London Overground

As of yesterday, I've been here for a week! It feels like months. Mostly just because so much has happened. I've had ups and downs, ins and outs. I've been caught by surprise and found comfort in the smallest things (found the lovely documentary Helvetica right here at the campus library and Skippy peanut butter at my local grocery). 


On to the surprises. For months I've been crazy anxious about what life with God would look like here. There's something very nerve racking about finding the one thing you desperately need in a place where you don't know you'll be able to find it. Even before arriving,I had felt distant from God. Our relationship gets foggy when I stop asking Him to show me who He really is and when I begin to lean on what I think I need to do. It gets exhausting trying to fulfill a Godly life without necessarily pursuing God Himself. 


Three days after I arrived here, I met a friend through the Christian Union on campus. We immediately hit it off and talked forever over tea. I explained to her that I was tired and God hadn't seemed real in awhile. She knew where I was coming from and encouraged me to abandon such a structured belief. I needed to get out of what I thought God wanted and go directly to the source without apprehension. 


After our conversation and an amazing afternoon at church, I felt more loved by God than I have in months. I had been at a crossroads and just when it seemed tempting to go the one way, God grabbed ahold and yanked me towards Him. It has been more than completely obvious that God isn't finished in fulfilling my understanding of Him, especially here in London.


You can check out the church I plan on attending here in London @ christchurchlondon.com 


More adventures. A couple of my flat mates and I went out to Notting Hill this Saturday for a girl's day out. It's such a trendy place, a mix of tourists and locals enjoying what the afternoon had to offer: small, multi-level vintage clothing shops, crepe stands, pubs and antique stands. It's hussely and bussely with so many people set out on the cobblestone streets. Weaving in and out of the crowd, it's easy to hear bits of conversations in loads of different languages. So eclectic. I managed to catch some of the atmosphere on film without seeming too much like a tourist...

never had pizza like this before, it was, as you can imagine, AH-mazing.

Tash and I standing in front of a sign shop. 

We both ended up buying street signs.

This Sunday was also the kick-off to a weekly dinner with our new family (those in my flat and others who might as well live here too). This week we had a proper roast that included beef, carrots, potatoes, yorkshire puddings, benioff pie and brownies (which, of course, I made).

I feel so happy to have been placed with these flat mates. Honestly, it's hard to believe we've only known each other for a week. Love it when life comes together like this.