from the pastor and the co-pastor. Yet . . . I know that there is an added layer that I am suppose to get from a church in London and I am looking forward to allowing God to add this layer to the foundation that GAC has given me.

Below is an excerpt from today's sermon. It does not even touch a small portion of the revelation that I received during today's service, however I pray that it blesses you as it has blessed me:

"The Circuit Breaker"

Micah 2:3-13

God intends to break through you and break [things] out of you. God made a covenant with the seed of Abraham that must come to pass. There was a covenant made about you that must come to pass. There was a promise that was made about you that must come to pass. God is in covenant with His Word and this Word concerns you. The desire to be in right standing with God means the willingness to be subject to His judgment. When you said "Abba, My father" when you first gave your life to Christ this mere statement gave Him the authority and the right to judge and correct and chastise you. God is a God of balance. Though His judgment comes by force, His blessings are also prolific. He balances love with judgment and correction with blessings. Watch out for leaders whose wrath bring you down yet fail to lift you up as they are not leading the way God would have them to lead. God is a God who does get angry with you yet His anger has the ability to dissipate instantaneously. This is why there is "no one like God." No human being has the ability to dissipate instantaneously the anger over what you have done, the way that God has. God's entire purpose is that he wants you back. People don't want you back. If you are here, you are here if you are not, you are not. If you are not here, they think "more space for me." But God, wants you back!

You have been in negotiation with sin for too long and sin will pay you back. God will bring down your economy because you have made an agreement with sin. Before you receive a blessing, God is going to disrupt all that is in your like that is not like him -- people, places and things. God is going to break down every spirit of influence in your life that is not like him. He is destroying all that you have aligned yourself with that is contaminating you. He has had people speak to you time and time again about the same things and it's to the point where you are acting like the Word does not apply to you. He refuses to bless you as long as you have so much foolishness going on in your life. He needs to distinguish himself from the witchcraft that is going on in your life. He is not impressed by all of the shouting that you do in church. Half of y'all are shouting because you are trying to get attention. The other half shouts because they are pretending to be in agreement with the Word even though the Word is not reflective in their life. The Bible says "let the priest and the minister weap, wail and howl." That's not what's going on in church because y'all are looking to cute when you are supposed to be worshiping him. You are too worried about your outfit, when you are supposed to be worship him. You are too worried about your hair when you are supposed to be worshipping him.

First comes Judgment, then Repentance, then the Blessing. Most of y'all are not going to make it because you refuse to repent. You want to shout over the blessing but not the judgement and definitely not the repentance. And this is the problem with the 21st century teaching. Learn to accept the correction, learn to repent and you will receive your blessing.

Thanks for reading this. If I have time, I will break down the "circuit breaker" concept. Let's just say that I will never look at one of those things the same way.

My First Work Week

I have now concluded my first week at work. The week was very busy. Just because I am in the London office does not mean that I will be working any less hours. I am determined to become as efficient as possible because it would be a shame to look back at my experience here and realize that I spent 80 hours a week working, the weekend sleeping and no knowledge of what it's like to live in London.

So far everyone at the firm is really nice. In NY we have about 400 lawyers and in the UK office, there are about 100 lawyers so it's definitely a smaller office. One of my friends/colleagues in the NY office is actually a permanent lawyer in the London office but she is doing a two year stint in NY. Before my arrival, she emailed all of her friends in the UK office and told them that I was coming. Throughout the week, they each stopped by to introduce themselves to me. It definitely made me feel comfortable to know that there are folks that I can call with questions like-- where is the bathroom? where can I buy lunch? how do I order dinner? and how do I order a taxi to get home at night? and most importantly, where are the best clothing and shoe stores?

On my first day, one of the partners took me out to lunch. I was a little nervous because even though I have been at the firm for 6 years, it can be nerve racking to have one on one interactions with partners. As you know, first impression are lasting impressions. He took me to a Japanese restaurant not too far from the firm. He turned out to be such a wonderful guy and I had a great time talking to him over lunch. After lunch, he took me on a tour of the neighborhood so that I would know how to find the closest tube (that's what the train station is called in London), pharmacy and various places to have lunch etc. He IS a partner which means he has a tremendous amount of work to do so I appreciated the time that he spent with me over lunch as well as the tour of the neighborhood. I am always grateful when people go out their way to do things for me. We live in a survival of fittest world so I sincerely appreciate it when people do things for me.

