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November, October, September, August, July 2008, February, March, April, June, July 2009

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June / July 2009 Top of the Page

Bryan & Sarah Mallory
8/1

Greetings world travelers, May God continue to hold you in HIS right hand. We are always excited to see God working in the world through the body of Christ. And we serve a God who is so gracious to forgive. It was neat to hear about your forgiveness lesson. The most important of all. Bryan & I are getting our feet wet again in ministry here in Alanson. Ignite youth group @ Liberty Baptist. All prayers welcome. These kids are a HUGE mission field here & in Pellston. Pray for us to hold closely to the heart and mind of Christ. You know the hurt we speak of you see it daily also. Different faces, different places, but the same hurt and evil thrust upon them. Our combined mission to bring love, acceptance & hope!! Isn’t God awesome? You pray for us & we will continue to pray for you. Hope to see you in the flesh when you get back to the states again. May Gods blessings pour down on you both.

Jan Marcum
8/1

A very warm Saturday night in Khabarovsk...fireworks bursting nearby to celebrate weddings. A drunk singing outside our front window, an argument or maybe it is just a loud Russian discussion, teens gathering in the court yard and a car blasting techno music. Memories we will take home with us.

Jan Marcum
7/30

Only ten days left here in Khabarovsk. We have several projects in process please pray we can complete them and not loose sight of needs of the people. Relationships are the most important reason for us to be here. The projects are just the keys.

It seems the past few days obstacles have been thrown in our path to delay or stop work. Pray for those we work with and pray for lives we will touch.

As of this evening it appears we are back on track for tomorrow. Plans are for the fence and gates to be completed or at least close to it. Lord willing.

Janice Marcum
7/27

Greetings and blessings to you all. We are on our countdown stage with what appears is more to do than time allows. But we have been blessed with a new helper this past week that understands building. He will help Dale complete tasks in process. Many building days were lost due to rains but now praise God they seem to be holding off. The sun is shining and it is very warm. Only 2 wks left before we head home. We are looking forward to sharing with many of you then. Thanks for the prayers and notes of encouragement. We love you all and pray for you. We are off to complete an outhouse today.

7/19
Jan Marcum

Wow it has been a wonderful Sunday. Last night pastor asked Dale and I to speak about forgiveness today. God blessed the words we shared. We ended with a time for people to write down who they needed to forgive or ask forgiveness from and then bring it to the altar. It was powerful time. A young man we have been praying was one of those that came up for prayer. He wants a life change.

After church a special friend I have been trying to connect with for 2yrs stopped to tell me she has turned her life back to God after difficult struggles in her life. Praise the Lord for both of these people. And then my day was blessed with another friends stopping to bring me a birthday gift a day early. Birthdays here are special events. I am rejoicing for the blessings of this day. Our God is awesome.

07/19
Terri

It is cold 55 degrees & rainy in Charlevoix today. May God Bless your day!

07/19
Jan Marcum

Good morning from Russia. You are still on Friday just ending your work day and we are on Saturday just beginning ours. We have all the food ready for the men’s prayer breakfast and are awaiting our ride. Terri it has been cool and rainy here as well. At the moment it is 62 but no rain at the moment. Pray it will dry up soon so we can complete our outside building tasks. Dale is speaking this morning and I am in the kitchen. This evening we will lead the family meeting. God keeps empowering and we keep moving forward. We are blessed to bless others and share His love. We pass that blessing on to you with love.

Jan Marcum
7/14

Greetings friends we have not used this as we intended this trip. Our internet service was limited so was our postings. Now we are up and running again with full service. It is wonderful. Life has been busy with more being added to our plate daily. Dale is knocking a few things off the to do list Joy left for us. We are also doing a men's breakfast every Saturday and family fellowship every Sat evening. Now we have construction requests for two outhouses. We begin the first one tomorrow. Pray for supplies to be found. Today we had an infestation of ants at the girls house project. We left fresh cut boards inside the house to keep dry over the weekend. Today we arrived to millions of eggs and ants all over them. It brought to mind the plagues of Egypt. Thank you Lord this was only a small taste of them. Be blessed and we will keep posting.

Dale Marcum
7/11

Jan said "Dale I am pooped--write some in the blog so everyone knows we didn't fall off the edge of the world! Well here goes!! We are busy every day, going here for groceries or there for soon to be needed materials. I have an old house to rewire and many "little" things here at our borrowed apartment. People here are great as usual but it is very expensive to purchase just about anything here. Hmmm-sounds like home. Jan just finished a testimony tonight at the Baptist church and it really touched many women. They said they had similar hurtful experiences and could really relate to her words of truth and hope. I sure am blessed to have such a wonderful lady for my wife (hope she reads this-haha) It is just past midnite here so I'll close and say God Bless you and those dear to you also. Dale (Sorry this was so short!)

Trudi Crookshanks
6/5

I am glad Dale got his clothes and that things are going well. I am praying for both of you.

Jan Marcum
6/3

Today was day one of Summer day Camp. There were about 40 kids there with an overload of energy. But all went well. Tonight we are scheduled to go see the city by night with friends but it is raining so that may be cancelled. Tomorrow is orphanage day. I hope to have some photo for you to see.

Well if any of you are keeping up with reading this post a note so we know you are there. Now it is time for dinner and a nice cup of hot tea to relax.

Janice Marcum
6/2

Hello again. The lost baggage was found and retrieved from the airport today. Praise the Lord Dale has clean clothes to put on.

Today was a busy day with meetings, registration, errands and shopping. Now we have food in the house. Tomorrow will begin summer English camp. I will be helping our American friends and people from Roma's church. They expect about 40 children. This is their first year doing the summer camp. So pray all goes well.

Jet lag adjustments are hitting all of us. It is now time for bed tomorrow is another full day. Be blessed and don't forget to post something too.

