A teen’s mission

He’ll soon get his chance.

“It’s kinda been on my heart my whole life,” the 15-year-old said.

The Falls High School student, fresh out of his freshman year, will be boarding a plane this summer for the first time since he was a toddler. Destination: The Philippines.

While many of his peers will be lounging around Borderland this summer, Griffith will be halfway across the world on a mission trip through Teen Missions International to Butuan City, Philippines. Included in the June 23 through Aug. 11 trip is time spent in Merritt Island, Fla., before the mission for boot camp and after to debrief.

“I wanted to go on this missions trip before I turned 16 and kinda got a job and stuff,” Griffith said. “So it’s kind of a good time to go on a missions trip this summer when I’m 15. I don’t really have much to do.”

“And then God really called me to go to the Philippines specifically,” he added. “I want to really help out the people there.”

For Griffith, there is a specific message he hopes to share with the people in the Philippines to whom he evangelizes.

“A very important part to me that I learned is you can’t go by religion. The difference between religion and Christianity is Christianity is a relationship,” he explained.

“So, I’ve got a relationship with God right now and it’s so much better because when I was younger it was the religion type stuff — go to church, do the daily routine, memorize verses ... but when I really started talking to God and He started talking to me, I got along a lot better. And I want to get that through to people in the Philippines that God is a person that you talk to. Not a person really, but God, and you can talk to Him and He’ll talk to you. And it’s not a one-way conversation.”

Teen Missions is an interdenominational mission organization that is not associated with any specific church.

Griffith will be working on a Teen Missions dorm-building project in addition to teaching locals about God. There will be a small amount of time for sight-seeing and souvenirs, according to the group’s itinerary.

The teens are kept to a strict dress code and will live in rustic accommodations.

When speaking to The Journal in May, Griffith was dressed like many American students in the summer — shorts, a cotton T-shirt and sandals. This wardrobe will be prohibited during his summer trip.

“That was kinda the hardest part for me, it’s kinda really strict ... I’ve got to look nice, I couldn’t wear a shirt like this, or sandals, obviously. So I got to clean up a lot of stuff,” he said.

The teens are only allowed a small amount of clothing, including a few outfits for working, and nicer clothes for church and evangelizing. Dress codes are enforced. Shoes are limited to one pair of all-leather working boots, which are worn except for swimming. Shorts are prohibited, and dress jeans are the norm. Clothing, which will be hand-washed in a bucket, needs to reflect well on the group and its mission, Griffith said.

Griffith will bring his own tent for sleeping, as well as a food tray and utensils for meals. He said he has only been camping a few times, but has enjoyed the experience.

“The only girl in my family is my mom, so I’m use to a more boyish-type household, more things slide by,” he joked.

But this will be a change of pace for the freshman homecoming king and multi-sport athlete.

He said his friends at school have been surprised but, “not too surprised because it’s not them (going on the trip).”

He will be leaving behind his family, including mother Debbie, father Dan, and three younger brothers, and his friends in International Falls and will be allowed contact through mailed letters while out of the country.

He’s met several of his fellow missionaries on Facebook, but otherwise will not know anyone on the trip.

“He gets along very well with people and adapts well to new situations,” said Debbie Griffith, confident in his success.

“I’m most excited,” she continued, describing her own positive experiences as a young person traveling abroad. “It’s a great organization, Marco’s a great kid, we serve a great God, and I’m more excited for him than nervous. The stronger emotion would be I’m just going to miss him.”

Although this will be his longest and farthest trip, Griffith recently participated in an evangelical mission trip to Chicago to work with the homeless. He said he learned lessons that have prepared him for this upcoming, larger task.

“It’s more difficult when you’re actually out there and you can get distracted really easily, and I can’t remember things as well. You gotta kinda keep your focus on what you’re doing and what you can do to help and keep praying.”

Griffith needed to raise $4,290 to pay for the trip. But that fee doesn’t include plane fare to Minneapolis, supplies or incidentals. With the help of the community, friends and family he has met his goals, he said.

“When God sends you on a trip, He’s going to provide for it. So it wasn’t that big of an issue, it wasn’t as hard as it sounded,” Griffith said, explaining that Teen Missions made suggestions for fundraising.

He completed the task by speaking to his “church family” at Evangelical Covenant Church and sending letters to family and friends who live out of town. He also did some work to earn the money, including yard work and staining walls. Those skills will likely come in handy while working on building projects in the Philippines.

But Griffith said the strength he will bring to the mission is an even temper and ability to communicate well with others.

“I’m pretty good at talking to people because I don’t get angered really easily,” said the soft-spoken teen.

And while Griffith is embarking on the journey to impact the lives of others, he expects the experience will change him as well.

“I really hope that the experience can change me a lot and make me a bit more tense and be able to stick up for what I believe in a bit more and help my relationship with God a lot.”

“I believe fully that it’s going to change how I live my life, for the better,” he concluded.

For more information on the mission Griffith will attend or Teen Missions, visit www.teenmissions.org.