The Best Days of My Life!

Welp folks, this is a double blog week. Last week I didn't have time to blog because the power was out and we only had about an hour of internet (and it was very slow). This is Africa folks!

This week is what I have deemed the "week of growth". It started with last Tuesday. Last Tuesday my team asked if I would play guitar and lead worship for them. I've been learning guitar off and on for years, but I've never really been dedicated to it. I was not really excited to play for them, but I did pray earlier that week that I would have the opportunity to practice playing in front of people (be careful what you pray for…..). So I played for them and we worshiped. I messed up a lot and just laughed at myself (thankfully I have the best team in the world so they laughed along side of me. They were super supportive!).

Wednesday is our day off. I was looking forward to getting to talk to my parents and all of you lovely people on the internet. We walked to the internet cafe with the good American food- as soon as we got there, the power went out. After sitting in town all day we got an hour of internet. I was happy to check birthday messages (I have the best family in the world- just in case you all were wondering! My sister especially- she definitely made my birthday away from home extra special!). But it was also a hard day. Wednesdays are nice because we get to connect with the people we love back home, but they're also hard because the remind us of how much we miss everyone we love back home. It's hard knowing that life goes on in America, even when you're not there.

Friday I preached. I did NOT volunteer to speak. My lovely leaders told me that I was doing it…. (love you guys….. no but seriously I do). I was not looking forward to it at all. If you know me, you know I'm not shy. I'm not afraid of public speaking the way most people are, I actually enjoy it. But the truth is, I was overwhelmed. I was tiered, and hurting, and I felt like I was not at a good place to speak to a building full of church leaders. I have the best team, and they were so supportive, but I was not looking forward to it. Before I spoke I prayed that God would speak through me. I prayed that whatever came out of me would be His words and not mine. Because the truth is, if they were just mine I was going to sound like a spaz. As soon as I prayed I just felt a peace come over me. I knew that He would speak, not me. I spoke on the significance of the armor of God. It's just something I have always valued and have been learning more about. I have no idea if what I said spoke to anyone in that room. But I know what I said was not what I was planning on saying, I know God definitely intervened there.

Tuesday was the best day of my entire life. God is so good. SO GOOD. He knew that after this week, I NEEDED a pick me up. He knew that I needed to find purpose again. Tuesday night I went to the most amazing Invisible Children Screening in the entire world…. EVER. Ok so in previous blogs I have mentioned Invisible Children (if you forgot- go to www.invisiblechildren.com). For the past 7 years I have supported IC. I have been to and hosted many screenings in my home town. Tuesday we found out they were having a screening of their new movie at 7:00. Our team knew we had to go. We got there and there were thousands of Africans. I have been moved by invisible children films in the past, but this was different. I was watching this with people who this was their lives. In two months, I leave, they don't. This is all the know, this is REAL to them. Standing on the back of a pickup truck looking over the thousands of Ugandans, I have never felt more alive. Pictures and words will never describe the feeling. I just looked at my team and we all knew what the other was feeling, we didn't need words- we knew we were a part of history.

I called it the "week of growth" because while trials and difficulties were sent my way they didn't tear me down, but built me up. I look back on the week and it makes me laugh. Want to hear the list of things I prayed God would do in me this week? I prayed for growth, that I would become more mature in my relationship with Him (answered in basically everything I did this week). I prayed for inspiration, that I would find passion (answered via Invisible Children- I've always been passionate about them, but my fire was re-ignited). I prayed for peace (answered in how I felt speaking on Friday). I prayed for strength (answered in the pure joy God gave me this week- Nehemiah 8:10). When I said be careful what you pray for- I meant it. Our God is a God who doesn't just listen to prayers, He answers them. I've learned that sometimes it's hard to pray big prayers because we're afraid God won't answer them. And truth is- He might not answer it the way you want, but He will answer you. Don't limit God in what you pray for. In the beginning of this trip I told my team I was afraid to ask God to bring the end of the LRA. Now- I pray for it every day, and I TRUST that He will. So pray big prayers people- we have a God who is powerful enough to answer them!
Love and miss you all!
<3Darby