Jan Marcum
6/1

Hello everyone we are here in Khabarovsk safe and sound. All connections went well and only one bag got lost along the way. It contained most of Dale's clothes. They say it should arrive here tomorrow so we pray that is true. The team we will be working with also arrived today. It is great to meet all of them. Joyce is a dear friend and she brought Linda and Etta with her this trip. Tomorrow they will be planning a summer English Bible camp.

It has been a busy day meeting many friends again. We are both fading fast so we will keep this short tonight. Thanks for the prayers and post us a note to keep the blog going. Love and hugs to all.

April, 2009 Top of the Page

Dale Marcum
4/11

Well blog readers we are finally finished with the work in St Petersburg and Clearwater Florida. We were really blessed by so many during our stay there that we can never express completely our love and appreciation for all who welcomed us into their lives. Thanks to Lucien and Molly Behar for putting up with me and Bruce and Karyl Kaufmann for their hospitality and love. There are so many others we are indebted to and that doesn’t even include those over in Hungary and Thessaloniki who helped us. Gustav we love you and Mike and Maria God is watching over you as our prayers bless you. Andress we bless you and your family too for your selfless service to our Lord. We are now in northern Fl on our way to Tennessee! We have our plan but God’s purpose always prevails! Our invitations have arrived so with His blessing we will return to Khbarovsk in May or June. Thank you for your continuing prayers and be blessed in Jesus mighty name.

March, 2009 Top of the Page

Brother Rog
3/20

I have been praying for you guys...,God speed and God bless.

Jan Marcum
3/17

Hi everyone we are still in Greece. It has been an incredible trip. Lots of stories to share when we get home. Dale has been working on some repairs at the church. I have done some office work. Friday and Saturday we went to Bulgaria to visit the largest gypsy church in the Balkan region. There was 800 people there. Dale shared a little. Today we took a break and did a little site seeing. It is neat to visit the ruins of the city from the time the apostle Paul walked this area and taught here. Tomorrow night Dale will lead the prayer meeting. After that we catch a train to Budapest. Today we found out that even though we purchased a round trip train ticket that we could only book a compartment to Bucharest, Romania, because they are not sure there is a car going all the way to Budapest tomorrow night. We will check with the train conductor tomorrow night to see if there is a car for Budapest or not. If not we will have to get off at Bucharest and then find another train going that way. So keep us in prayer as we start this adventure. Once we get to Budapest the plan is to then go in to Ukraine for 4 days before heading back to the states. If you are reading these posts send us a note or post here. We love to know who is out there. Be blessed in Jesus and keep us in prayer.

Karan
3/10

I miss you and so wish I could have been with you on the streets of the towns I visited with you. I will continue to lift you up in prayer as God moves through you to touch this hurting world. I am blessed to have this privilege. Love ya

Dale Marcum
3/9

We are at the Longs’ flat in Greece this Monday morning. The train ride was good and praise the Lord we brought enough food for the trip with only 2 oranges left. Of course we got a lot of great photos on and off the train trip. Roger if you read this Romania was something to see by rail. Interestingly it looks a lot like Ukraine. We went out this morning to the bookstore operated by the Longs and asked the Lord to bless that ministry here in Thessaloniki. Please add your prayers to ours and we will see a mighty blessing from the Lord here. Jan is watching me type right now and I am quite non-proficient in this category. But I am excellent in my love for our Jesus-that should make up for my short-comings. We will be here for the next week or so and again prayers will be appreciated as well as needed. Be blessed children of the most high God. Brother in Christ, Dale

Dale Marcum
3/7

Blessings to all. This is Dale blogging. We have tickets to Thessaloniki and leave this afternoon. It is a little after 9 am here as I type this (that’s 3 am EST) and we are getting our things packed up to head out. Yesterday my eyes were searching for a single solitary coin as we walked the streets of Budapest. The Lord spoke to me and said when you see a coin from the pavement that will be your sign of blessing to go to Greece. Well I did not find one but Jan did! Then a few steps farther a small button lay in some mud. I thought "well that buttons it up! So Jan and I are ready and willing to step out and see what Father has for us in our next adventure. Pray for us please we need covering constantly. Your friends and partners in His work. Dale and Janice.

Sarah Mallory
3/5

God is GOOD all the time. I love to check in on you guys and see Gods hand moving in the hearts of others. My prayers are with you always. May the God of Grace continue to bless you and keep you safe in HIS loving arms!!!

Jan Marcum
3/5

The team left Debrecen Tuesday and headed to Budapest to distribute more backpacks. Dale and I stayed behind in Debrecen. The handing out backpacks opened many doors here and as a result a new ministry is being formed. They asked us to stay to help with the administrative work of birthing this project. We proofed and retyped several pages of paperwork needed to get the organization registered. We will go to Budapest this evening, Lord willing. Tomorrow is the last day for the team to be in Budapest. On Saturday all will go separate ways. We are still uncertain of what direction we are going. Pray for this. If I have time today I hope to send out a short news update. If you are reading this please post a note so we know you are there. Keep praying God is doing amazing things as a result of backpacks. Be blessed we love you all.

Carolyn0107
3/5

Janice, I had lost your blog address so was very glad to get your letter at my email account. What excitement... the giving out of backpacks. Great Idea! God Bless you both! Carolyn

John Anthony
3/4

Excellent! I am looking forward to hearing the stories! I hope all is well. We are praying. Send pictures for church if you have any. God Bless!

Jan Marcum
3/1

Hey everyone it is now Sunday evening and lots of exciting things are happening here. We have now distributed 30 backpacks and there is a story with each one. Highlights are people have heard the gospel and some have invited Jesus to be a part of their life. We are seeing opportunities to grow the project and meet needs. More news to come. The bad part it our email time is limited because we are so busy. The internet cafe is closing soon so need to say good bye for now. Thank you all for your prayers they are being felt by many. Keep covering this important work. Lives are being changed.

Trudi C
3/1

I hope you have a safe trip and you get some rest. I am praying.

February, 2009 Top of the Page

Jan Marcum
2/26

We arrived safe and sound with no lost luggage. Baby traveled well. The cafe is closing so that's all for today.