If you know me personally you may find this hard to believe but at work, I am fairly quiet and I tend to keep to myself (I know, you cannot imagine this side of me). I am nice but my MO is to come in, do my work and go home. So the fact that I am in a new office environment where I do not know many people is fine yet I do appreciate that people are going out of their way to make me feel comfortable.

I also met a guy (also a lawyer) at my firm who is a friend of a friend of one of my sorority sisters. They all went to Yale undergrad together and he is an Alpha. He stopped by to introduce himself to me and he is a really nice guy. As it is with black folk, there are only three (maybe two) degrees of separation. So, it turns that we know a few people in common and because we have the Greek thing in common we connected and I felt very comfortable chatting with him. I am thankful that I have yet another person to chat with about whatever I need to know about London.

Even though it was my *first* week at work, there was no slow transition. I am on about four deals (which is alot) and I was totally swamped. I left almost every night at 10pm or 11pm, and since I am having trouble sleeping at night, I did not get to sleep every night until about 3am. On Thursday, I pulled one of those crazy all nighter which I sometimes do in the NY office. I arrived to work on Thursday at 10am in the morning and left on Friday evening at 5pm in the evening. There was no sleep or rest involved. Needless to say, on Friday I was sleep walking. The body was not made to work 31 hours straight-- perhaps one day I will get a clue. My friend at work once described me as "someone who always has to push herself to the edge." This description frightened me and I will continue to work on work-life balance. Although I also note that I "push myself to the edge" in all aspects of my life. This is yet another trait that I will put on my list of things to ponder and rectify while I am out here.

While in London, I will be working on deals that are very different from the ones that I have been working on in the states. I expect that it is going to be a major intellectual challenge but I am looking forward to learning something different. I am trusting that God will give me the wherewith all to learn as quickly and painlessly as possible. I really like the team that I am working with. The partner and the senior lawyers are not only nice but they are brilliant. I pray that things continue to go as well over the next three months (without the all nighters of course). If I begin to feel frustrated, I will remember what the ol' church folk say, "God wouldn't bring you this far to leave you."

Thankfully, I had the opportunity to speak to at least four of my friends this weekend. Of course, I continue to speak to my mother daily except that instead of speaking four times a day, we speak once a day. It really warms my heart to hear their voices. It reminds me that even though there are times that I may feel lonely, I am not alone because I have my mom and my friends who support me from afar and a God who is watching over me.

Additional Learnings

1. Everyone says "cheers."

2. Throughout the week, I kept seeing red double deck buses and thought "wow, they sure have a ton of sightseeing buses in London." Today, I learned that these are not tourist buses but actually regular transportation buses.

3. I am not sure if the UK is trying to save water or what but the water in the toilet bowl does not fill up to midway in the toilet, intsead it fills to the very bottom of the toilet bowl. This drives me nuts.

4. "Black American Coffee" is what we know as black coffee.

5. "White American Coffee" is a latte.

6. Your food and/or drinks cost more if you are going to eat it in the restaurant (or coffee shop or deli, etc) than if you take away (see previous post about what "take away" means).

My Flat in London

Many have asked about my living arrangement in London.

I am living in a building named London Chambers which is a converted bank. My place is a one bedroom "flat" in what I am told is the "meatpacking district" in "Central London." While it's about half the size of my two bedroom, two bathroom duplex apartment which I occupy alone in Brooklyn, I have come to realize that I do not need alot nor all that I have to be happy and content (sidebar: I am realizing that I live in total unnecessary excess and I am doing some self analysis on exactly what THAT is about).

My neighborhood reminds me alot of the meatpacking district in NYC located around 23rd street between 10th and 11th avenue. Truthfully, I do not know whether they still pack meat in the NYC meatpacking district. Yesterday, I woke up at 3:30am to what sounded like drag racing outside of my window. I got up, looked outside of my bedroom window (you know black folks always gotta see what is going on) and I saw about 20 large trucks driving into the neighborhood . . . low and behold they literally were unpacking meat. I certainly was not happy about all of the noise because it was 3:30am in the morning and every night since my arrival to the UK, I had been having a difficult time sleeping in a bedroom/apartment that is not my own.

