Al & Diane Mellinger's Missionary Adventure

Greetings from Budapest, Hungary!

January 31, 2008 – This week we have been in Budapest, Hungary for some additional training as new
missionaries. We joined 7 others who have also come in the past year for encouragement, more specific directions and some time just to compare notes on how it is going for each.

Leave your home, family and culture are not easy for many. To have a check-up a few months into the new experience with others is very helpful.

We have enjoyed the time here but are ready to return to Petrich and the work that God has for us there. It is exciting to hear others share what God is doing in other parts of Europe – We had the Hamleys from Spain here and Millers from Belgium here and Kris a single gal working in the Canary Islands plus the team at our Ministry Center in Hungary.

God is at work in many places in many different ways.

Pray for the Millers, Hamleys Winckles and Kris – All part of the training and serving in Europe.
Pray for Us as we travel to train in Bulgaria the next few Sundays in different Churches
Thank God for all He is doing and is up to already in Europe!

A Phone Call & Changed Lives (2nd Post)

January, 24, 2008 – Today I received a call from a young Pastor I am mentoring asking me to come and pray for a Young Lady who has been having problem. He thought she was possessed. So we went – I asked her to explain what was happening. She shared and I felt that is wasn’t pocession but rather oppression by the enemy.

I shared scripture and explained how much God loves her wants a relationship with her and has a plan for her life. Now this is all being done through a translator, my Pastor Friend. So when we got down to "would you like to surrender to Jesus" - I looked at him and said take it away you don’t need me – walk her through the process directly in Bulgarian. She and her husband prayed, but there were more in the room, so when that was done I said – you need to see if anyone else wants to know Jesus – and the husbands parents wanted to invite Him in too. So I said Pastor it all yours help them as well.

So at the end of the night we saw 4 new brothers and sisters come to know Jesus! I don’t even know their names but will find that out as I return tomorrow with some discipleship materials to the Pastor. We are praising God and wanted you to do so also. Now you can read my regular post which seems mundane after seeing folks saved today! Blessings

Straight talk on Money

January 24, 2008 - It is hard to believe that we are almost done with January 2008 – as you mature times does fly by. (but it helps when you are doing something that you love. Too)

Every so often we need to let you, our prayer partners and supporters know where we are at financially and what we still need.

Praise the Lord our Personal Support is covered this year. With the change in funding from our missions board, moneys now have to be designated to us for it to come to us. We have enough people designating to us. If you are one of them THANK YOU!

In addition to our personal support we also have Country Shares – these are fund used to run some basic ministries and programs in Bulgaria. That fund is only about 50% committed – we still need about $3,500 to be pledge to this (or just given). But as the year progresses if funds are not pledged or actually in that account they will not be sent. So that is an area of concern.

Additionally, there are special projects or ones that go beyond the basic needs in a country that are called Extra Mile Projects (EMP). We have several of these and they are not funded until money is given and in the account. Right now we have 2 EMP and we have 2 in the works. The one is the Virtual Christmas Gift Box program – (It worked well and so we want to see it happen again next year.) The second is the Samokov Feeding program – helping a church that feeds about 70 – Widows, Street kids and mental challenged people as well as home bound people. We are hoping for $24,000 for this but only what is sent in will be spent.

Two new EMP’s for this year include funds for the church plant here in Petrich. We are looking to expand and will need more fund to do that. If we wait until the need on us we might miss the opportunity so we are planning ahead. And finally, one I am really excited about and that is scholarship to assist Bulgarian Teens attend a training conference and mission outreach project this summer. We are hoping to get about $7,000 raised by June. These youth could not afford to participate in this on there own but with some assistance we can train them to reach their peers for Christ.

So here is what I want you to do:
1) PRAY that God would help us get the rest of our country shares committed.
2) Take a look at some of the EMP’s and as you are able and feel lead make a donation to one or more of these.
3) Encourage others to help – maybe a Sunday School Class or your youth Group might be able to do a special focus and cover these.

We have places to give online to all of these as well as information you can down load to help you explain and be informed on these projects.

So the above list is the Prayer concerns for the coming week.

PS – I said I tell you more about the youth Group meetings that are being planned well they are postponed for now so nothing to report but hopefully soon.

Diane’s Turn!

January 17, 2008 - Thank you to all who sent email cards, cards and greetings. Al and I had a great time reading and watching the great messages from all over the globe. (e-cards came from 4 continents) We had great laughs and felt your love. Thank you again.