Marcum
2/25

We are waiting in Chicago for our flight to Frankfurt then on to Budapest. Jason, Valeria and Baby Russel are here. We are still waiting for Larry and Monica. Only one hour until boarding. Everyone is running on little sleep. But hopefully will sleep on the plane.

I sent out a simple email newsletter today. There may be some mistakes but bear with me. I did it on little sleep. We will do our best to keep you posted. Please keep us in prayer and post a note so I know who is out there reading. Be blessed, Jan and Dale

Jan Marcum
2/19

Currently we are in St Petersburg, Fl, but we will be starting a new adventure next week. Feb 25 we will fly to Hungary to be part of an outreach to the homeless. We are not certain of our email connections but we will post to this blog as often as possible. We will be gone one month from Feb 25-Mar 25. Please pray for us and we will keep you posted here. God bless you all.

November 2008 Top of the Page

Denise Bentley
11/23

Have finally had opportunity to listen to one of your videos, and hearing your voices and opening with prayer, my dear friends, was like God's love just washing over me. We are blessed that He takes such good care of you and provides for your needs just in His great timing. With love and prayers lifting to HIM for you, my dear brother and sister.

Dale Marcum
11/20

Hello children of the most High! I said I would write more so here goes. We left Khabarovsk Russia on Nov 6 and said goodbyes to seven people at the airport. There was Yura, Jenia, Luda, Claudia, Alecia, Tatiana and Nadia. We walked to the plane and up the stair on the tarmac with a cold wind blowing. I said goodbye also to the many many Russian stairs scattered all over the country. We had a short two hour flight into Inchon airport and discovered our plane to Chicago didn't have enough passengers to warrant the flight. We had a night in one of the airport hotels anyway so we went to our reserved room for the night. The room in Korea was very nice and well equipped. They even had Mountain Dew!! Of course the room had a fridge but the goodies were not free. Oh well one Mt. Dew would not bankrupt me. Sure tasted good! The next day we checked out of the hotel and discovered we were flying to Tokyo, Japan, where a larger plane awaited us and two other small flights also. The airline combined three flights into one and we were soon boarding a Boing 747-400 to Chicago Ohara. We left Tokyo at 5pm and arrived in Chicago at 2pm the same day. Yes we arrived before we left-weird!

In Chicago we connected with a wonderful Christian couple Jane and Ken who picked us up and took us to their home for a bite to eat. This worked out great as our flight to Traverse City was scheduled 5 hours later. We had a blessed time with them and returned to the airport for the last leg of our flight. It of course was delayed-weather or something. But despite the problems we were soon winging our way to Michigan.

We arrived in Traverse City and our friend Diane was there as a taxi service to the prodigals. She is awesome! So is her red Chevy truck! (Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors vehicle!) Finally we pulled into the drive of our missionary home and boy did it feel great to be back. We were greeted by Jason, Leiera and of course baby Russell. When my head hit the pillow that night I was gone-out to lunch-in sleepsville FAST! It has been a couple of weeks since all of that and of course I have a "2-Doo-List" already. 50 items on it already!

Ahh but God is soooo goooood! He allows me the pleasure of a wonderful wife, blessed children and grandchildren, super friends around the world and just a little bit of work He does through my hands! What an awesome Father we serve!

Blessings to all who continued in prayer for us-and if you forgot to pray Shame on you!!!! (just kiddin) Dale and Jan

Dale
11/8

Blessings everyone. We are back in the states this morning and are off and running. Well Jan says she is running and I am the one who is off. Ahh she loves me anyway. I am much improved after my Russian mishap but will blog later how our Father turned a mishap into a blessing. We are just about to go out the door to speak at a church in downstate Michigan so I will thank each and every saint out there who continues in prayer with us. May the blessings of our lord overtake you and settle on your house this day in Jesus name. Dale

Carolyn0107
11/10

Hi, I saw you had a new blog entry and now I see that you are in Michigan! You've been through a lot with Dale's accident and all. Janice, you'll be very welcome back on the Team! HIS is on the team but no longer the leader. Julie from SA stepped up as second leader with Michelle. Pammy is about ready to return to Asia. Nan is in the States now. AmGirl in Brazil leaves for the States soon. There are several new people on the team who are active. Come join us when you have a chance! Give us your news. I hope to see you soon!

Liz Croonquist
11/9

Welcome home, you wonderful people! I'm so glad to hear Dale has recovered from his mishap--praise the Lord! Unfortunately, I tried e-mailing you the normal way, and it bounced back to me??? Hope your e-mail account is okay. We send love and blessings to you both...John & Liz Croonquist

October 2008 Top of the Page

MARCUM
10/29

Hello everyone this will be our last blog post from Russia. They are currently making changes on the phone lines and we have been without email for 5 days now and do not know when it will return. Tonight we are at a friends tapping into her service. Things are going well here and it seems we should have completed all things at the jobsite by the end of the week. On the weekend we have meetings with both the women's and men's groups from church. On Sunday Dale will be giving the message in church. Monday and Tuesday we will finish anything undone. And Wednesday we begin our trip home. We have a room reserved in Seoul for Wednesday night then fly on to Chicago and then to Traverse on Thursday.

We will be in contact once we get home. Thank you for all the prayers sent up on our behalf during this time. We send our love to you all and look forward to seeing you soon.

marcum
10/20

Hello everyone. Dale went to the doctor today to have his stitches removed. They counted 26 of them. Praise God he is healing well and quickly. Over the weekend he had another gout attack but with pray and some meds it too went away quickly. But today he was back to work in the workshop planeing and cutting wood for trim and stairways. We only have about 10 more working days for the project. So pray he can keep healthy and safe. Again God showed His hand in this little mishap. I had been wondering about a woman we became good friends with about 6yrs ago. She left the city and relocated. Eventually her computer died and people lost contact with her. I have sent messages at various times to her but no response. She had been on my mind several times lately. Well last Wednesday when we went back to the doctor for a follow-up on the surgery she just happen to be coming out the door of the hospital. She had to come back to Khabarovsk for some medical tests. So God blessed us to both be there at the same time. It was a divine appointment and without Dale's fall it may not have happened. He does work in mysterious ways.