Similar to the meatpacking district in NYC, my neighborhood has numerous restaurants, bars, cute litte cafes and clubs. I am told that it is the "happening place to be" and some of the best restaurants, especially steakhouses, are located in area. I am always down for a good meal so I am looking forward to trying out many of the restaurants over the next three months.

My apartment is "cute." It isn't home but I am truly grateful to have a roof over my head. Even though it's not particularly fancy it is very expensive due to the neighborhood and its location. Space does not come for cheap in London so my firm is paying for the "neighborhood" verses the space.

The apartment is fully furnished. It has the basic necessities including a "roof", small kitchen, dining room, bathroom and bedroom. It also has several extras such as a DVD player, VHS player, stereo, phone, washer/dryer, weekly maid service (yeah!), optional laundry service and a personal grocery shopper. The elevator is rather small-- as I said, space in London does not come for cheap. It likely fits only two people, size ten and under. It is the old fashion type where you can see yourself going up the various floors through the window in the elevator.

The management company provided a nice welcome/starter kit which included salad, eggs, milk, orange juice, red wine, white wine, pasta, tomato sauce, various teas, fruit and a few other items. It was thoughtful touch. Of course, on my third day here, I burned the "electric" tea pot because I set it on the stove. The bottom of the pot totally melted and almost caught on fire. If you know me-- that shouldn't be a surprise. I really need to figure out how to replace it inconspicuously because I am sure they will try to charge me about 200 pounds (aka $400.00).

The most wonderful thing about the location of my apartment is the fact that I can walk to work every morning. I have always worked in Manhattan and lived in Brooklyn (where I live now) or Harlem (where I grew up) so I have always had to take the train or bus to work. I can't tell you how lovely it is to have the privilege of walking to work. It's about a 15 to 20 minute walk to the law firm which is located in the financial district. The weather currently feels like fall in October. It's cold enough to cause a little pep in your step in the mornings but not cold enough to wear a winter coat-- a scarf (which seems to be a must in London) and a light coat is fine.

Every morning, my walk to work is very relaxing and calming. It presents an opportunity to clear my head and prepare for the day ahead-- emotionally, physically and spiritually. It is an opportunity "to walk" into all the things that God has prepared for me in that particular day.

I am sincerely thankful that God has put a roof (and that my firm is footing the bill) over my head during my stay in London. I am starting to feel that even though I am in another country and my loved ones feel so far away. . . I am certainly going to be okay. . . in fact more than okay.

While my apartment is not similar to my apartment in Brooklyn, I am honestly grateful that God had chosen this place for me (it took a few days to get to this point but I am there). Everyday I feel a little be more relaxed in my apartment, I sleep a little bit more comfortably in the bed, the fear and trepidation of being in a different country is *slowly* disappearing and it's being replaced by the excitement about all that there is to explore in my neighborhood and throughout London and some parts of Europe (mini vacations to Greece, Italy and Spain (it cost about $120 (or less)) to get to each of these countries from London) are in the workings). I am also excited and thankful for the chance to be one with myself and the opportunity to gain a greater understanding, knowledge and depth as to who I am, what I am all about and where God is leading me to go.

Thank you Jesus.

Above are pictures of my kitchen, living room and view from my apartment.

What I Have Learned in the Last 4 Days

1. Londoners do not add as much ice (or any ice) to their water and/or sodas. You must request ice.

2. Lift = elevator

3. When you order food or drinks they will ask whether you want to "take away" meaning "to go."

4. It's EXPENSIVE as hell out here. For example, Gap jeans cost 68 pounds which means $136.00. Your basic Nine West shoes cost about 100 pounds meaning $200.00. DRUMROLL. . . . .I bought a sandwich at Subways for 10 pounds aka $20.00. Yikes!

5. I like half and half with my coffee but I don't think they have half-half in London. So when I ask for half and half, they respond "milk?"

6. When ordering coffee or tea they ask "would you like it white?" otherwise known in the states as "light" or with "milk."

7. References to someone "bump" means the "butt."

8. TV really really sucks. The only shows that come on are American Idol (12 hours today) and Flavor of Love (6 hours today), even the Oscars were not on. UK shows are too heavy. Over the last few days I watched a program that talked about a cult that molested kids, another program about the fact the women go to Malaysia to get breast implants or reductions, another program about spotting ghost and how you can spot one and another about a battered woman whose husband ripped her nails off in a rage. I enjoy dealing with real issues but most times, I like "light" television. Stuff that you could watch and not really think about it (The View, Oprah, My Super Sweet Sixteen, Grey's Anatomy and CNN) but the UK programs are too serious for me. I can see this is going to be a major problem (I do hear my friend Michelle telling me that I need to be reading the bible which of course, I intend to do).

