SIBERIA - DAN VANSCHAEMELHOUT

Dan Vanschaemelhout (Dan Van) was sent to the former Soviet Union in 1993, shortly after the fall of the "Iron Curtain,"  to investigate the possibility of doing missionary work there. He began preaching the gospel in the open air in the city of Kiev and holding church meetings on Sundays and Bible studies during the week, while studying the Russian language there at the University.

Since 2002 Dan has been ministering among the Yakut people way up in the area of northern Siberia inside the Arctic Circle, at a village called Srednekolymsk, Yakutia.

Dan is presently holding two church meetings a week on Sundays and Thursdays. He has an assistant named Yulia who is fluent in English and Russian, and is able to translate Dan's messages and send them via email across the internet. Yulia also helps Dan in his door to door ministry, teaching the women and children, and in various communication necessities that come up. She is a strong believer in the doctrines of grace as well.

Dan also is reaching out to some of the surrounding villages in that region. There are nine in total. 

The living conditions are quite harsh there. In December and January, the sun does not even come up over the horizon and the temperatures sink to -70 degrees Farenheit. The wind chill there today (Feb. 9) was -104 with the temperature of -57. The village is plagued with serious alcoholism, infidelity, homicide and suicide. It is a very dangerous place to live. The spiritual condition is that of Atheism, Agnosticism, and a pagan religion which worships fire.