We met with Tanya and her new husband. It has been some great fellowship and we got to pray with her before she went into the hospital for a few days to have a minor tumor removed. Today she got out of the hospital and we had dinner at a friends house. She has grown so much in her relationship with Jesus and we have been blessed to be a part of that. Today she said it is like we will always be together because we are family in Christ. Now we have each others email addresses but if that does not work we are always connected by Jesus.

I have still not been able to arrange a room in Seoul, so please pray for this need. There seems to be a problem booking on line. I may need someone to book it from the states. But God has taken care of all things so far so I trust this is also on His list too. Hugs and prayers .....Jan and Dale

marcum
10/13

Hello everyone. We had some excitement at the jobsite today. Dale was on a ladder installing the heating pipe for the new stove when suddenly the ladder broke. He dropped about 15ft into the grapevines. Praise God the damage is minor considering. He took a trip to the local hospital for several stitches on his eyelid and eyebrow. He has several scratches but nothing broken. He fell only a few foot or so from a metal wire fence. God's protection was there and we are very grateful. When they brought him out of the surgery room the doctor told me "He is a hero". They were amazed he dealt so well with the pain. He did not need to be knocked out. Again we thank God. He will be out of work for the next few days. Pray for fast healing he wants to get back to work. We also had some ministry opportunities today at the jobsite before the accident. Pray for those we encountered. God knows the needs.

I also saw many improvements in the local hospital since I visited it several years ago. The service was great and the prices much less than stateside. I will post in a few days how Dale is doing. Be blessed.

PS: The ladder is doing fine also. Just a small rung bung.

Doris Bullock
10/11

Just a note to let you know I'm thinking of you and praying for you. Grateful for all the Lord is helping you to do there. Thankful for the answers to prayer. Hope you will be able to come to Florida soon. Right now I'm in Denver visiting, but will be back in St. Pete for the Missionary Congress in January. Love and prayers, Doris

Marcom Jan
10/10

Hi everyone it is great to see so many responses. Thanks for all the encouragement and updates of home. It is good to hear that many of you are enjoying our grandson for us. Be sure to give extra hugs from us. Today ended another week of work on the house. It it taking shape so well. On the property where the house is there is another small wooden house. It is old and in sad shape but it is home to a family. Mom and her two sons live there. Little Ruslam is 5yrs old and does not have the love of a father in his life. He loves to follow Dale around and copy his actions. You can imagine that since Dale is a big kid. It is special to see them together. You will hear more about Ruslam when we get home. Ruslam wants to learn all about the tools Dale is using and just jabbers away in Russia. It is fun to listen to him copy words Dale will say. Then he makes up his own language pretending it is English.

God gives us lives to touch in all sizes. Pray for Ruslam and his family - mom works long hours so Ruslam and 7yr old brother Denis are alone much of the time. It is sad but this is the life they have for now. They love the Lord so this is a plus. God watches over them.

Be blessed and keep posting.

John
10/9

We are praying for you all. God Bless!

Patrick
0/9

Dale and Jan, Sounds like you guys are having a blast. Hope all goes well on your return trip to the states. The kids say hi and safe travel. We pray that your trip continues to be blessed.

Brother Rog
10/9

Hi guys:) I've been praying you especially for the gout that Dale, with the Lords help, is overcoming:)! Say u guys I stopped over for an hour or so a little bit after Jason and Layera got back....and little Russell is so cute!:) I was holding him by the arms and he was standing and dancing around....won't be long before he's walking: P and I was walking around with him in the crook of my arm like a little sack of potatoes:)). Wow! that brings back memories. Even my grandkids are too big for that now: P I just want to Bless u guys and to say God speed:). I am truly blessed myself by you both so I know first hand the blessing you give to all you meet on your coming ins and going outs there. Love you guys.

Jeanette Dubanoski
10/9

I met your daughter through Wise Swim school a year ago and was so happy to hear you were in Russia. We work with a volunteer in Russia to distribute our humanitarian aid in Khabarovsk. Can you tell me which orphanages you work with? Jeanette

Jo
10/9

Jan and Dale: my own faith is encouraged to see God's faithfulness to you in every detail and your faith in His provision and care for you! Thank you for sharing your stories of trust and answers to prayer! The world is in such a financial mess and yet it is not impossible for God to continue to provide for us, just as He provided for Israel. Praise be to God! Jo

Marcum
10/8

Dear family and friends. It is a beautiful day here in Khabarovsk Russia. We pray the nice weather continues for the rest of our stay here. Two months have already gone by since our arrival here. Some of you are keeping track of us through our blog site which we try to update at least once a week. We appreciate your comments and prayers. Since we have limited email time the blog works well to keep people informed.

As you can see on this blog most of our time has been spent working on a building for street children ministry. But we have also had time to share the gospel as we visit orphanages, speak at church family night services, women’s ministry, discipleship and fellowship with friends. Sometime in the next couple weeks Dale will be speaking to the men at church. It will be the beginning of the men’s group ministry they have been praying for.

God continues to show us His blessing and provision. I thought you would like to share in some of the praises.

	1. We had prayed for helpers for the work project especially for installing the insulation and drywall. We asked several people but no one was available. Then on the day we began this part of the project three guys showed up…. just in time. Slava was out of work and “just happened” to stop by looking for Joy. He is now working with Dale until we finish the work. He is a blessing.
	2. With the help of these men all insulation and drywall are now complete.
	3. Each day that we go shopping for supplies we pray for favor. It seems God directs our steps and opens the door for the best prices and even discounts which are a new thing here.
	4. Luda is our translator and friend. Without her as our mouthpiece we would not be able to do much. She helps us communicate when we shop, on the jobsite and at church or Bible study. We are blessed to have her share many hours with us each week.
	5. Last week it was time to begin looking for flight tickets. One of the two local airlines went bankrupt at the beginning of the week. This created a mess and lack of available tickets. After several hours at the travel office they found two seats on the flight out Nov 5 to Seoul Korea. When they calculated the price it was less than expected. Then our stateside agent found tickets from Seoul all the way to Traverse City MI on Nov 6 at an excellent rate. PTL! Funds that came into our account just days before were slightly more than enough to cover the cost of the tickets. We thank God for those who were obedient to His voice to give.