Above are pictures of the telephone booth (you can find one on almost every corner) and black cars which are the equivalent of yellow taxis.

Three Days In. . .

It's Saturday at 2:30am and I just woke up. At first I thought that I was suffering from a severe case of Jetlag but now I am realizing that it is more than Jetlag. Every day I wake up about 2:30am not only because of the 5 hour difference but also because I am in a completely different surroundings. It's going to take some time to get use to living and sleeping in an apartment that is not my own.

Overall I had a pretty decent day. I fought the temptation of staying home and watching television all day by venturing out into the unknown. I have decided to accept the fact that every time I venture out, I will get lost and that's okay. Worse case scenario, I can always hop in a cab if things get pretty bad. The decision to venture out was easy in light of the fact that television out here SUCKS. If you know me, you know that I love watching television. Nothing brings me more delight on any given weekend (when my schedule is not filled with church activities or work obligations) but to stay home and watch everything that my TWO Tivo boxes have recorded. So over the last few days, it has been heartbreaking to discover that I have limited TV options out here. There are about two stations that show American television shows and it's nothing to write home about. I will say that one station has showed 12 hours of American Idol for the last three days. . . .

While preparing for my trip I realized that at the bare minimum, I only needed two things to make it out here in London for the next three months-- a place to take dance classes and a good church. Several weeks ago, while in the States, I did extensive research and found both. So this morning when I woke up I decided to head over to the dance studio to check it out. My UK friends who live in the States said that I would love this particular dance studio as well as the area that it is located so I was looking forward to checking it out.

I ventured on the tube which is not as simple as the train station in the states. I finally got off on Covent Gardens-- the neighborhood where the dance studio is located. I noticed that about 200 people were waiting to take the "lift" from the train station to the streets. I figured that I would out smart them by taking the stairs-- "Gosh" I thought "That is silly, no one in the states takes the elevator to the street level from the train station." As I made my way up the steps, I noticed a sign that said "200 steps to go." 5 minutes later I realized that 200 steps is like 15 NYC staircases. I had reached a point where I was too far to go back down to catch the lift and although I wasn't sure how far I had to go, I honestly did not know how I was going to make it. When I looked around I noticed that I was surrounded by tourists and each of us stopped every few minutes to take several deep breaths. I was sure that the Londoners were laughing at us as we, the tourists, walked so confidently to the stairs only moments earlier. But anyway, finally I made with to the top and I was thankful to Jesus!

When I made it to the street level, Covent Gardens was indeed beautiful. If I had to describe it, I would say, "the West Village meets Times Square" It had the character of the village but the millions of people and the theaters that you would find on 42nd street. There were tons of stores and the familiarity of The Gap, Nine West, Swatch, Evelyn and Crabtree, etc provided comfort.

After being pointed in several directions, all of which conflicted with the other, I finally found Pineapple Dance Studio. While I hadn't bought my dance clothes with me, I felt very comfortable and I am definitely looking forward to spending alot of time there taking lessons. The style is very familiar to Broadway Dance Center-- my school in the states so I know that I will be right at home.

Keara's Prayer for Donna

Below is a prayer that my "little sister" Keara sent me shortly after I left the states. She is fondly referred to as "Keke." God has anointed her with such wisdom that often times she is the one actually walking in the role as the big sister. Matthew 18: 19-21 states "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

