To my Dear Friends & Family on January 10th, 2010

I want to wish you a belated “Feliz Navidad!” and a “Prospero año!” from Santiago, Chile. I am here with my best friend from our home YWAM base of Mar del Plata, Argentina for the Southern Cone YWAM Conference. I also write to share with some of the testimonies of God’s greatness in these past six weeks.

December started out with lots of moving around, since we are in the midst of switching to a different rental house. An answer to prayer is that we recently were able to sign a 2-year lease for an affordable rental house! It is just across the street from the smaller house we are continuing to lease and have been renting for the past two years. Praise the Lord! Signing a 2-year lease is not an easy task here, since they require high-value collateral and lots of signed paperwork!

The first weekend of the month, four of us went to minister with a church in the city of Villa-Gesel, just about 100km from Mar del Plata. We helped with outreach events in a neighborhood where the church had closed down for two years and was just opening up again. I won’t forget the first night, when I met four girls between the ages of 10 and 15 years old, and they all accepted Jesus! I went forward with them and after they prayed to receive Jesus, I shared about the dream the Lord had given me one year ago, when I was dealing with the sadness of preparing to leave my family. In that dream, I saw my little sisters dancing in white gowns so beautifully, without any physical ailments, with complete joy and perfect peace. When I woke up, I prayed to ask God what it was it all about, and I knew His response was this: “Marissa, your little sisters already know and love me. Where I am sending you, there are many little sisters who don’t know me, and if you don’t go in obedience, they may never come to know me.” I then explained to the girls that although sometimes I don’t understand why God chooses to call someone like me from the US to go to Argentina, or why he calls Argentines to go the US to share with others about His love and salvation, I came in obedience and I celebrate now with them as they are proof of God’s faithfulness to fulfill of His promises.

The following weekend was our first missionary dinner, which was focused on the Middle East. We rented an event hall and decorated the walls, entry way and table center pieces with the flags of the 13 nations. We dressed in typical attire from those countries and served delicious, middle-eastern cuisine. It was a great success as we were able to convey God’s heart for the people and culture of the Middle East, and also to encourage the people to have a heart for the missions.


The following day, I attended the wedding of one of my classmates from the DTS in her hometown of Necochea, which is about 150 km south along the coast from Mar del Plata. It was beautiful and I even got the chance to play a piece on my violin at the reception! The next day was Sunday and the church invited me to play my violin and to speak for the evening service. So I played with the worship band, and then got and up and shared what the Lord had placed on my heart, about His transforming love. That night I got on a bus to Buenos Aires where I was able to receive the package my family had sent which included my brand new computer, which my home church on Vashon gave to me as an offering! What a blessing!
What is more, is that Mom, Dad and the girls had included several wrapped gifts which I saved to open on Christmas day.

Wednesday, December 16th, I arrived at the YWAM base in Mendoza, joining the three other “JuCUMeros” (YWAM-ers in Spanish) from Mar del Plata who had arrived 2 days earlier. Mendoza is very different from Mar del Plata, in that it is in the middle of the hot, dry, desert! Luckily, they have an awesome swimming pool which we jump into whenever we can! We came here initially to serve as volunteers in the week-long camp for the “Huarpes” community. The Huarpes are the indigenous people of the desert region, and they are invited to come each year to enjoy the YWAM ministry called “Semana Diferente” which means “Different Week”. It is a family camp that is set up specifically for us to shower them with the love of Christ in the way that we care for and serve them. Some of the ways we serve them include three complete meals each day; medical, dental and eye care available for the entire family; fun activities and day-outings for the kids and adolescents; Christmas gifts for the entire family; new shoes and clothes; and much more! My duties included everything from cleaning port-a-potties to lifeguarding at the swimming pool, to assisting in the medical area! It was a great experience for me, working long and hot hours of service with this single motivation- to show the love of Jesus! Honestly, it is a blessing to be a blessing!

December was so full of activity! I am so thankful for God’s guidance each day, as I am learning more and more what it means to truly depend on Him for everything from emotional wellness to financial provision. And His faithfulness to provide never ceases to amaze and surprise me!

We arrived here in Chile a week early for the conference; due to the fact that my visa was due to expire on the 6th. The day before we traveled, some other foreigners serving with YWAM in Mendoza warned that I could be charged for having gone two days over 90 on my tourist visa, because some agents don’t have lenience for the months like October and December, which have 31 days each. And so, I count it a blessing of God’s grace and protection that I was able to cross into Chile without a fee!

All my life, the scripture in Philippians chapter 4 has spoke to my heart and guided me. First I saw it as a promise of peace, and now I am learning to obey it as a command to “not be anxious about anything”, but instead to depend on the Lord for every need and concern. And so, whether it be in the midst of a busy day, a crowded bus terminal, or dealing with financial matters, I choose to obey God and to turn my anxious thoughts over to Him with an attitude of thanksgiving and praise. Then, most assuredly, every single time, His blessing of peace comes upon my heart and mind, because He His always faithful to His word.

May the Lord bless you with the same peace, “which surpasses all understanding and guards our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

I love you miss you all a ton! I always keep you in my prayers, and I thank you so much for your support!