Our Father is so faithful. These are just some of the many highlights we will have to share when we get home. Photos will follow at some point. I may even figure out how to pass some along to the website. Both Dale and I are working on stories for a newsletter once we get home.

As you continue to pray for us here are a few requests…

	1. We have an overnight in Seoul pray for those arrangements.
	2. Pray for the weather to hold so we can complete the work project.
	3. Dale has had a little problem with the gout wanting to flare. Pray it stays away.
	4. Pray for those that will live in the house we are building. May lives be changed as a result of this work.

We pray that you may know how high, how deep and how wide the incredible love and care of God is for you.

Thanks for your taking time to read this and for blessing our lives with your encouragement and support. Please drop us a note when you have time. We love to hear from you.

With love and prayers

Karyl & Bruce
10/19
Why do we feel so impressed and amazed all over again at what God is doing in answer to daring faith? You guys are such an example and inspiration to us back home. Love ya so much. Hope you come to Florida this winter.

Shirl
10/9
So good to hear from you "personally" that the web site that came up was not yours! HA HA Any way, God IS good and he is in control of your witnessing, health and travel. Love you very much, Shirl

lois
10/8

Just got a chance to read your blog and check up on you. Want to let you know we are praying for you and are thinking of you.

Ginny
10/4

Hello friends, it is good to hear that things are going well on this trip. Pray for God's continued blessings on your work and his provisions of your travel plans. I have just completed my first month as Children's Pastor at First Assembly of New Port Richey. From now until the end of November I am teaching the children about Missions. I introduced them to BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge) and already have them raising money to help missionaries! Can't wait to see you again and share our stories.

Dale
10/1

Jan told me to write something so here goes. I am working on a new house for ministry started by a couple from New Zealand. They built the frame and roofed it. I have put in a new SECURE front door, new Hungarian style vinyl windows and lots of insulation. Also a lady with 2 kids on the same property had a problem with her pichka. No,-that is not a female disorder, it is the combination stove and house heater. It was in pretty sad shape. She was very anxious about the coming winter and little heat. But worse was the fact the old unit was leaking smoke inside the house (can you say carbon monoxide) sooooo, she has a completely rebuilt "pichka". She was very happy when I arrived with Jan at the job site this morning and in broken English said "Dale, I want to give you present!” I said, “No. I don't need anything,” but she said, “Da! You will get present!” So guys I am going to get present! The people here are very generous and helpful--They just have this hang up about speaking Russian all the time! Well tomorrow I start with 2 helpers putting up drywall. These guys are great helpers. Pray they can kick the smoking habit, it is very hard to stop. (I know I smoked for many years) Well that updates a little. We plan on returning Nov 5 or 6. Jan knows for sure.--I don't. My job is to just go where she points me. Keep praying for us. We are thinking of you and praying on this side also. In HIS excellent name. Dale

Janet B
10/9

Has it been two months already - not sure where the time goes. This blog is great, I've been able to keep up on your "whereabouts". I love to hear what God is continuing to do through you both. You are truly "Jesus' hands and feet." Look forward to getting together and hearing all the wonderful stories when you get back. Love you guys!

September 2008 Top of the Page

John
9/30

Hello, Hello anybody home yet? We all miss you. God Bless!

Marcum
9/23

As I write this Dale is listening to a song called "Working on a building for the Lord". That describes what we have been doing. I think we will put photos to it once we get home. It is truly a building for the Lord. Each day we pray for the ministry that will be done there and lives that will be changed. Update on the building is windows are in, the first layer of Styrofoam insulation is done, and the pink panther stuff arrived yesterday. We found it at a local store. More supplies are available this year so it does make work easier. The thing is it takes time to find them. Installation of the pink stuff and wiring started today. By the end of the week we should be ready for drywall. We are working there about 4-5 days a week.

In our spare time we get to visit with friends like Dema at the nursing home. Last week we visited there and prayed with him and his roommate. Dema is a quadriplegic that we have known for several years. Also at the nursing home are many women I met 11 years ago when we did a Bible study there. It was so good to see them. I have learned that the Bible study continues but now there is a new director at the home. They are beginning to limit the "outsiders". Pray for this home and that they will allow the women to continue to meet.

Dale had a small bout with gout again over the weekend but Praise God is was short lived. The meds the doctor gave him to bring along seem to work quickly. Other than that we are doing great.

Saturday we were blessed to spend several hours with a young woman that just returned from China. She shared amazing stories. This evening we are meeting with our dear friend who has also been in China for the past couple of years. God is doing amazing things there.

We are still waiting on return flight tickets. We know God will provide in His time. Continue to pray for this need. Our visa is good until Nov 8 so we still have time. Thanks for prayers. Your covering make many things possible. With love Jan and Dale

Robb
9/22

Dale & Jan: We are praying for the kingdom of heaven to be released everywhere you go!

Terri
9/17

Yes, I haven't been transformed yet in my procrastination habits. I Love you guys. Looking forward to you being home. Love and prayers.

