Thankful Thursday...He Loves To Delight Us!

There are times in your life whenever you know that it is God who moved big time on your be half. Times where He did things just because he wanted to delight his child. 

My team was one of those ways that God surprised me and delighted me. He could have put me with any 'ol team...but he placed me with the perfect team. And He did it in a very interesting way. Most people find their teams through church, school, or friend. Not my case. 

For many years I have been praying that God would send me on a mission trip. And because God says that you can pray for specific things...I prayed for Africa. I kept praying that God would open the door. 

Months passed...and my dad decided to look on our church website for teams. Side note: he is such an amazing Dad. Anyway, he found a team for me! I checked out their website...sounded pretty amazing! I knew some of the people that were going. Sweet. I figured that this was the door I had prayed for God to open. 

But as the first meeting for the team drew closer..something didn't feel right. I couldn't figure out what it was!! I had dreamed of going to Africa...God had opened the door...and yet something just didn't feel right. I kept thinking...what is my problem?! I didn't want to tell my parents about these feelings I was having because it had taken a lot of work for them to even think about sending me to Africa...I didn't want to put doubts in their mind! So I just kept quiet.

Then one day I woke up earlier than usual and decided to catch up on some blogs that I loved reading. Thats when I came across this post. Oh my good heavennnsssss!!! It was probably only 5:30 a.m yet I just felt like jumping up and down on my bed whenever I read this!!! Part of me was saying...this is so silly...I am already signed up with another team..and plus...I have never even commented on this blog...I mean...golly gee...its a BLOG...my parents would never agree to this. Yet the other half of me was saying...GO!!!!!! So I got in the shower and thought more about it. I just kept laughing out loud at my self thinking...Why am I even doing this to myself...I just need to get this out of my mind for good. Yet I couldn't. I began to pray and pray that God would open the door for me to GO. Please God...pleaaaase!??

I decided to email my dad about it (he was out of town at the time). I just said something like "Dad, I know this is so crazy...but just think about it". And then when my mom woke up I barely even said good morning before I practically screamed "Mom, you have just got to think about it! Please mom...just go read this post!" 

I went to school that day and it was all I could think about. I even told my dearest friend (yes, thats you, Jess!) to please pray for me about something. I didn't tell her what, partly because I knew she would think I was nuts...and partly because I didn't want to get too excited about something so crazy as this. I texted my sister and told her to pray. 

That night my dad called me and told me "email them"...whhaaaaaat? Really...did my dad just say to email some random people I met online about going to AFRICA!? 

So I did...and the rest is history. They invited me to join their team. We talked to them on the phone that weekend...and bought my plane ticket later that next week. Even as it was happening I couldn't believe it.

Some nights I would lay in bed and think to my self..."what if these people are just plain wackos that are going to kidnap me and take me to Africa!?" But I would always end up going to sleep with a smile on my face thinking...I can't believe this is happening! I felt like the luckiest girl alive.

I got intouch with some of the girls that were going via facebook*. They sounded so sweet! One night the team even invited me to be apart of their team meeting via *skype. Yes it was akward...but they were so sweet! 

When people would ask "are you going with your church?? or school??? or what?" I'd always feel so strange trying to tell them the story. Sometimes I'd just say...."its a long, crazy story."

I sometimes wondered while waiting for the trip to come...why this team? What was a matter with the other team? Why am I so stinken' elated over traveling with a team from out of state that I have never met?! This isn't like me. 

Yet, after returning home. After crying my little eyes out as I had to say goodbye to them. I knew. He did it to delight me. Plain and simple. 

They were like family in every way. And I can not stop strategizing  ways to get me up to Colorado to see them again. 

I am forever grateful to MY GOD that loves to delight us.  

Some photos...

We stayed up way after dark on the patio laughing and chatting about the day...

We'd wake up early to sit on the patio and laugh some more...
We'd do stupid things just to make us laugh again...
We worked hard...

We loved...

...and we laughed some more

...got way to excited about yummy food...

...like mirinda!!!

...got our hand dirty together.
...and so so much more. 

Today I am thankful for my God who does big things to delight his children. I am thankful for Team Uganda Go 09.