Saturday Peggy and I started English club. We did a little advertizing in town and now have two groups of adults, a beginning group and an advanced group. The beginning group started Tuesday night. What a delight to watch these women discover English words following the theme of family. In Bulgarian there are different words for aunt, uncle, daughter-in law, son-in-law etc. depending on who that person is related to (for example the aunt on the mother’s side is a different word than the aunt on the father’s side). We hope to become good friends through this club and pray that each will discover a deep love for Jesus.

This weekend pray for Al as he meets with the Renewal International Board BG and other leaders in Sofia.

Pray for the participants in English club that they will enjoy the process of language learning and that it will grow beyond English.

Pray for the Youth Group we have been asked to start in town (more on that next week).

PS – I (Al) also want to thank all who sent cards (4 so far), emails (70 came in) and made phone calls (Diane received 6). Each time she opened an email or card it was fun to see them. We even received an attachment of pictures drawn by the children at Our Redeemer in Elgin, Illinois – as they had a party and cake for her and drew Diane Pictures – they are the best! You all did a supper job! Thanks for making her day special!!!!

Car Adventures 2008 –

January 10, 2008 - Well after going to Sofia and dropping Casey off at the airport we returned home very tired and a bit sentimental about missing Casey already. So we decided we were just going to stay home for the rest of the day and relax with just the two of us.

Peggy phoned and asked if they could borrow the car (which we have offered many times to let them use it), she had her cousins in town and they wanted to go to a town near by with them and Peggy & Stefan’s car was needing a part. So we let them use it. Stefan is a great driver – when ever we travel I always have him drive – He likes to do it and he feels like he is helping. He has driven the car many times. He lets me know when to change the oil and get new tires and keep the car filled with fluids. So letting him drive it is normal for here.

Let me have an aside here to say that we have also had unseasonably cooler temperature here with more precipitations so we have snow and ice and it isn’t melting. We have some great pictures of the snow on the mountains on the website as well.

Well on their way home they hit a patch of ice and the car spun out , went off the road and hit a tree. EVERYONE in the car was fine but the car had some bumps and bruises. We have posted 5 pictures of the car as it now looks – on the website too. It is getting fixed and until it does we will be walking or calling a Taxi and back to the trains if we have to go to another town or country.

We are praising God that no one was hurt cars and stuff can be replaced people can’t.

So this week…
Thank God for watching over the people in the car that no one was hurt!
Pray that the repairs would be made quickly and at a reasonable cost
Pray for Stefan & Peggy) as they feel bad about the car and the damage. Insurance only cover the other car you hit and since we were not hit by another car will not cover the damage. (They said they will pay but Stefan is looking for regular work – he is always being asked to help people and he does work hard and keep busy and makes some money. He has a huge heart and a keen mind!)

PS - Diane has her 50th Birthday (On January 16th -Next Wednesday) since I can't have you all come to a surprise Birthday Party for it - I am asking everyone who can to send an e-card or email to her email at dpastorala@hotmail.com. Thanks and have great Week!

New Year and New Ministries

January 3, 2008 - Well the holidays have come and gone. We have added a photo album of the New Year’s Day Celebration here in Petrich on our website. The celebration here is not how all of Bulgaria celebrates just our town of Petrich. A bit of local tradition of scaring away the evil spirits so that you will have a good year.

New Years day also brought the Long Family to our home for a visit – we had a great time of sharing and just being together.

We are also beginning a new outreach ministry here in Petrich and that is English Classes for adults. Many are wanting to learn English to help them with their employment as speaking English is an advantage for employment. So twice a week on Tuesday’s and Saturday’s we will offer classes (the first one in Saturday, January 12th). Diane and Peggy (our teacher) will actually be doing most of the lesson plans and activities with the students. We have no idea how many will be coming but posters and invitations have been posted around town – so we will see.

Additionally, this month I will be meeting with a newly establish board for a ministry called Renewal International Network Bulgaria. A support and training organization sponsored by the Renewal Christian Centre in England (A FM church), FMWM and some local Bulgarian Pastors. I chair the group and one of the tasks before us is the establishment of a Training program/school for Pastors here in Bulgaria. We meet later this month (January 18, 2008) to outline classes and study programs for this. It is exciting to be a part of creating a training program to help Pastors better serve and meet the needs of their cities and neighborhoods.

So this week pray for:
Our son Casey’s safe return trip to the States – he will be in the air (Friday 1/4/08) as you are getting this email.
The start of the New English classes that they will be an effective way to connect with more people in Petrich
The school for training Pastor’s that we are working to establish. Pray that God will give us direction to know what to do and when to do it!