Colleen
9/14

Hi there, I haven't been checking your blog, I guess I got too busy. Bad excuse. The kids are loving there new school. The Northern Michigan Christian Academy in Burt Lake, in case I forgot to tell you. Anyway, they are doing well and Jeray especially likes starting each day with Bible Time. How cool is that. Glad to hear all is going well for you. I can't wait to see you upon your return and hear all about it personally. Make sure to call when you have a free night so I can come over and sit for hours and listen to you. My prayers are with you. Love Colleen

marcum
9/12

Hi everyone it has been nearly two weeks since I updated this blog. Things have been very busy. Every day has a new adventure. We have been working on the building project most every day. However we found time to attend the wedding of a young couple from church last weekend. It was beautiful. The bride told me a few weeks ago how much we have influenced her life as she waited for God's best in a marriage. I believe she has found that. Each day at the building project we are blessed to have our translator Luda. She is our voice as we shop for materials and share the gospel with folks along the way. This Sunday we will go to her home after church to meet with a group of women that I used to do Bible study with. It will be a chance for fellowship and prayer.

Today we installed three of the five windows in the house. They look great. I hope to post some photos if I can work it out with the webmaster. He has been traveling so not able to post all my updates currently.

We are still living with our friend and will probably be here for the entire trip. But this works so well for us all. We like to cook and she likes to do dishes. This works out great. She also has good internet service. And best of all she has a washing machine. All these would be issues I would have to deal with and add expenses for if we had our own flat. So God's plan is always the best.

Tomorrow I will be attending the women's ministry from church. They meet in the home of another missionary couple.

Pray for continued favor and blessings and for our return flight tickets.

If you are reading this and get a chance please post a reply of some sort so we know folks are reading.

Be blessed and have a great weekend.

Sally, Doug & Ben 9/22	Hey my friends! This is an awesome way to get in touch with y'all! I am so glad to hear of the Lord's blessings. I am looking forward to meeting Russell III. The Lord is blessing the time I am spending at my new job. Hospice patient and she asked me (and of course i told her) about how to be sure about knowing for sure about eternity. Ben says hey. Please pray for their puppet ministry they tape and put it out there on YouTube! Doug says hi and that he is sending his prayers! We have some new ideas for ministry. Please be praying. Praise God as you continue to serve Him
Kati 9/15	Dale & Jan: I just got on and looked at your blog again. I really enjoy reading about what you guys are doing. Glad to hear things are working out well for you guys. We will continue to keep you in our prayers. Things here in Northern MI are going well. Quintin and I just got back from a trip out to NE to visit his family. It was a good trip and we really enjoyed seeing the entire family. We threw a surprise 30th Anniversary party for his parents. It went really well. His brother is home from Iraq, and was home in NE, so we got to spend a lot of time with him. It was a good relaxing (sometimes) enjoyable week. Other then that, we are doing well. Probably going to start canning some salsa later this week. Mom has already done a batch of tomato juice. My tomatoes went crazy this year and I have a LOT of them! Can't wait to see you guys and hear more about your trip. I called Jason last week and left a message for him, but never heard back. I'm anxious to hear from them! Well....I should get going for now, just wanted to say "hi" and let you know you are in our prayers and we love you guys! Kati & Q
Trudi C 9/13	Hi Jan, It is nice to hear what is going on in your life. I will be praying for you.

August 2008 Top of the Page

marcum
8/28

I am having some difficulty with our email so have not been able to answer personal messages.

The second half of my last update is not here. It included a report on visiting the dump to feed the homeless as well as an update on orphanage visits. Which included a farm orphanage on Friday. We were allowed to share Noah's ark story and then presented Bibles to the director for the children. She was very encouraged by this gift.

On Saturday we did a ministry with the women from Pastor Yuri's church Triumphant of Fire. First we baked pies then had a study on women of the Bible. Then we discussed what women we would like to be. It was a great discussion time. Sunday we were blessed to fellowship with this same congregation. On Tuesday evening they also had their first family night service. Dale and I spoke about how families begin with covenant. We ended the service with a time of prayer and chance for them to renew covenant with each other and God through salt covenant. It was a powerful time. The Pastor said the Holy Spirit showed up. Many were blessed

Our team left yesterday and should be arriving home just about now. It is at least a 24hr trip with all the layover stops they had.

Today Dale and I spent most of the day walking around town getting prices on windows for the house we are working on. This house is part of the street children ministry. It will be one of our main projects here. But there are also other opportunities to share and bless people with a "Good" Word.

One of the things I hope to see happen as a result of the orphanage visits and the outreaches of our team is to get the local churches more involved. Pastor Yuri and Pastor Roma (Baptist pastor) drove for us so they were introduced to the needs. Each of them are interested in helping. Please pray that they will find a way to minister in this area.

Be blessed and post your comments here please. We love to hear from you.

marcum
8/20

Wednesday Aug 20 I wrote a detailed post a couple days ago but lost it in the posting process. I will try to catch you up on what is happening. First I want to tell you about our team. It consists of Joyce who was part of my team back in 1997 her 14yr old granddaughter Michelle, her 14yr old niece Sarah, and 12 yr old nephew Joseph. Also we have Judy who is a school teacher in New Hampshire and also a niece of Joyce. They are a great bunch to work with. I just wish I had as much energy as those kids do.

Our week has been very busy with many activities and outreaches. Monday was a full day as we visited a boarding school orphanage to meet the director then we went to their summer camp where we helped each of the kids to make their own gospel bracelet. It was a special time with these children. They listened intently as each person on our team shared the story of one of the beads. When later asked to repeat it most were able to do so. We were not allowed to pray with the children but we prayed for them. The neat part was how our youth took part in sharing the meaning of these beads. They prepared and explained in their own words what it meant to them.

From the camp we made a stop at orphanage #2 also in the same village. It is a very needy orphanage in this far away village. Our time there was spent with the director discussing children in need of sponsorship. As these children prepare to go into the world they have no one to help them. Lena our orphan ministry partner has started to help them one by one as funds and time allows. Please pray for Lena and this ministry. On the way back to the city we visited an animal rehab center and had a picnic in the woods. The owner takes in wild animals that have been hurt and cares for them until they are ready to return to the wild. He has a Siberian Tiger that has been there for several years. It lost its teeth but the local dentist replaced them with new gold teeth. It is interesting to see. He will not return to the wild because now his smile is too valuable but he can eat so will live much longer.

