First 2 weeks in Swazi!

Hello everyone!

It’s been a minute since I’ve blogged, and I’ve missed y’all! I’ll start by saying once again how deeply your prayers have been felt here. There have been so many joyful moments, but also some heavy and low ones — and in each of those moments, your prayers have truly been seen and felt. God has been moving in such big ways these past two weeks. We’ve seen fears replaced with confidence, and beautiful unity forming within our team. There’s so much to catch up on, so let’s dive in!

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Arrival in Nsoko, Swaziland

All of us girls arrived in Nsoko on October 6, late that night. All 21 of us were split into two big rooms right next to each other, filled with beds and bunk beds. The week before, we’d been sleeping on the floor back at base in Georgia, all lined up together — so being in beds again actually felt weirdly far apart! A few of us (me and two close friends) pushed our beds together to make a “mega bed” haha.

It’s been sweet to see how much we’ve grown to love living in constant community. The rooms felt more like a house than a home at first, but they’re slowly becoming cozy. In our free time, a friend and I have been watercoloring to make a collage above our “mega bed.” It’s full of Scripture and reminders from the Lord — a little burst of peace and joy above our heads in this temporary home. The adjustment has been real, but I’m so thankful for a place to stay and to grow.

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Swaziland Itself

Swaziland is absolutely stunning! So much greener and more vibrant than I ever imagined. We’re surrounded by gorgeous mountains and endless new plants, trees, and animals. One of our teams even saw giraffes walking down the road one day! Everything here is free range — chickens, pigs, cows, goats… you name it. And yes, that includes snakes and lizards (a few too many of those, honestly).

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Weekly Rhythm

Here’s a little breakdown of our week:

• Tuesday–Friday: Each of our four teams goes to a different care point from about 9–4. We return home for dinner and debrief together in the evenings.

• Saturday: Adventure day! Every week looks different. Last week we went out to a restaurant; this week we’re having a chill day at base.

• Sunday: Sabbath — praise God! These are the sweetest days of rest. This Sunday we’ll be going to church together with our hosts!

• Monday: ATL (Ask the Lord) day —ask the Lord.  A time to seek what the Lord has for us in ministry. Here in Swazi, we stay on base and serve, encourage, and pray for one another. Last week we worshiped together and started a prayer/vision wall in our dining room. It’s now filled with words, verses, and prayers that remind us daily of what God is speaking over our time here.

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My Care Point: “Joyella”

My care point is called Joyella — and it truly lives up to its name!

Each care point has a shepherd and one or two gogos (grandmothers who cook for the kids). Our shepherd, Londi, is incredible. She’s not much older than me and grew up attending this same care point and now leads it with the sweetest, and most loving heart. Around 30–40 kids come daily, and she knows every single one by name.

Care points give children a safe place to go after school (or all day if they don’t attend school) — a place to be fed, loved, and hear the gospel. Our days start around 9 a.m. with devotion and prayer with Londi, followed by home visits and lessons with the kids.

Most of the children arrive around lunchtime, walking from home or school — some from over an hour away — and for many, the meal they receive here is their only one of the day. After eating, we worship together singing Swazi songs, they recite the Lord’s Prayer (in both SiSwati and English), and teach a Bible story or lesson. I taught one this week about sharing our stories to encouraging others! We’ve also done skits, songs; so much “Making Melodies”.. if you know you know, and even learned some dances they know.

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The Kids

Care points have been so filling for me, but also stretching. One of my favorite places to be is with kids — hanging out, loving on them, simply being present. So I’ve deeply missed and also enjoyed this part of ministry.

But it’s also been very different than babysitting or teaching back home. It’s been hard to come face-to-face with the reality of what these kids’ lives are like. Many of the children at my care point are some of the sweetest, most joy-filled kids I’ve ever met — yet they have so little compared to what we’re used to in America.

It’s rare here for a child to have both a mom and dad in their household. And it’s even rarer to find a home untouched by sickness or abuse. Most of the kids walk at least 30 minutes to get to the care point — some walk over an hour — unless they live in a house nearby. And we’re talking preschool and elementary-aged kids, making those long walks completely alone. We even have two-year-olds making the journey by themselves.

Each child brings their own bowl or plate, and when they arrive, they’re served however many scoops of food that bowl can hold. For most of them, it’s the only meal they’ll eat all day. They come in the same one or two outfits every week. A lot of their clothes are in poor condition — clothes we likely wouldn’t let our kids wear out in public in the U.S.

When they arrive, they’re not immediately full of energy or ready to play. They don’t run up wanting to jump or chase a ball. Most of the time, the first thing they want — and sometimes the only thing — is a hug. To be held. To be loved. To feel safe.

They want to be loved unconditionally — the way Christ loves us, and the way He loves them.And despite everything they face, I’ve never seen kids so full of joy. Their smiles are wide, their laughs are loud, and their greetings are the absolute sweetest.

It’s so humbling. So filling.

It makes you realize just how much we really have — and how much we have to give. Whether it’s our time, our love, our prayers, or our finances. There is nothing sweeter than pouring into these kids: teaching them English, playing alongside them, helping them understand how deeply God loves them, and showing them how to love each other.

Home Visits

Home visits are definitely something the Lord is using to grow and stretch me. I’ve been on about four so far, and each one has looked completely different. We go with our shepherd, Londi, and sit with a family or a member of the household. We simply spend time with them — listening, talking, loving on them, sharing the gospel, and praying together.

