Hello! My name is Elissa Mars.

I’m originally from Colorado, but in this new season of life, God has called me to Australia. In the fall of 2024, I attended a Discipleship Training School (DTS) through YWAM, where I spent three months diving deep into God’s Word through lectures, worship, and intentional community. After that, I went on a two-month outreach mission to the Solomon Islands.

While serving, sharing the gospel, and building relationships with the people there, I saw God's heart for the nations in a way I never had before. I witnessed the impact our team had there—and the impact it had on me. God used that time to deepen my passion for missions and discipleship. I left that season with a clearer understanding of my role in the Great Commission and a growing desire to help others encounter Jesus and walk with them as they grow in their faith.

Now, God is calling me to take that passion and live it out in a new way—by returning to Australia as a full-time YWAM staff member. YWAM’s mission is “to know God and to make Him known,” and I’m excited to walk that out by discipling incoming DTS students, leading outreach teams to places like the Solomon Islands and Vietnam, and continuing to grow in my own faith and leadership through it all.

In order to step into this calling, I’m looking for people who feel led to partner with me—both through prayer and financial support. As a full-time missionary with YWAM, I’m responsible for raising my own support to cover housing, food, transportation, ministry expenses, and other daily needs while I serve. Both one-time and monthly donations are deeply appreciated—as is your support through prayer.

If you feel led to partner with me in this mission, I would be so grateful. And if you’d simply like to stay connected and hear more about what God is doing, I’d love for you to follow along on my blog, where I’ll be sharing updates and stories. Thank you for being a part of this journey!

Elissa