Daniel Darnell

7in7 Day 6 – “God With Us”

danielgdarnell — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:44:04 +0000

This is my attempt to write a new Christmas song. I think I want to add one more verse at the end, but have not written it yet. Hope you enjoy it!

Lyrics:

Rejoice, O Church, and sing
Of our God who’s come to earth
Jesus Christ our King
The promised Messiah

The Word of God made flesh
And dwelt among us all
By His coming we are blessed
Humbled to our knees we fall

Emmanuel
God with us

Creator God you made
All the world at your command
And came to earth to save
The wretched souls of men

7in7 Day 5 – “I’ve Still Got You”

danielgdarnell — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:20:08 +0000

I’m a little behind on recording and posting my songs from 7in7, so here is #5 just a few days late.

Lyrics:

When left to myself
I’ll destroy everything
I’ll destroy everything

You rescued my heart
And now you’ve changed everything in me

When my world comes crashing down
I can feel you all around
When the enemy surrounds
I’ve still got you
Even when I’ve gone astray
I can hear you call my name
When all the hope around me fades
I’ve still got you

I’m the chief of sinners
I do what I don’t want to do
I do what I don’t want to do

You’re Spirit helps me
And by the cross you’ve set me free from sin

7in7 Day 4 – “The War Within”

danielgdarnell — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:55:42 +0000

Here’s my 4th song for the 7in7 songwriting challenge. It’s about the war within myself. See Roman’s 7 and 8.

Lyrics:

I feel like I’m
Back to where I began
Back to where I began
Last time

I was afraid
That it might come to this
That it might come to this
Again

I’m waging war
Waging war
With myself

I was deceived
I thought I had put this
I thought I had put this
To death

This time around
I know the enemy
I know the enemy
Is strong

So sharpen your knife, get ready your gun
This time around there’ll be no where to run
The wounds will be bloody, the loss will be great
But the reward you’re promised will far outweigh

I’m waging war
Waging war
With myself

7in7 Day 3 – “By My Side”

danielgdarnell — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:02:00 +0000

Here’s my third song from the 7in7 songwriting challenge. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

Last night I watched your sleep
As you laid there so peacefully
With a small smile on your face
Full of elegance and grace

It’s such a cold, cold night
Without you by my side
It’s such a cold, cold night
Without you by my side

When I wake from a nightmare
I role over to find you there
As I pull close and feel your warm breath
My heartbeat slow in my chest

So hold me tight
Don’t let me go
Your embrace is like
No other place I know
All my fears
They fade away
Forever I will stay

7in7 Day 2 – “Calling Your Name”

danielgdarnell — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 04:20:51 +0000

Here’s my 2nd song for the 7in7 songwriting challenge. I cowrote this one with my fiancée Ava Baird in the style of the Civil Wars. Loved writing with her. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

The time has come
To say goodbye
To all the things
That have left me dry
I need your hand
To pick me up
‘Cause I’m sick and tired
And all out of luck

I need your grace
To pardon me
From all my shame
And iniquity
So what’s the use
Of seeking gold
If I gain the world
Yet lose my soul

Who’s gonna carry my burden
Who’s gonna carry my pain
I’m so tired of trying
Lord, hear me calling your name

Tarry no more
And answer me
One thing I ask
And this I plead
To save my soul
From the depths of hell
And take me home
Where I long to dwell

7in7 Day 1 – “Fall Into Me”

danielgdarnell — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:17:42 +0000

It’s that time of year again! I will be doing the 7 songs in 7 days songwriting challenge again. You can check out the songs I posted from last year’s challenge here.

So without further adieu, here’s my first song, “Fall Into Me.”

Lyrics:

Love
Come fall into me
Tell me your secrets
And tell me your dreams

Love
Give me your hand
I’ll take you places
You’ve never been

Love
There’s no reason to hide
I’ll be right here
Right by your side

Love
I’ll hold you tight
Throughout the day
And into the night

One day time will surely tell
How our love withstood Heavn’ and hell
We’ll prove all the skeptics wrong
Who say that love is all but gone
We will walk hand in hand
Until we reach the very end
As God’s my witness in all I do
Darling know that I love you

Love
Look into my eyes
I promise I’ll love you
For the rest of our lives

Love
Will you be my bride
Cause I cannot live
Without you by my side

London Layover

danielgdarnell — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:30:43 +0000

On our way back from Nairobi a few of us decided to have an extended layover in London on our own dime and enjoy the city. This was my first time in London and, I must say, I loved it! We stayed in a little hotel in the Bayswater/Kensington area which on just a stone’s throw away from Hyde Park and Notting Hill. The first day we hit the town running early visiting Big Ben, Westminster, and Buckingham Palace. We then came back to our hotel, showered, and headed back out for dinner and drinks.

Big Ben

Westminster

Buckingham Palace

Green Park

Day two started off with a rainy morning so we decided to head to the British Museum. After a quick lunch we then headed to the Tower Bridge and Castle. We were soaking wet by the time we arrived there but by God’s grace the rain stopped and we were able to enjoy the afternoon. We then headed back to the hotel to get some dry clothes on. I decided to head out to Hyde Park while the girls went shopping. For dinner we went on a stroll through Notting Hill on Portobello Rd and grabbed some sushi. After we visited a local pub and then called it a night as we had a 5am wake-up call the next morning.

Tower Bridge

Tower Castle

Portobello Road

The Tube

London was a great way to finish our trip, though it was a stark contrast to what we experienced in Nairobi. I’m still recovering from jetlag and a little cold but am hoping to share some more thoughts on my experience in Kibera soon.

Kibera: The Final Day

danielgdarnell — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:17:42 +0000

I cannot believe that my time in Kenya has come to a close. It seems like only yesterday we were boarding a plane to Nairobi.

Our last 2 days here have been just wonderful. Yesterday we went back into Kibera in the morning to finalize our class 8 bios and photos. We also did a quick art project with class 3 where they painted magnets in the shape of Africa. It was fun working with these little ones.

Kids painting.

Being that it was the 4th of July, our group went out had a putt-putt and bowling tournament. Ava and I got 2nd place in putt-putt but 1st place in bowling. We then had dinner at the Art Cafe. As any good American would do, I ordered a hamberger, french fries, and a coke. It was delicious.

Then came today; our last day. Driving into Kibera our bus was silent as everyone reflected on our time here. All the beautiful faces. All the joyful kids. All the poverty. It really is a jolting experience but one that I will never forget. Today was simply a day of goodbyes. We went around and held and hugged all the kids we could. Tears were streaming down faces. I can honestly say these kids have stolen my heart. All the students gathered around one final time to wish us well and sing for us. It was beautiful.

The kids saying goodbye.

It’s hard to summarize all we’ve done and experienced here. Hopefully this blog has successfully shared my experience with you all. If there is something in your heart that is drawn to my story and the story of the children of Kibera, know that this could be your story too. There are way too many needs still here in Kibera, specifically at New Hope. Class 8 will take their final exam this fall, determining if they can go to high school. If they pass they will need someone to sponsor them in their education through the Kibera Penda Project. You could be that person. The high school students currently in the Kibera Penda Project will also need continued sponsors for that coming years. Finally, you could come here yourself and meet these wonderful children. But I must warn you, it’ll change you.

For more information on all the work that is going on here and across Africa, visit New Hope Initiative’s website. If you would like to purchase handmade items from the mothers in Kibera, check out Project Biashara’s website.

Finally, thank you for reading my blog. I will continue sharing thoughts, experiences, and opportunities in Kibera and beyond here. And thank you for all your prayers. Please pray for our travels as we make our way back to the States. For those that don’t know we’ve decided to stop in London on our way back since we only got to spend 4 hrs there. I’ll share some pictures from that on here as well.

Kibera: Day 12

danielgdarnell — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 15:20:27 +0000

Today we went in to Kibera to worship with our brothers and sisters at New Hope Church. While I cannot understand most of what they sing or say, there’s a presence there that still feels comfortable. I’m gonna say it’s the Holy Spirit. Another church group helped lead worship and gave the sermon today. Then Ava and I sang Mighty To Save as the special song. One thing I love about African church culture is the call and response style of worship. That, and the fact that they naturally harmonize with each other and have perfect rhythm.

Worshipping with my Kenyan family.

David and Me (and a random kid)

After church we took the other groups to the Masai market to get gifts and souvenirs while our team got coffee from Java House and worked on prayer journals for the students. We then grabbed a quick bite at a Chinese restaurant next door and came home for an early evening. Now our team is resting and working on a few small projects for our final 2 days here.

Please pray for me. I’m starting to feel a cold or something coming on. I’m feeling pretty worn out. We have 2 days left here before we head to London and then back to the States so health is a priority.

Kibera: Day 11

danielgdarnell — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:41:47 +0000

I nearly forgot today was Saturday until I was reminded that church was tomorrow morning. My, how the time flys!

Today was a long, yet fun day. We started the day by heading into Kibera, like usual. The women hung out with the girls while a few guys took a tour of the Kibera slum. So far I’ve only seen the edges of Kibera and the school grounds, both which fail to do the disparity of Kibera justice. Kibera is comprised of thousands of tiny shacks made from sticks, mud, and tin metal. The ground is constantly soggy, with streams of feces-filled water running through the middle of a maze of muddy walkways and passages. Children fill these so-called “streets” and so do chickens, dogs, cats, and other crawling creatures. The smell of baked bread and corn mixes with the stench of sewage. Little shops line the streets selling anything from a bucket of charcoal to a small fried piece of bread. This is just a glimpse of Kibera.

The streets of Kibera.

Trash-filled streets.

In the afternoon we helped host a youth rally at the Uhulu Gardens park. Nearly 150 youth came out from both New Hope and Langata high school to play games, eat lunch, sing songs, hear the Word, and pray. The students seemed to have a blast. Ava and I helped lead some songs while others lead games and gave the message.

Students playing tug-of-war.

Langata students doing a drama.

Tomorrow we’ll be heading back to New Hope Baptist Bible Church for worship in the morning. Pastor Simon asked me to help lead the Bible study before the main service. The subject: soteriology. Gulp. Please pray for me!