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Ben and Marianne were born in Holland and lived in Canada for twenty-three years. They pastored two churches and were directors of a Bible School there.  Since Aug. 1997, the Jansens have been ministering in Eastern Europe on missionary trips.  They now serve as full-time missionaries in Romania, Ukraine, and Moldova.

Facts about Romania

Romania, where the Jansens live, is a country located in Southeastern Europe bordering the Black Sea between Bulgaria and the Ukraine.  It has a total area of 237,500 square kilometers, which is roughly the size of Oregon, and a population of 22,264,022 people.  Romania is one of the poorest countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The living standard in Romania has continued to fall and Real Wages are down over 40%.  In Romania, 44.5% of the nation's population is below the poverty line.  That is a little less than 10 million people (9,907,490).  I don't know the actual number for the poverty line in Romania, but I do know that the average Romanian family's income is only 1670 dollars a year or 140 dollars a month.  Obviously, if this is the average family's income, those who are below the poverty line are very hard pressed financially.  In Romania, the majority of people are Romanian Orthodox.  In fact 70% of Romanians are Romanian Orthodox with the rest of the population falling into these other categories: Catholic (6%), Protestant (6%), and Unaffiliated (18%).  However, because of the deep-rooted religious traditions of the majority of Romanians, evangelical and spirit-filled churches experience severe persecution.  This persecution comes from both private citizen and government officials.

Their Ministries

Ben and Marianne are involved in preaching, teaching, and church planting.  They try to fill the need of good spiritual theological teaching at the Bible School in Suceava Romania, where they reside.  Their outreach includes Bible School teaching and church planting efforts in the surrounding countries.  Virtually no pastors of evangelical churches have had more than basic training.  They are working to prepare new national church planters for the advancement of God's kingdom in Romania and beyond.  Ben and Marianne are working together with Steve Cofer the overseas Missions Coordinator for this area of the world.  Their daughter Joanna is with them, and together they are committed to these Eastern European Countries.  Please remember the Janssens in your prayers.  Pray God will bless their ministry.  That they will be successful in starting new church plants, and that they will be able to educate the future leaders in order to further the Kingdom of God.

Prayer Requests

The Jansens ask specifically that we prayer they will be able to receive the proper visa so that they will be able to minister not only in Romania, but also in surrounding countries.  Also keep their daughter, Joanna, in prayer because she will be leaving for Emmanuel College starting this fall.  I want to thank you for all of your prayers now; I know God will richly answer them.