Con MUCHO AMOR!
Marissa
xoxo

November 2009 was fun and busy!

December 4th, 2009

I am composing this letter from the sandy beach of the Atlantic coast, on a sunny Friday morning in Mar del Plata. I am praising the Lord for this quiet morning as it provides the time I need to recharge my batteries for the busy week ahead.

I can hardly belive it is already December; this past month has literally flown by! During three weekends in November, I attended a help and rescue course which taught skills for the relief worker in situations of high elevations. We learned to use ropes in order to ascend and descend victims on steep inclines, including vertical walls. It was very interesting and also a lot of fun! Soon, when I am able, I will upload pictures from my camera to share with you.

Mid-November, we gave our first week-long intensive First Aid and CPR course for the School of Missions, on the YWAM base in the north-eastern province of Argentina, Corrientes. It was my job to gather all of our materials and prepare a guide for the students in the class. As I love to study all things doing with medicine, that was a challenge I truly enjoyed! The week was a wonderful success, and many agreed that it would be a valuable course to provide for every YWAM base!

The last weekend in November, we spent 4 days working as volunteer first aid responders at the world cup Tae-Kwondo championships which took place here in Mar del Plata. It was a great opportunity to practice our skills and also to just be present as witnesses for Christ. The Tae-Kwondo competitions are an annual event where YWAM has been volunteering for the past couple years as a part of the medical team, and each year we pray that the spirit of God will be present in that place, and prevent any serious injuries from occuring. This year we did the same, and the doctor who is the instructor of the help and rescue organization with which we partner, made a comment to the fact that our prayers are a little TOO effective, and so we are not getting enough practice with really bad trauma! It is an answer to prayer that this man, Dr. Covelli, is recognizing the power of prayer, and that He is opening up more to the gospel. All the missionaries on the base here have been praying for him ever since they met him, three years ago.

Another wonderful thing that arose during the world cup, was an opportunity to witness to the competitors we met at the nurse station. One in particular was very hopeless as he had injured in his knee and "lost everything." On top of it all, when he went to the public hospital for an xray, no one gave him proper care since he did not speak spanish and no one spoke english to help him. He returned to the event feeling that life was so worthless, and that nothing on Earth has eternal value. Since English was not his primary language, I found myself sharing Christ with him in a very direct, simple way. It was so wonderful that the exact scripture I was carrying in my pocket that day was the one he needed to hear! He said that when he returns home to his country, there are many things he wants to leave behind, and turn his life over to God! I think to myself now, how bazaar is it that God would bring me from the United States and him from Romania, to extend the gospel of Jesus!

Lastly, just a week ago now, in my honor, being the only American in the group, we celebrated Thanksgiving here in Mar del Plata! In my mind, it was a miracle that everything turned out cooked just right, considering that at noon Thursday, the two turkeys we´d just bought were rock-hard frozen! I was even able to put together three "pumpkin" pies using preserved sweet potato! The Lord has blessed my with a wonderful, loving Argentine family!

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

September 25th, Preparing to move to ARGENTINA!

It’s been two weeks since I returned from my first trip to Argentina, and in less than two weeks from now, I’ll be heading back! I have thought of you in my time away and I pray this letter finds you well. I write to you with much excitement to share what the Lord has begun in me during these past 5 months. On April 14th, my Discipleship Training School (DTS) began, and so did one of the most beautiful seasons of my Christian walk. It was an amazing time of learning and being transformed by the love of God! Each week I received more from God, and grew in my passion to spread His love to others. The week of study which impacted me most, was when we focused on building our identity on Christ alone. I realized that thru the painful process of letting go of the extra things I had begun to depend on, came the amazing fulfillment of re-building my identity only upon the love of God. I am truly a new creation, each day as I recognize who I am in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Now that I have completed my DTS, I have been invited to serve full time as a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) missionary in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The base in Mar del Plata is a pioneer base as of three years ago, started by a married couple who have been serving for more than 20 years with YWAM in Buenos Aires. It consists of three rental houses, filled with a total of 18 staff. The ministries running as of now are: King’s Kids- a ministry for youth ages 6-18; Mobile team- a team which visits and collaborates in ministry projects and church congregations in different places; Help & Rescue- a team specialized to serve and help in situations of catastrophe; and the DTS S.O.S. -discipleship training school oriented to Help and Rescue. Since we are still a new base, most of the staff will be involved to some degree in each of the ministries while also working to develop new projects.

My decision to come on staff at this base is a big step of faith for me, since my exact role is not cut in stone. Though I am not filling a spot titled “missionary nurse,” I know I will have many opportunities to use my knowledge and experience as a nurse to serve God and others. I foresee myself working in many areas, giving all of my gifts and abilities to the Lord’s service. One possibility, which was a surprise to me, is that I may have the opportunity to teach violin lessons, and in that way, open a door for YWAM in our neighborhood, to have a bigger impact for Jesus. Another sure need I will fill is to serve as a Spanish-to-English translator, for any DTS students from English-speaking countries. In my next letter, I will share more about what God has put in my heart in regards to the work of these ministries.