about me!
Hey y’all! My name is Rivers Bliss and I am from San Marcos, Texas.
I grew up in the church and met Jesus for myself when I was 12 years old. I currently serve with YWAM Fire and Fragrance South Africa, working to bring the Kingdom of God through education in Africa.
I love poetry, pizza, and indie rock. I am passionate about people knowing Jesus is fun, inviting Gen Z into the Great Commission, and worshipping the Lord in creativity.
my journey in missions
If I look throughout my life, I know that missions has always been something I was called to.
However, I didn’t grow up assuming I was going into missions or into ministry at all. I wanted to be an astronaut, a pop star, a scientist, a writer, an artist. Anything that sounded fun and adventurous.
Even though I grew up in the church, it wasn’t until I was 12 that I met Jesus for myself. Jesus came to me through a little pink devotional in my bedroom, introducing Himself as a friend first and foremost. The verse that saved me is still clear in my memory - Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me if you search for me with all of your heart.”
Ever since that first moment hearing His voice as a little girl, I began to fall in love with this beautiful savior. He was my best friend, my safe place, my savior, and my Lord. He was the place I would come home to.
In High School, I began to know the Holy Spirit more personally and this relationship with Jesus became all the more real. His presence was with me, no matter where I was or what I was doing. I felt the life-changing, unending, ridiculous love of Jesus - a love powerful enough to offer hope to the most hopeless. A grace strong enough to cover the darkest of sins and the worst of weaknesses.
It was during this time in High School when I first felt called to missions. I was at summer camp, and just 15 years old, when I first felt invited into the mission field. From the first moment I felt called, I understood that missions was not just a task God was asking me to do. I understood that missions was an invitation to fall deeper in love with Jesus. My step of obedience that would lead me to know Him more.
discipleship training school
Shortly after High School, in September of 2020, I did my Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Kona. This is the entry-level school for YWAM, with a three-month lecture phase all about “Knowing God,” and a three month outreach all about “Making God Known.”
This Fire and Fragrance DTS was an incredible, set-apart season where I fell even deeper in love with Jesus. God also confirmed so many words in my life about longterm missions, and it was here that I said yes to anything and everything God wanted to do in my life. “I’ll go anywhere, I’ll do anything, God - just put me where you want me.”
rev & ref
In January of 2022, a few months after my DTS finished, I joined Fire and Fragrance South Africa (FFSA). Initially, I just came to do a ten-month school with them called Foundations for Revival and Reformation (Rev & Ref). This school consisted of three quarters, each with a different focus - Bible, Worldview, and Leadership/Communications.
Before doing this school, I felt the Lord say that it would be “foundations for the long haul.” I did not realize how weak I truly was until I was suddenly being stretched academically, spiritually, and physically. I came to the end of myself many times, only to be met with the kindness of the Lord each time. This school rooted me so much deeper in spirit and in truth, as I learned the entire storyline of the Bible, God’s original design for every sphere of society, and how to run after the specific things He was calling me to do.
currently
After Rev & Ref ended, I committed to come back to FFSA and continue working with education in South Africa. While I am not a certified teacher, God has opened doors for me to come alongside and serve what He wants to do in education on this base. FFSA has dreams and plans to bring change through teacher training, biblically based schools, serving existing schools, and one day, even summer camps. I am so honored to get to serve in this arena as our base pioneers several new efforts, both locally and in other nations of Africa.
fire & fragrance south africa
As FFSA, we are passionate about living a life intimately connected to the presence of Jesus. We believe that through this, we will see the world around us transformed by His love. Our community exists to empower and equip people to be fiery-eyed ambassadors of Christ - whether that be across the street or across the globe.
Our five main focuses are:
1. Prayer Room - exalting Jesus in worship and contending with Him for His people
2. Evangelism - reaching individuals and nations with the wonderful news of the gospel
3. Training - centering our lives around Jesus and equipping people to wildly follow Him with all of their heart
4. Media - rewriting South Africa's story to align with God's design
5. End Bible Poverty Now - seeing every person in Southern Africa have a Bible in their language.
I am incredibly privileged to get to be a part of this community and the story God is writing in South Africa. This base has only been running for 3 years, and has already hosted 500 short-term missionaries, seen almost 10,000 salvations, and is growing to over 100 full-time staff. We have ministries that reach into almost every corner of Potchefstroom - a literacy program, a Discipleship Training School, a Bible School, a rehab ministry, a prostitute ministry, and evangelism throughout the city. On top of this, we have a vision and a plan to see all of Africa transformed by the fullness of the Gospel - a Gospel that saves not only individuals, but nations.
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© 2022 jc & ri