In continuance with Stephanie's prayer

We just thank you even now for all that you have done. From the beginning of allowing her to receive her J.D. to a great position in a firm to this great opportunity. Her steps have been ordered by you since day one and we thank you and praise you for all that you have done thus far for the opportunities that you have set before her. I just pray that God you show yourself mighty in Donna's life, like you have never done before. As she travels to London for the purpose of work, Lord, I ask that you be a comforter and consoler to Donna, and ease all of her confusion and weariness. We know that your plan is bigger than these current moments of doubt and uncertainty, as you have said in your word Isaiah 40 "They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not get weary they shall walk and not faint" Lord we believe and trust you for everything even now. She shall spread her wings as an eagle oh God and serve you and give you glory for all she does and become a great representation of her company, she shall spread her wings of knowledge in addition to running and being diligent in all that she does while in London and while she will doing it all of God we know that you are one step ahead of her leading her and we know that your angels follow right behind her being the support that she needs. Lord as she is in London I pray that she will find balance of life and not work too hard, that she will be happy in well doing Lord, that she will not find any reason to cry or to be homesick. Even now I ask you God to make a way for her friends to visit, financially and through time management. We give all concerns to you and we praise you for the opportunities and we celebrate for each other the great and mighty things that you are doing in our sister's lives. We thank you for this friendship and we know that as you build us individually in the different places of the world wherever we may be, we thank you because you are building us collectively as a group of God fearing sisters. We give you all the glory and the honor because you alone are worthy. In your precious and holy name I do pray Amen.

P.S. I can only imagine what Donna is feeling (because I have never moved out of my home). But I charge all of us as a unity of friends to pray verbally and through these emails for each other during the week and it must be once a week. If we dont help to build each other who will.

Stephanie's Prayer for Donna

Below is an email that my friend Stephanie sent me several days before I left the states for London. I read it several times on my flight and continue to read and meditate on it since my arrival. The Word tells us in John 5:17 "The prayer of a righteous (wo) man is powerful and effective. "

Everybody bow your head for prayer....

"Lord, I just ask that you cover your servant, Donna, with your blood as she travels tomorrow to London. We don't know why you have decided to send her there, but we know that there will be a mighty move of God on her life and the lives of people around her. By going to London, she has chosen to step out on faith, despite the frustration and homesickness. I pray that you continue to guide her life with a good Word daily. Wake her up every morning, allowing her to know that she is blessed to be in a new place, touching lives in London and being touched by the many Christians she will come to meet and encounter on her Sundays in church. There is a reason you have chosen for your vessel to leave her comfort zone to travel to the unknown. We know it is her job sending her there, but we also know that you are sending her there to fulfill whatever purpose that is set for her to fulfill without her or us even knowing how great that purpose is! Do not allow her to be anxious or frustrated, but allow your strength to rest and abide in her at all times, especially when it feels so tough for her to be away from home. Lord, 4 months are going to fly like 4 weeks, 4 days, 4 minutes, 4 seconds. Allow her to cherish the time that she has there in England and also to know and trust in you Lord that she will have a safe homecoming. I thank you Lord God for allowing Donna to be a good friend to us all and I pray that in these 4 months, we do remember to take a second to email Donna to make she is ok. We love you Lord, we honor you Lord, and we give you all the praise and glory. In Jesus' precious name, Amen!!"

Take a minute to mediate on these scriptures: Exodus 15:2, Psalm 28, Psalm 139, and
Philippians 4:4-9,

I MADE IT

I am here. It's really hard to believe. I am hanging in there. Generally I am in good spirits. I only get really sad when I think of my mom and my friends and everything that I left in NY so I try not to think about it. :-) Plane ride was okay. I slept through most of it. Felt excited when I landed but then when I got in the cab, I started crying and couldn't explain why. Ultimately, I know that this is a good opportunity and where God wants me for some very odd reason. I have only had one other experience where I made a decision that I didn't really want to make but did it because that is what God wanted me to do-- ultimately, that decision saved me from being in the World Trade Center when the airplanes were flown into it. So, even though I would have preferred to stay in the states and continue with the things that bring me comfort and predictability, I know that God has me here for a divine reason.

On my way to work today, I did not see any black people. After walking about 15 blocks, I finally saw that the man cleaning the streets was black. Thankfully he stopped and helped me figure out where I was going. I had a huge map (and probably looked crazy) along with large dark sunglasses to hide the look of fear and trepidation.

I am at work today and recovering from jet lag. Everyone here is quite pleasant. I am currently staying at a hotel and will be moving into corporate housing tomorrow. I am looking forward to settling down a bit.

Several of my friends emailed me prayers over the last few days. I have printed them out and will continue to turn to them for strength with the knowledge that I have family and friends who love me and a God who not only loves me but promises to never leave me or forsake me.

The photo above is a picture of a beautiful castle right outside of my hotel named "The Tower of London." The Tower of London is mainly perceived as a medieval place of imprisonment and execution. Nine hundred years of history are embraced within the thick, turreted walls. Even though the Tower's violent years are long gone, they say that an aura of death and medieval torture remains.