Al & Diane Mellinger's Missionary Adventure

The Eye of the Storm!

July 9, 2009 – We are now in between groups. Where there is calm on the surface in our lives. We sent the Columbus, GA group home on Wednesday and the Renewal Youth comes on Saturday and the Greenville youth come on Sunday (to Bulgaria they are currently in Greece) and then the actual Conference starts on Monday.  And I have now come down with a sinus infection that has settled in the jaw with all the last minute preparations for Love Bulgaria.

Here is a picture of the great group from Christ Community Church with the church people in Gosta Delchev!  Thanks for all you did!

We have some good news – Today (July 9, 2009) at 4 PM Eastern time we closed and are no longer owners of a house in Michigan.  It is done and we are happy just to be rid of it.   It was a short sale and took quite a bit of emails and scans to get all the documention in line to get things signed but it is done, even today I was having to take care of some things that were over looked and had to be done.  Now if you are in the town that you are selling the home it is one thing but try and get anything done quickly when you are half way around the world.  Anyway thanks for praying about this – it is done!

So ONE PRAYER REQUEST WITH MANY PARTS: LOVE BULGARIA! 

Travel safety (American, Brits and Bulgarians)

Speaker presentations – that they would be on target and useful

The participants that they would be open to the teachings – not just to hear but to also apply it as well.

Students relationships – that they would all get along.

The health of the team leading this event

And anything else you can think of or God brings to your mind!

   

Christ Community Church Arrives!

July 2, 2009 – I am sending this our a day early as it is a holiday weekend in the US – (Happy 4th everyone) and because we are just starting a mission with a group and it will busy over the next few days. 

A group of 11 arrived from Christ Community Church in Columbus Georgia. Tom Jacobs their youth pastor is leading the team. Tom and I both (at different times) lived in the same house and worked at Ferndale Free Methodist Church in Michigan. 

(Diane outside the building where the church here meets)

We are working in a town about 70 kilometers from where we live in a twom called Gotsa Delchev. It is a Turkish area of and so there are many Islamic folks here. (Infact we heard the call to prayer this morning). We have come to support a church that is working to be the light in this town. It is a small Gypsy church. To our understanding they have never had a group like this come and so they are not sure what to expect and we are not sure what to do specifically to be of help to the church. We have prepared and will be finding our way together. We do know we will be doing some kids programming and some youth work as well as encouraging the church folks as much as we can. 

Pray for the work here – pray fro Pastor Andre who works full time to support his family and leads the church. Pray for the members of the church that they would be inspired to be creative to reach their friends with the Gospel message. 

 When we finish here we will go to Petrich to do a one day English Club event with our teens. Pray that we have a good turn out (it is the last one until September as we take a summer break). 

Love Bulgaria is in a few days now and things are coming together but keep praying – pray for the teens, pray about the funds pray for the teachers lesson preparation. 

And Happy Anniversary to my wife of 26 wonderful years!

My Thoughts - Diane

June 24, 2009 - We have been working on the events happening this summer.  Details can be overwhelming at times, especially when communication comes in from three different places at that same time.  I want to tell you about what we talked about today (Thursday).  We discussed what to pack to take to the conference center for Love Bulgaria.  Here’s the list so far:  sound system, badges, screen, handouts, registration materials, keyboard, parachute, sports stuff, drumming workshop stuff, craft stuff and flyers for days in the towns, tracks, VCR, CD player, communion cups, and Twister. 

As you can see we have a big variety of things to bring since we will be far from stores to get last minute things and we are trying to think of everything we will need.

Today I want to tell you what I heard a young boy tell his grandfather as they must have been walking home from some program.  He was explaining what he learned that day in English: Thank you very much means mnogo vee blagodadeeah.  Grandpa seemed impressed, it is important to learn English here to get a good job to take care of family when one grows up.  The young child is well cared here for since they are the future in many ways.

Please pray that we will be able to get the supplies needed to the conference center, that they will be useful during the conference as well as in future years.  

Pray for the registrations to come in (they are slow to register).  

Pray for all the other details to fit into place.

Tis the Season - Harvest Season

June 18, 2009 – Once again the back yard is producing fruit.  We have had strawberries, cherries, figs, zucchini and peaches so far.  We have canned strawberry & cherry jam.  We will can some peaches this weekend. (Pictured here is the strawberry patch, with a cherry tree in the middle and raspberry bushes just coming on earlier this spring)

Soon the Apricots will be ready as well as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers – later will be pears, apples and grapes.

It has also been fun to share some sweets with our landlords.  Things like strawberry short cake, and cherry cheese cake a have been treats they liked.  And this week at English Club for the teens we dipped chocolate cover frozen bananas.  We took some to them on a hot afternoon and they loved them too (they had never had these before).

It has been a great way to connect and build a relationship with them.  The fun thing is that every time we take them some kind of food to eat – when they return the dish it often has a food they like to eat on it for us to try. 

It is a great way to connect and build the relationship.  Here is a picture of our landlords Stefan, Letka, Caroline and Krissy (the only grand child).  They seem very religious (orthodox), pray that as we build into their live they maybe drawn to a personal relationship with Jesus.

Also this week keep praying for Love Bulgaria – our first registration deadline is this week – pray that we have a good response.  And keep praying that the funds will come in for the scholarhips (still need about 3000) 

Thanks & Blessings to you!

Been Back 3 Months Now

June 11, 2009 - It is hard to Believe that we have been back 3 months already since we left Michigan in snowy March.  That seems like so long ago.  Time does go by quickly as you mature (get old). This week Love Bulgaria is the main thing we are working on still but other things are happening. 

I want to take this time to update you on a few things: 

Our House – stuff is happening – we are not sure if it is going forward or backward. As it has now moved to the Negotiator for Short Sales at the Mortgage company.  We were asked to resubmit everything we had already submitted because it had been so long since we submitted them they needed more current records.  So we updated the stuff and emailed them all in again (it is like 30+ pages of stuff)  - hopefully it will have final approval and we can move on!  Pray that it ends soon!

Petrich Church/Bible Study – it has been going well. New folks coming and going, checking things out.  We will continue to meet over the summer except for a few weeks during summer Holiday when both Diane & I as well as Peggy and Stefan will be away.  Several have been facing difficulties in their lives – One lost his grandfather, another grandma is in hospital and a former member of our group who has moved away has been told they she has cancer.  This fall the group is planning on finding a space away from our home to meet.  A more neutral setting will make most folks more comfortable.  Pray for the members and that we find the right place to rent to hold our meetings 

Last week we had a visit from Diane's cousin and family.  They were over and in Greece so we went down to see them.

One final thing.  Last Sunday night I was asked to come and speak at a Brand New Gypsy church that was starting in Petrich.  The pastor had a church but was kicked out of the building they were meeting in as it was being torn down (8 months ago).  Well after a number of signs from God – he went to a new place where some folks said we have been waiting for someone to come and start a church here.  So it began last Sunday morning as their first service and I spoke in the evening.  This is another un connected group that we might be able to connect more with.  Pray for this new Gypsy Church.

June newsletter is now posted online.