The Marcum Family/Ministry News

April 2016

Dear Friends & Family,

We had no way of knowing that between last months newsletter and this month, we would
have traveled to Los Angeles, CA and back! This is one of the suddenlies the Lord has been
giving us, and we are so thankful for His leadership, even when His ways are a bit more
spontaneous than we expect. We are still learning to move through doors the Lord opens quickly
and with faith. We truly feel an encouragement and strengthening in our spirits having come
back from L.A. exhausted physically but so refreshed spiritually! Thank you for taking time to
read the report and we hope you are refreshed too! -Love, The Marcums

A Day of Unity, Healing, and Awakening

Azusa Now The Call at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
I received the email on March 30 IHOPU is in need of trip leaders
for the Azusa Now event leave at 9 AM Thursday, April 7 and get
back around 7 PM on Monday, April 11. WHAT? I read it again.
Then I forwarded it to Melissa with one comment Interesting It
wasnt long before she called me. We had both been praying, and the
Lord had prompted us in various ways, but no doors had seemed to
open for us to be at this momentous event. Nowsuddenlya door
was swinging open and after a couple brief contacts with IHOPU
leadership, we were going to L.A. for Azusa Now! And wed be
leading two buses filled with IHOPU students!
We had one week to prepare to lead 72 students over 3,000 miles on a five-day whirlwind trip to L.A. and back. A
32-hour bus trip through 7 states (slept overnight in the bus) to the west coast of the U.S.,2 nights and 1 day in L.A.,
and 32 hours back to K.C. you could never have told us wed be up for this! But honestly it was one of the most
joyful experiences weve ever had, and we were so honored to lead such an amazing group of young leaders to such a
historic event. Yes, it was definitely worth it!
We were so blessed to have two fellow IHOPKC staff be bus captains on the second bus, though we were the senior
leaders (they liked to call us that because were so much older ha!). We stopped regularly, unloaded 76 people for
rest break or for meal break, then piled back in and on we went. We always did roll call before every departure, and
we were firm be on time for roll call! One time was pretty hilarious, we had Googled ahead for a travel stop gas
station in a small town (some parts of the stretch were pretty desolate). When we arrived, the place had been closed!
There was one other tiny gas station in the town, and a number of people really needed to stop, so we did. Our trip
photographer took a photo and put a caption This is our two-bus potty stop in a one-bathroom town. And yes,
there were bathrooms on the buses, but anyone who has traveled that far in a bus knows you have to keep the usage to
a minimum or there are challenges in the atmospheric conditions of the bus. (smile)
We had just left Barstow, CA on our way to L.A., and suddenly the bus engine shut down. Our driver eased the bus
to the shoulder, and some guys from the back came up and said, It sounded like something fell off underneath the
bus! Sure enough, the pulley that runs the water pump had seized and sheared off, and the engine had overheated.
We filled all 56 seats on the 2nd bus and sent them on ahead, and 20 of us stayed behind. Our bus company called
another charter company in Palm Springs, and they sent a bus to rescue us, so our wait was only about 2 hours. As
we formed a circle to pray outside the bus, I noticed a white pickup off-roading toward us, dodging the sage brush
and coming our way. I wondered if it was the land owners, or maybe immigration officials (ha!). They stopped near
us, and a middle aged couple got out. She said, We saw your bus broke down, so we pulled off the road up ahead
and decided to come back and check on you. My husband is pretty good mechanically. We began to thank her, then
she quickly added, Hey, are you heading to Azusa Now? Were from Austin, TX and thats where were going!
There were thousands of cars on the highway heading into L.A. (we were 100 miles out), it is amazing that they
stopped to help an unmarked bus, thinking They must be heading to Azusa Now!

Our bus driver, Tony, had to wait for a part to arrive from 5 hours away.
He waited another 2 hours for a mechanic to arrive, who then had to take
the bracket back to his shop. Tony arrived with the bus at our hotel at 5 a.m.
for our planned 6 a.m.departure! We actually left late to go to the event
because one of the girls cut her finger pretty badly slicing fruit, so Melissa
(our trip Mom & nurse) had to treat and bandage it. We got to the Coliseum
at the rush hour for all the traffic arriving for the events start at 7 a.m. It was
literal gridlock! We finally found the end of the line that started at the entry
gate and wrapped halfway around the huge coliseums block and had our
driver drop us off there. I got in ahead of the rest to get our field access
wristbands, as the organizers had asked university students to be on the field.

Our prayer circle worshiping amidst trouble!

It is hard to describe the event itself. It is the largest event we have ever been to there were 65,000 people there,
worshiping and praying together for 15 hours in the rain. California needs rain, so we rejoiced, and the showers were
cool and refreshing better I think than it would have been to stand in the hot sun all day. Hundreds of millions around
the world were participating with us, as the event was receiving live coverage from CBN, TBN, Daystar and was
broadcast live in entirety by GodTV. (You can watch 11-hour recording at www.thecall.com/asuza) The entire day was
translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and Chinese as well as into Arabic and broadcast to millions of homes in
the Middle East. It took place on April 9, on the 110th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival of 1906. There was such a
hunger and a humble cry to the Lord to visit us again with awakening and revival in America oh how desperately we
need it! There was a theme of deep repentance on this gathering. We saw reconciliation between Catholics and
Protestants, between Jew and Gentile, between denominations, between races - black to white to Hispanic to native
American old to young, men to women. Surely these things must take place in preparation for a great coming Revival!
People were literally getting on their hands and knees, kissing one anothers feet and the tears were flowing like rivers.
On our bus trip home, each of the buses took time for everyone to give testimonies. Since they were tour buses, there
was a microphone so everyone could hear. There were cheers, followed by tears, as everyone shared what the Lord was
doing in their hearts, and what they had experienced. It seemed every stop we made on the way back, the students were
not only praying with each other, but praying and witnessing to people in the restaurants and travel stops. One lady had
to run to Dollar General and was gone quite awhile. Upon her return, she said, I just led three ladies to the Lord in the
Dollar General! Here are a few pictures to close out our report from Azusa Now the Lord be glorified!

We had a baptism in our hotel pool!

Multi-ethnic, multi-denominational, multigenerational an amazing day of unity!

Right up front for much of the day

glad we had our ponchos!

What
an
awesome
group!
FINAL WORD: We received our passports! They arrived the day we returned from L.A. what timing. We leave
one month from today (May 18) for missions training with Life International in Grand Rapids, MI. Thanks again to all
who have given special gifts toward the expense of our training. If any would still like to give, our giving information is
listed below and we would be so blessed! The Lord be with you all, and keep in touch were praying for you!

Because He is worthy of it all,

Jim & Melissa

Jim & Melissa Marcum & family

Jim & Melissa Marcum

P.O. Box 1099, Grandview, MO 64030
Phone/text: 816-287-3525 / 816-287-2228
Email/PayPal: intercessorymissions@gmail.com
Egiving:www.ihopkc.org/give/staffsupport (JM204009)
International House of Prayer Kansas City, MO