A letter from Katie Griffin in Argentina
February 18, 2009
Buenos Aires
Dear Friends,
The New Year is well underway for most of you in the States. The rhythm of life south of the equator is not the same. Since January 1 is at the height of the summer vacation season and I am working on an academic time table, it still feels like we are on pause, and the activities of 2009 will start in early March when the first semester in the schools and at ISEDET (Instituto Superior Evangélico De Estudios Teológicos) get started.
Many of you are undoubtedly facing this God-given adventure of 2009 with mixed emotions, experiences and expectations. We keep hearing about the huge job losses, the loss of retirement savings and the mixed hopes and fears about the new Obama administration. Please be assured that there are Christians in Argentina praying for those who have been suffering in the United States. My own prayer is that the People of God in the United States may be beacons of hope, faith and strength in the midst of hard times, and that any increased violence and crime due to the frustrations of many may be minimal.
In Argentina, as in many other parts of Latin America, the harshness of constant poverty and the accompanying impunity of those in positions of power creates despair, anger and a destructive sense of futility that is seen on a daily basis in the streets all around. Boys and girls as young as 8 are being recruited by other children to commit armed robbery. Since they are minors, they cannot be punished by law, and although their parents or guardians should be legally responsible for them, these adults also remain unpunished, and often encourage their children into crime so as to obtain some money. So far, my family and our home have remained safe, but we must be constantly vigilant.
In response to the tremendous legal and social needs of so many children, one of my husband’s prayer concerns and hopes is to start a temporary home for children who have been removed from their parent’s custody by the juvenile court in our county. Now that he is a licensed psychologist, he has a title that enables and qualifies him to pursue such a ministry. The board of directors at the church where he is pastor is also trying to establish a community service center that could include basic medical attention, psychological counseling, computer classes and other activities or services for our immediate community. A small group of members has also started to edit and distribute freely a small magazine in the community that includes brief, thought-provoking essays on social, environmental, health and spiritual concerns. The children’s soup kitchen and Bible school continues to reach out to the children of the poorest families in our area. The congregation is committed to finding new ways to administer the healing touch of Christ’s gospel to our immediate community.
At ISEDET, my immediate supervisor, Dr. Jerónimo Granados, coordinator of the Department of Church History, is now also the academic dean. This means that I have begun to work more closely with him in attending some of the departmental responsibilities as well as teaching my classes and trying to continue with my doctoral studies.
If there are any groups within your congregations or Presbyteries who would be interested in visiting us and establishing a long-term, committed and intelligent relationship with Christians in Latin America, we could provide for social and theological reflection for study groups at ISEDET and hands-on community contact through the various ministries at the church where my husband is serving as pastor and at other churches with similar ministries. This is an area of ministry to the PC(USA) that my husband and I have been discussing together, along with other staff members at Presbyterian World Mission in Louisville. We have been considering prayerfully how we might open up the wealth of opportunities for learning about loving and serving God that we have here with Presbyterians in the States. Please pray with us that God would continue to move forward in opening up this kind of ministry.
In this light also, I am at the beginning stages of planning my next interpretation assignment in the States. My family and I will be in Venice, Florida, for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays in December 2009. My husband will probably return to Argentina in early January, with or without our children, but I will remain for two months of itineration to visit churches and help to interpret the Presbyterian Church’s commitment to long-term collaboration in God’s mission around the world.
The Mission Connections office at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville has asked me to let them schedule two 10-day visits to presbyteries of their choosing. I have communicated to them my desire to be able to visit the Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery and one of the neighboring presbyteries through their coordination. The rest of my interpretation time will probably be spent in Florida. I would be happy to start corresponding with churches in the Peace River Presbytery or in other Florida presbyteries about arranging a chance to speak with congregations or groups there. If churches in the Central New York State area are interested in inviting me, please let me know at kathleen_m_griffin@yahoo.com.ar.
Our children, Noelia (5) and Brian (2), are healthy, strong, beautiful and appear to be very curious and intelligent (of course, this is coming from a mother’s perspective and is completely biased!). Please pray for God’s guidance in their lives. With such busy parents, they need to know that God is also looking after them and loving them.
I look forward to continuing correspondence with many of you throughout this next year and perhaps to seeing some of you again early next year! In the meantime, may faith, hope and love in Christ Jesus increase.
Yours in Christ’s service,
Katie Griffin
“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5)
The 2009 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 299
