Al & Diane Mellinger's Missionary Adventure

Happy Thanksgiving 2020

November 27, 2020 – For Thanksgiving this year (because we are stateside) we rented an Air BnB and spent 2 nights as a family with our 2 sons, our daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.

We are so thankful that we could all be together and enjoy time as a family.  When you are away as much as we are we cherish the time, we get to spend with our kids and granddaughter.

This week offer prayers of Thanksgiving! For all that God has and is doing!

This week we are in Chelsea, Mi, and then off for 3 weeks (during Advent)!

Happy Thanksgiving 2020

November 27, 2020 – For Thanksgiving this year (because we are stateside) we rented an Air BnB and spent 2 nights as a family with our 2 sons, our daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.

We are so thankful that we could all be together and enjoy time as a family.  When you are away as much as we are we cherish the time, we get to spend with our kids and granddaughter.

This week offer prayers of Thanksgiving! For all that God has and is doing!

This week we are in Chelsea, Mi, and then off for 3 weeks (during Advent)!

THINK FAIR-TRADE FIRST!

November 19, 2020 – As you are thinking and doing your Christmas shopping this year, we want to ask you to THINK FAIR-TRADE FIRST! 

If there is a Fairtrade store near you take some time to go and check it out.  If there is not one near your find one online (I can share plenty with you if you want)!  You can go to MarketplaceManna.com which is our online store where you will find products that our folks make as well as items from many of our partners!

Knowing that what you give to that special someone in your life is also making a difference for a family somewhere in the world is making your gift giving go further.

Additionally, if you are not wanting to go out and risk the shopping malls – buying online is a great alternative.  The staff in our stores have been hard at work getting the website up to date with great-looking photo’s so at least check it out and let us know what you think!  Again our website is marketplacemanna.com

Thanks for your prayers and support!

This week praise God for:

Your friends and family that mean so much to you!

God’s faithfulness and blessings in your life

This week pray too for:

Those who are dealing with COVID, restrictions, lack of family and friends around.  Pray God would meet the needs of the folks around you!

Our Travels are coming to an end soon but here is what we have left!

November 22, 2020 – Kokomo, Indiana

November 29, 2020 – Chelsea MI (Drive-in Church)

December 6, 2020 Jackson, MI - 1208 Greenwood (online)

December 27, 2020 – Kalamazoo, MI

January 3, 2020 – Watervliet, Mi

Humbled and in Awe by God’s Faithfulness!

November 13, 2020 -  Diane and I have been on the road for 14 days (this trip). We have traveled to Missouri, Iowa, and Kansas with Wisconsin coming this weekend.  We will have connected with 6 churches during this excursion.  We also encountered van problems twice on this trip.  The first was our brakes started grinding and then the transmission went out.

With the brakes, I called one of the Pastors of a supporting church (we were going to be staying a few days in their town) if he knew anyone that could work on the brakes and he said yes. We got there and dropped the van off and the brakes got fixed – when I asked what do we owe, He said nothing (someone else paid for the repair). We were so blessed and thankful because we did not have a great deal of funds for this.

We arrived in McPherson to be with my family who live there and share at the church in town with no trouble.  The next day we went out to run some errands and the van would not go it just stopped (on Main Street).  We had it looked at and were told to take it to a transmission shop.  This was now Saturday morning and the shop was not open – I called, left a voice message and on Sunday we were able to get the van to the parking lot in hopes that they could work on it.

We also asked for prayer on FaceBook as the projected cost was going to be about $3500 which we did not have, but we did not say that we simply asked folks to pray that it could be fixed quickly and at a reasonable price.

Over the course of the next 3 days, we had 4 gifts to help us get the transmission fixed.  We did not ask, we simply shared a prayer request. 

We are so humbled by the generosity of our supporters and folks that they know (as one gift came from a church who heard about it from a supporter who reposted the request on their church's prayer chain).

God has reminded us that what we are doing is what HE wants us to do and HE will meet all our needs in HIS timing!  Thanks for those who prayed!

This Month we are going to post things to be thankful for:

• Our van repairs!
• The Sweets arrived back in Bulgaria Safely!
• Sales at our stores are going well (Keep praying)!

Where we will be:

November 15, 2020 - Platteville, WI

November 22, 2020 – Kokomo, IN

November 29, 2020 – Chelsea, MI

December 6, 2020 – Jackson, MI - 1208 Greenwood

December 27, 2020 – Kalamazoo, MI

January 3, 2020 – Watervliet, Mi

Divine Connections!

November 5, 2020 – Over the past few weeks, we have had several things come our way that can only be described as “Divine Connections” -  Let me briefly tell you the stories.

• Our worker at our Jackson Store messaged me that a gal from FMWM Burundi had come in with products that she wanted to know if we wanted to sell. Our staff sent some photos and it all looked good.  I followed up by phone and found out that the gal was working with the Burundi Conference Directly and was the granddaughter of some retired missionaries we know.  Her role with the Burundi conference is helping to market and develop products for their folks to make.  Because of COVID she had to leave Africa and only had products that she could carry with her.  We purchased them and then found out she was hoping to go back in January but was looking for work.  I was looking for another staff person for our new store (which I had been praying hard about).  So, she is now learning what the public wants for when she returns to Burundi.
• As many of you know we have an apartment for rent, but had not gotten it rented. One day I got a message from a pastor in West Virginia that we work with asking if we still had an apartment for rent as he knew someone in Michigan needing one.  I gave him the details.  Well within an hour the gal looking contacted us, we met her, showed her the place, and agreed to rent it to her. She is on staff at a church in Jackson and will work out extremely well for our home. (Who knew our best advertising was a friend in WV?)
• We have talked about REED Workshops and we are looking to do somethings with fabric but that would mean sewing and that would mean having a sewing machine. I have been praying about this but have not really looked or told anyone of the need.  This week in Iowa our host asked us if we could use a sewing machine and I started laughing (with Joy) as we did, but had not told anyone about it.  We ended up being given 2 machines and will be able to start making some of the fabric items in a few weeks.

I share these as encouragements to you!  God is working on your behalf as you focus on His Kingdom!  I am amazed at how He provides for us what we need as we need it.

This week pray for:

• A member of our church in BG fell last week and broke a vertebra-while waiting to have an MRI (which took most of the day) he contacted COVID and now no hospital will take him. Pray for this situation on so many levels!
• The new REED Workshop that will be happening with Sewing,
• Our ongoing travels (see below)

Where we will be:

November 8, 2020 – McPherson, KS

November 15, 2020 - Platteville, WI

November 22, 2020 – Kokomo, Indiana

November 29, 2020 – Chelsea MI

December 6, 2020 – Jackson, MI (1208 Greenwood)