That was our Monday. Since this is getting long I will post is and start another one for Tuesday and today. Be blessed

Carolyn
8/17

Hi Janice... I just posted the link to this blog in the C.Women's Team Check in Daily thread. That should generate some more prayers for you. Blessings.

marcum
8/15

We are safe in Khabrovsk. The flat we expected is not ready so we are staying at the home of Joy. She is the missionary we will be working with. She is out of country until the end of the month.

All went well in our travels except they took the molasses and the Elmer's glue away from Dale. It was in his carry on.

In Moscow we had a shock. Their limit for weight of luggage is less than the international weight. International allows 2 bags per person at 24k each bag totaling 48k per person. Moscow allows 2 bags per person total weight 20k per person. So we could bring a total of 40K for the two of us. Our 4bags totaled 63K. So we were 23 over. It cost us about $190. The good news is that is what we saved by having our friend purchase the tickets in Moscow instead of us buying them in Uzhgorod.

We are now about 14hrs ahead of EST so jetlag is messing with our bodies.

Tomorrow some of the team will visit the baby orphanage. In the afternoon we will have a worship service and picnic at the beach with Pastor Yuri and his church.

Monday we kick into a full schedule of orphanages and church activities for the week. We will be presenting the gospel by using the witness bracelets.

As you think of us this next week lift us in prayer as the team has not had much experience. But God is putting together an awesome plan. Blog when you can or send us an email. We love to hear from you I will try to post a little something each day or two so you know what is happening. Be blessed

marcum
8/12

It is Tuesday here. My name is Dale. The weather here is beautiful and so is my wife. I see many signs here in Ukraine that are so distressing and if that’s all I looked at it would not be good. But I know we have an adversary who wants us to only believe what we see. I am too many years into His promises to fall for that. I know His mercies are new every morning and I know He has a purpose for us to accomplish this day and each one that follows. So what seems to be sorrow is quickly transformed into gladness and praise escapes my lips even as I type this. Thanks be to God for His saints who are interceding even as I type this and many blessings I speak to each of you who are the forward guard of God.

marcum
8/10

We arrived in Kiev yesterday morning by train. For the next 2 days we will be living on a boat that is also the YWAM base here. It is so nice here on the river. Last night Jason cooked dinner and served it on the deck overlooking the Dnieper River. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

Today we went to church with Pastor Sergei and wife Esther. It was great to spend some time with them and it was an opportunity to discussed future work together.

After church we dined at a local restaurant and sat at the outdoor cafe overlooking the river. The cuisine consisted of a marvelous concoction called a "Mcfish." Oh the joy of oversea delicacies. Yes it was the local McDonald's. It seems to be the most popular restaurant in town. Imagine 7 cashiers with lines backed up 8 deep or more continually.

Dale stated with much concern that he did not want to get "McSick".

We received news today that our tickets to Khabarovsk from Moscow are waiting for us in Moscow . PTL!

Colleen
8/11 Hello. I have just caught up on all you are doing and am so glad your trip is good. I hope Jason, Layera and Russell got the hugs I sent. We were just watching the news and Dale asked where you were and had some concern in his voice. I trust God is looking after you and will not let anyone interrupt your good works for HIM. The summer is going by so fast, the kids are getting ready to start school in two weeks. It starts before the public schools. They are very excited. Jeray is especially happy since she will be able to talk about Jesus and have her Bible with her. They will have prayers every morning and at meal time and Chapel day is every Thursday. I have gotten all the school supplies together and am going to get the uniforms washed and ready. Uniforms are a wonderful thing for sure. Take care of each other and will check in to see what you are up to next. May God Bless You every moment and keep you safe. Love to you and all who you come in contact with. Colleen

Elaine
8/11
I'm so thankful to hear the wonderful place you ate at, and to know you are continuing to do His work despite the unrest with Georgia. Hope you survived the McFish!! Sounds even more frightening. :-)

marcum
8/8

Lois’ baby Russell is so beautiful or handsome since he is a boy. And good natured too. Of course I am the gramma.

This will be our last post from Uzhgorod. Tonight we leave at 8 pm by train for Kiev which is the capital of Ukraine. We will meet up with Pastor Sergei and family there for a few days. They have been on vacation while we stayed in their home in Uzhgorod. But it just happens they will be in Kiev at the same time we are. This is a blessing. We will also touch base with other people there. On Tuesday we will fly to Moscow. There we will meet with two ladies that were in my Bible study in Khabarovsk 10yrs ago. Now both are serving in ministry. PTL! Lord willing we will have housing with a Christian family there. And Lord willing we will get tickets for a Wednesday evening flight to Khabarovsk.

The adventure continues: This week Dale and Jason worked many hours at the Roma camp on the wall around the church. The pastor is excited about what has been done. We were blessed to leave funds to help complete the work.

Today I met with the director of the handicap children's program. Next week they will have a camp for the disabled children. They were short on funds to provide for all the children. Again because of the faithfulness of sponsors we were able to sow into this ministry on your behalf. They ask for prayer covering for this ministry. They are dealing with local authorities and need favor.

Another prayer concern is that when we checked the "lost" luggage we were missing items. Pray United will work with us to replace these items. More so pray for those who took the items. May their hearts be convicted and turn to the Lord.

Continue to pray for our travels. They say Kiev is not kind to Americans. Many have been robbed. But we trust the Lord to send angels before us and around us.

We look forward to hearing from you. So keep blogging. Be blessed in all you do. We love you and thank God for you.

lois
8/5

Hi! Glad you made it safe. You know how I worry about you. Is that baby as good looking as his Dad? Lots of love to all. Your in my prayers.

marcum
8/4

PTL our luggage finally arrived. They had it since Thursday but someone forgot to put the city name on the papers. All they had was the house address and a phone number. Why they did not tell me this each day I called them is beyond me. Then they could hear pills (my vitamins) in the case and were afraid there would be problems at the border. So we had to make the 30 min trip to meet them there. All worked out with no problems. PTL! I am just thankful we have our clothes. The two outfits we had with us are getting old. Sunday I wore jeans to church. Today we visited the new building for the street children and the Bible College. It was also "hunt for tickets to Russia day". I found some at a good price but then found they do not accept Visa cards. So they are on hold for a few days while I make a few draws through the ATM. Then a friend sent us a site where we can get them for a better price. I am checking it out. It appears we will not make our stop in Ufa because prices are higher than we expected and it would only be a three day stop over. Maybe we will work it in on our way home. God knows.