We’ve met some incredibly sweet women who are desperate for the Lord and for Him to move in their lives.

One woman we visited shared how, a year before we came, God had provided every single resource she needed to build a new house. She firmly believes He will continue to provide, protect, and move in her life. She asked us to pray for healing over a sickness she was struggling with — and you could see her faith even in the middle of her waiting.

Another home we visited was so powerful. We met a woman whose faith reminded me of my mom’s. She moved from South Africa to Swaziland in high school, met her husband, and started a family. She has four kids — all now in their 20s and beginning their own lives. But shortly after her children were born, her husband left.

She’s been raising her family on her own ever since. She’s provided, fed, and poured into her children without a partner — and she gives all the credit to the Lord. She told us about how He’s been her strength and her provider, how gracious and kind He’s been, and how He’s stepped in as the Father to her kids when their earthly father walked away.

She shared her favorite Bible verses and stories that have kept her going — verses about hope, confidence, and the character of God. And while she is standing strong in faith, what she’s carrying is heavy.

Because their father left, her children don’t respect her the way they should. Her oldest grandson has schizophrenia and can be very aggressive and violent. We were able to meet him and could see the hold the enemy has over his life. He wouldn’t allow us to pray over him directly, but we did get to pray over her and the rest of her family.

She believes, with all her heart, that the Lord can bring healing and freedom — and she is desperate for it.

Please be praying over her:

• For strength and continued faith

• For protection over her and her family

• For healing and complete freedom in her grandson’s life

• For boldness for us as we continue to witness to him, and for sensitivity to the Spirit as we follow wherever God leads

These visits have been so impactful — deeply emotional and eye-opening. Each one looks a little different, but every time, we walk away reminded that the Lord sees these people, hears their prayers, and is already at work in their stories.

Fear & Faith

These past two weeks have held a lot — and the Lord and I have already walked through so much together.

One of the biggest things our squad has been facing is fear, especially at night. For many of us, it started with small things — fear of snakes, massive spiders, bad dreams, and the dark — but it quickly began to grow and spill into our days as well.

It wasn’t just nighttime anymore. I started feeling fearful wherever I went. Whether I was at a care point, on a home visit, or even just walking around base, I constantly feared for my safety.

And honestly — I became so tired of being afraid.

So I started reading a Psalm every night before bed. I began committing them to memory and repeating them to myself throughout the day. The Lord began to still my heart and my mind. As the fear started to flee from my mind His truth gently began flooding in.

He’s been gently showing me the difference between being cautious and being fearful. Teaching me about the authority and protection I have in Him.

He reminded me that He is my shield — covering me, guarding me, protecting me. He’s brought me back to the truth that no matter how tightly or loosely I’m clinging to Him, He’s always clinging to me tighter.

And because He’s faithful to use everything for good, even our fear has produced fruit.

It’s given us the opportunity to come together in deeper ways — to worship through it together, to pray over each other, to fight in prayer for peace and protection. It’s created more unity within our squad and opened up new ways to care for one another.

For those of you who have been praying over our nights, thank you. Your prayers have been felt — and His responses have been seen here.

In this, the Lord has also been growing my confidence in Him. He’s been showing me that my confidence is a gift from Him, and that no one and nothing can take it away but me.

He’s also been teaching me more about who He says I am, who I am in Him. I’ve started writing them down in the back of one of my notebooks as a reminder.

A few of them:

• Daughter

• Mighty Warrior

• Servant of God

• Redeemed

• Set apart

It’s one thing to know what He’s called us. It’s another thing to truly believe it and live like it’s true.

He’s called you these things too. Believe it and live this way. He’s given us truth to Receive so that we can Respond to Him in living out what He’s called us to for His namesake. What a gift it is to be able to lay down our lives for Him because He laid down His.

I would love for y’all to continue praying — for me, my team, and our entire squad of girls. Your prayers have been powerful and so deeply felt.

Here are some specific ways you can be lifting us up:

• Our Squad:

Pray that fear would continue to flee and that each girl would grow in boldness and confidence in the Lord. That we would stand firm in who He says we are and walk in that daily.

• The Guys in Manzini:

The guys in our squad are doing ministry in another area, and the Lord is moving powerfully in and through them as well. Pray for strength, protection, and fruit in their ministry.

• The Family We Visited:

Please pray for the woman we met who’s carrying so much — for renewed strength, for spiritual and emotional protection, and for breakthrough in her grandson’s life. Pray for freedom in Jesus’ name. And pray for boldness and discernment as we continue to interact with him.

• The Kids at Our Care Points:

Pray that they would come to know and experience the deep love of God — and that they would bring that love home to their families. Pray that they would be the beginning of lasting change in their communities. No more broken families. No more abuse. More of Jesus.

• Our Shepherd, Londi:

Pray for her family as they continue trying to build a home — that God would provide every resource they need. Pray that their rental business would take off and that God would continue to fill Londi’s cup daily as she pours into so many others. Pray that His path for her life would be made clear and that she would walk in it with confidence.

• Our Team’s Ministry:

As we head into another week of serving, pray that we would be refilled and refreshed by the Lord — so that everything we pour out would be from Him. Pray that we would walk in step with the Spirit in every conversation, lesson, and moment.

• My Heart:

I’m feeling a little homesick — missing my family and all of you. Please pray that the Lord would continue to stretch me and deepen my dependence on Him in the middle of this.

Thank you! I love you all!!