JEFF
MARCHELL Mission employee Jeff Marchell once owned a legitimate business in Yelm, WA, but when he
started hanging out with the wrong crowd, his career changed to that
of big time drug dealer. Over time, he became the focus of a major
drug sting operation. A police helicopter chasing his car was the
final push Jeff needed to give up drug dealing. Not long before the
day the helicopter appeared, Jeff attended a Promise Keeper’s men’s
rally in Tacoma, where he made a profession of faith in Jesus
Christ. Although his life didn’t immediately change, Jeff began to
sense God working in his life. His drug deals had brought him a lot
of money, which he spent on drugs and worldly goods. He also lived
life as a con artist. “Everything I did was a con,” admits Jeff.
After his confession of faith, Jeff felt God telling him that if he
didn’t stop using drugs, he was either going to kill himself, or
someone else. He also head God telling him that if he didn’t stand
in the gap for his son, his son would turn out just like him. Jeff
began to feel conviction about his entire lifestyle, including
cigarettes, credit card use, and illicit relationships with the
opposite sex. At that point, he decided to cut up his credits cards
and get rid of everything he had wrongfully obtained. “I knew I’d
been serving the wrong God,” he said. With nothing left, Jeff walked
out of Yelm. He believes he was making a faith step, but he didn’t
know where he was going or what he was going to do. Eventually, He
wound up at the Olympia Union Gospel Mission.
“I walked in and there was no one there but me, so I started
cleaning up. I heard God say, “do you want to be a part of this?
This scared me and I ran out of the Mission and didn’t come back for
six months,” said Jeff. For a few weeks, he stayed in hotels or
camped in the woods until he found an apartment in downtown Olympia
that he could afford on a small income. After moving into downtown,
he started visiting the Mission again and was soon volunteering
every day. He became a part of the Mission and was eventually hired
part time to help monitor the day center. Later, he was hired as a
full time Mission employee and now works as the Mission’s Evening
Supervisor. One major blessing Jeff has received while working at
the Mission is an opportunity to build and own a house through the
Northwest Housing Program, which helps low income families become
home owners. Jeff read about the program in a newspaper article. He
applied and was accepted to the program, and spent the last 18
months building a home with the help of friends and clients from the
Olympia Union Gospel Mission’s Men’s Recovery Program. This
self-help housing program requires 35 hours a week of hands on labor
from Jeff and those volunteering on his project. His friends
gathered at his new home on May 31 to wish him well, and to bless
his home with prayer. “I took a faith step and trusted God, and
God proved himself faithful,” said Jeff, who calls FAITH a Fabulous
Adventure In Trusting Him; and now that he owns his own home, Jeff’s
FAITH is bigger than ever.
Here is
program member Glenn Ramos.
Glenn is just one
of the many men OUGM has had the privilege of seeing work
through their addictions and other life controlling issues to
emerge restored in their relationships with the Lord and
families. We are so grateful to be a part of God's plan in these
men's lives.
Meet Dave
Churches.
Dave came to the Mission all the way from
Dearborn, Michigan. Men come to OUGM for all kinds of
reasons. We try to meet them where they are and trust God to
know exactly what they need. Thank you to all who support God's
work through the Mission.
JEFF
MARCHELL