Now it is raining hard and tomorrow Dale and Jason are scheduled to work in the Roma camp again. But as we all know plans change moment by moment. I know whatever is in store God has an adventure attached to it. Be blessed and blog on.

July 2008 Top of the Page

Linda
7/31

Hi - so glad that you are safe at your first destination and that you have Russell in your arms. How special! You are in our prayers ! Tell Layera and Jason "hi" and we love them !!

marcum
7/31

Thursday...Today the guys worked on the roof and finished shortly before the rain started. Praise God! I did laundry, baby time, and email. Tonight we are having dinner at the home of some other Americans. Hope to hear from you soon. Be blessed

Robin Maurer
7/31

So Glad to hear that you arrived safe and sound. And that you are catching up with that New Grand Baby... Give everyone our Love and prayers, Robin and Randy

marcum
7/30

Hey everyone we are here safe and sound. Our grandson is beautiful and loves to be held. So gramma has had lots of snuggle time. Our flight to Munich was late so we missed our connection and had to wait for the next flight. The airline blessed us with a free lunch at a nice outdoor cafe. I got to enjoy some of my favorite Germany specialties.

Two bags wandered off to France without us. But today one has been found. The ones missing contain most of our clothes and some Bibles.

Today we went to the Roma camp where Jason and Dale worked on a fence around the church. It is great to be back. I am using my son's computer connection. Since we will be here most every day I should be able to share the high lights of the day. Today I was able to bless the pastor at the Roma church with one of the electronic Bibles. He immediately started to think of ways to use it to share the Gospel. It is exciting.

Be blessed and thanks for joining us here.

Kati
7/31

Hi - thanks for the update. So glad to hear you made it there safely. Enjoy that baby while you can! Sounds like you guys are keeping pretty busy with work out there. Tell Jason & Layera "Hi, we love them and can't wait to see them this fall" Hope to continue to hear from you guys and we will keep you in our prayers! God Bless

Carolyn
7/30

Janice, I just checked your blog to see if you'd gotten to check in yet. I'll let SP know that you haven't. I trust you had good flights and that you'll find a cybercafe soon. Carolyn

Michigan Bridge Ministry
7/29

Mom and Dale have arrived here safely! I will let them tell you all more details. Praise God for all your answered prayers.

Linda Kelley
7/29

Hi! Thanks so much for letting me know you are going again. May God go with you! I just got back from Papua New Guinea last week. I enjoyed your movie. Could you do one of Sergey and Esther and their three children when you get to Uzhgorod, and share it with us? Any chance you could get the ex-homeless children who now live in the basement of the church, on it too? Thanks so much for all you are doing for God! We pray His richest blessings on you!

Brother Rog
7/28

By now you guys are probably loading at T.C. on your way to the "WINDY CITY" Chicago...there is a lot of hot air there...try not to add to it. It might be tempting, but I know you. You have your bibles in hand so Satan can't trip you up. God bless you both..two of my favorite, and the truest Ambassadors for Christ I know. God speed on your way to Hungary, Ukraine and Russia.

Elaine & Sean Ricketts
7/28

We continue to be inspired by your comments at lunch on Jan's birthday. Our prayers are with you today, and we are changing directions in our course in many ways. May your travels be not only smooth, but a time of refreshing as you prepare for the busy weeks ahead. I can see through meeting you how God can use us where ever we are in life. We met a single mother who has a ministry to girls on her ranch (a provision from God) and she continues to expand Our daughter attended a mini camp there last weekend. I pray that you will be blessed with provision beyond what you ask this trip.

David Tinney
7/28

Janice & Dale, have a safe trip back to Ukraine . I enjoy hearing what you're up to through your newsletters . Blessings, David

Sam/Harriet C
7/28

We are praying for your travels today. We are on same time zone at Ukraine. We will be in Kiev--Sept. 11-14 and then in Odessa--Sept. 15-18 and fly to USA from there. Blessings to you in your work.

Violet
7/28

Hello Dale and Janice, will you pass by Moscow? I would love to meet with you. Have a safe journey! Violet

Russell III
7/28

Hurry over here Gramma & Grampa, I realy want to meet you! Mom and Dad say that you are very wonderful and loving. I am so excited to get to be held by you. Have a safe trip and I'll see you soon. Dad says don't forget his stuff and my ticket . Mom sends her love too.

Joanne McCabe
7/27

Hi...May God give you both safe travels and many other mercies during your time overseas. Jo

marcum
7/26

We are one day closer to departure. Only two more to go. Today is family time and then packing. Thanks everyone for the prayers. I know that is what is keeping us on track. God is giving me a peace in the midst of the long list of "things to do before leaving." But I have until 10am Monday morning to get them done. They say it is good to sleep less before changing so many time zones so you can adjust easier. Well I think my body is in training. Now I am off to a parade.

Trudi C
7/29

Hi Jan and Dale, It was so nice to get your letter today. Have a safe trip and you are in my prayers.

Carolyn
0107
7/26

Hi, Janice knows me as Carolyn0107. I came to your website and found this blog so it must be the one she mentioned on SP. I'll try to keep up with you on your trip, since she might not get to check in with us on SP for awhile. I'm working in Africa. God Bless you.

marcum
7/25

Hello everyone it looks like we have this up and running. I am not sure of our internet connections overseas so it may be several days before you see a post here. But please keep watching. The nice thing about a blog is I can jump in for a few minutes and it is done. So now add this to your favorites and join us for this great adventure ahead.

Colleen
7/24

Hi this is a test for you i love you