October 23rd, I'm back in Mar del Plata!

October 23rd

Dear Friends & Family,

I am so happy to be writing you from my new home in Mar del Plata , Argentina . I arrived here safe and happy by the abundant grace of God, which blessed me every step of the way! I was listed to fly standby on each of the four flights I needed in order to be able to visit my friend in North Carolina on my way to Buenos Aires , and God provided me a seat on each one! And not just any seat either, but first class! I praise the Lord, because flying standby cut the price of the ticket substantially.

I arrived in Argentina on Tuesday morning, October 6th; and I spent my first 5 nights at the National Center of Prayer, which is a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) ministry in Buenos Aires . Though I was originally planning on staying just one night, upon arriving I learned that on the coming Friday there was an international prayer day organized by a group from YWAM Kona, Hawaii, and two of them had come to Buenos Aires to help facilitate. They asked if I’d be willing to help lead the worship music on my violin and so I willingly stayed to participate. It turned out to be a wonderful week, full of great conversation and encouragement as well as great new friendships. It was truly a beautiful thing, sharing meals with two in particular who I had the privilege to come to know- Amy from India , and Onesimo from Cameroon . The diversity of cultures within the great family of Christ is something I truly enjoy!

At last on Sunday the 11th, I arrived to reunite with my Argentine, YWAM family here in the quiet and cool beachside neighborhood just south of the coastal city, Mar del Plata (MDP). It was a very joyful meeting, with lots of kisses on the cheek and lots of fast, Spanish chatting. Almost as soon as I arrived, I opened up the large jar of Adam’s Peanut Butter I had brought, which everyone tried with curiosity. It was so funny to see their faces as they were so surprised at how sticky it felt in their mouths!

I’ve now been here over a week, and we are almost all here together. People have been arriving in pieces as a group of five was gone on a mission trip to England , Egypt and Israel ; and others had gone home to visit their families during the month of September. Not including the husband and wife directors and their three sons, there are 12 of us who are living in community and working full-time together. During the first week, we settled in and started right away to involve ourselves as much as possible in the neighborhood. On Saturday, we had our weekly King’s Kids (youth ministry) meeting at a church in downtown MDP. Our first outreach activity as a team was especially to bless the mothers on Sunday the 18th, which was the nation’s Mother’s day here. We made cards with scriptures inside to pass out in the neighborhood and we performed a drama at the new Evangelical-Christian church in the area. Every time we do a drama, we follow it up with a message, sharing testimonies of the transforming power of Christ in our lives. It was a great time of ministering to the people and their families.

Yesterday I participated for my first time in the official staff meeting of the YWAM base here, and it was very exciting as our directors shared with us the many opportunities ahead to be involved in mission trips and activities. Many times we will be working with one of the 10 other YWAM bases in Argentina . Yesterday evening was the first class of a new session at the First aid and Rescue school in downtown MDP. It was my first time attending as a member, to help facilitate the class. Though I am no longer officially a student of this first-level course, I am still picking up a lot since the first time through my “Argentine” Spanish was only “so-so”. I was relieved as I sat, listening to the professor lecture at his usual speedy pace, and I was able to follow every word! I praise God for gracing me with understanding! One of the other staff members from our base, Pedro and I will be teaching a Basic First Aid and CPR course to students of the School of Missions at the YWAM base located in the province of Corrientes, which is in the Northeast part of the country. It will be my first time presenting this type of material in Spanish, and so it is a great help to be attending the First aid and Rescue School classes now with the perspective of preparing to teach.

I thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement during my visit home in September. I want you to know that without your love and help, I would not be able to have left everything to start afresh, more than 5,000 miles from home. Though I miss you all dearly, I am content here, knowing that I am in the center of God’s will, following His plan for my life. There is no better or safer place to be!

I send you all my love and blessings from the southern hemisphere!

In Christ,

Marissa Griffith

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

Faith is a confidence in God’s plan and provision for our future as well as an expectation that God will fulfill everything he has promised though we haven’t experienced fulfillment yet.

–Jean E. Syswerda