Al & Diane Mellinger's Missionary Adventure

Time with Faith (Our Granddaughter)

July 27, 2021 – