It feels like home, the way the hills are flowing like the ocean. Seems that everything I look at shines bright and wants to be known. The sky hazy like a morning fog but the ground radiating with light. And wind that flows through my hair and gives me clarity so I can see. Birds that float with the wind and others that fight it.

The industrial architecture is behind us, slowly getting deeper into the natural world, letting go of luxury and opening doors to Alim a sanctuary of lakes and palms. Trees are becoming more saturated and hills becoming more vast.

Occasionally Passing through villages. People walking, smiling, looking into each other’s eyes, no phones. They are alive but seem to not have much reason to why they live. Some working hard for their families and others who seem to care only about the moment they are in, seems to me the smiles are only temporary and are masks that stop us from seeing the brokenness in their hearts.

What must we do?

The village behind us…One road, two directions…we venture back into the wild country where human order starts to fall and natural order, Godly order shines.

Tell me, tell me why beauty exists in the nothingness, where there is nothing is where it’s everything. There is room, room for him, room for his presence to rest.

I wrote this on the drive from Johannesburg South Africa to Mazini Swaziland ( Eswatini )

It’s been two weeks here in Swaziland, and it’s been amazing!

All the boys (12 of us) are in Manzini, and the girls (25) are in Nosko. Manzini is the biggest city in the country, and we usually go downtown a couple of times a week—typically on the weekends—for groceries and to do ministry.

My team is serving at a care point, which is a place where kids come after school for food, play, and community. The care point we’re at is also a school, so there are kids around all day. It’s been incredible getting to know them, learning the local language, and being a light to those around us.

Cool Encounters

I’ve had some amazing God moments!

One day, my friends Parker, Malachi, and I were downtown. We were feeling a bit discouraged and low on energy, just walking and asking the Lord to send someone our way. We walked across the whole town—about an hour—and nothing seemed to be happening. We sat in silence for about 10 minutes in one of the main squares, then decided to head back.

As we were walking through a parking lot, we suddenly heard someone shout one of our Siswati (local language) names. We turned quickly and saw two men—Tsepo and Siyabonga. They had met one of our teammates earlier that week. We started chatting, and they began pouring encouragement and life into us. It was 100% a God-send. We ended up praying over each other right there in the parking lot and talked for about an hour. It was such a reminder that God is faithful.

The Care Point

Our care point is about a 20-minute drive down a dirt road, tucked into a beautiful valley. When we arrive, we always greet the gǒgǒ’s (grandmothers), who cook food for all the kids in a small hut over a wood fire using a massive three-legged pot.

After greeting them, our team gathers to pray—honestly, one of the best parts of the day.

Then we either help out in the preschool, teaching the little ones to spell, write, and learn about Jesus—or we go on house visits.

A house visit is where we walk to someone’s home, open, expectant—but without expectations. One time, we walked 45 minutes to a house. When we arrived, the first thing we heard was:
“Now you will make fire.”
We had nothing to make a fire with, but somehow we found three matches, some dry grass, and wood. The fire started, we boiled water in a big pot, prayed for the homeowner, and left.

Another time, we arrived at a house and had no idea what to expect. They brought out a bamboo mat for us to sit on, and the homeowner asked to hear some Scripture. We read with her, and then I asked, “Is there anything we can do for you?” She looked at the grass in her yard and told us to cut it and make sure only dirt remained. All we had were shovels. It took about an hour to clear just a small spot. When we finished, she simply said, “You can go now.”

be expectant, but not expecting.

What I’m Learning

Personally, I’ve been learning what it means to be fully dependent on God—not just when things are hard, but even when everything is going great. I’m realizing how easy it is to slip into thinking I don’t need Him when things are good. But that’s when I need to lean on Him even more, thanking Him and surrendering to Him daily.

I’ve also been learning how to love—really love—people. Especially my brothers here in Swazi. Learning to love each other is so important. I’m also learning how to love God more deeply.

Being dependent on Him has brought me so much joy—it’s actually wild. The joy that comes when you surrender everything to God is powerful and contagious. I feel like God is the potter, shaping my heart into the man He wants me to be, not who I want to be.

I’m learning how to open my heart and not be stubborn. I’m learning to surrender daily and put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10–20). My relationship with the Lord is growing, and I’m so stoked about it.

Brotherhood

My friendships here are deep and real. My buddy Malachi and I have gotten close—he also grew up on the mission field in India and Thailand, so we relate on a lot of levels. The other day we climbed a small mountain near our complex—bushwhacking for half of it—and stumbled upon what looked like a tomb. We prayed over it, then continued to the summit.

He’s been a great brother. We can joke around and have light moments, but we also have really good, deep conversations.

Thank You + Fundraising

This blog is a bit of this and that, but I hope it gives you a good picture of what life is like here.

Thank you so, so much for reading!

Fundraising is currently at 61%—God has been so good! I’d love to partner with you if you feel led to support me on this mission.

Here is a link to support 🙂

Click Here!

Note: Communication is spotty, so if you reach out, I may not respond right away. Weekends are usually the best time to hear back from me.

With gratitude,
Bridger