Sabrina Smith23, co-president of the church choir, sings soprano. Claims examiner for Kaiser.

Pastor Barnes used to always come to Harmony Mission Baptist Church and preach on their broadcast, at 6 o'clock. He was so down-to-earth. He wasn't a type of preacher that would read a scripture and just preach, but he would dissect it and everything. I really felt this spirit with him. I kept telling my dad: I want to go to Pastor Barnes' church, I want to go to Pastor Barnes' church. But I never did know the church was Abyssinian. One day my sister met her fiancée and he went to Abyssinian, so that's how I came here.

Being a Christian itself is challenging, because there's a lot of things you have to change. Things you used to do, God will come into your life and make you not do it any more: clubbing, drinking, anything like that. Worldly things. And once that happened and God come into your life, that was challenging. But when He took full control, I dedicated myself to Him. I'm not going to say it's easy. But Pastor always teaches us here at Bible class: If you get knocked down you have to get up. God is always there.

I've always sung, since I was a little kid. So listening to the choir and feeling the spirit there, I just joined the choir one Thursday night. I’ve been president for two years now. Pastor, he prayed about it and prayed and prayed about it. The Lord told him there was a work for me to do in the choir as far as being the president. So I took it and I ran. Just keeping the choir in order: fundraisers, encouragement to the choir, robes, things like that. Every Sunday I sing. It's a way I can praise. It's making a joyful noise just for me to open my mouth and sing praises unto Him, because He's worthy. It's a happy feeling. It's just like when you go outside and you're real cold— it's like a shiver you get, because you're doing something that's pleasing in the sight of God.

There's around eleven men, and the rest are women. It's what, thirty-six choir members, and we're growing constantly. Sundays and Saturdays we have a broadcasting that is live on channel 26. It's not stressful at all, just like regular church service. No one is actually focused on the cameras being on us. The only rehearsal that we do have is choir rehearsal, just to sing and get everything together. When we sing we have to be prayed up, because we are a ministry, so we are trying to minister to others.

Challenging? Whew, yes! Attitudes! Sometimes there's people that don't listen and want to do it their way, instead of what God told me to let them know. I'm not going to lead them wrong, as long as I'm with God. I'm not going to lead them wrong. So that's the hard thing, with different attitudes. Usually we will work together and find out what the problem is. If we have to stop choir rehearsal and just start praying, we will do it, and get back on the one accord we should be on. We have to get the devil out of here. He has to go back to Hell. He cannot dwell in this house. Faith will lock the door. And that's how the choir is making it now: by reading the word of God and staying focused with Him, and prayer. That's the only way. No other way will work.

When I was in Oakland there was a drug issue, gangs was an issue. I lived on East 31st. We were in a house, and we moved to an apartment because one of my sisters was moving into her boyfriend’s house, and it was just me and my sister. We couldn’t afford to stay.

Now I live in Alameda with my sister. I haven’t had a problem since I moved. It’s becoming expensive to live in Oakland. They have raised rent, and it’s a shame. I guess they’re trying to build a community, which is a good thing, but people don’t make as much as they’re raising rent to be. It’s ridiculous, really. For instance West Oakland was maybe the ghetto, and they’re trying to upgrade so kids could have a better community and learn better and do better—but the price is just outrageous.

I’m trying to get married in the year 2002 and me and my fiancé are saving up now. It’s hard to even save up for a wedding. Usually weddings are like $10,000 or more. Yeah, you spend $10,000 on a wedding. We’re trying our best. I just got a new position making more money and he also has a new position. We want to buy a house really, because I’m gonna want to have kids eventually. But only thing we can do is ask for God’s help.

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Sabrina Smith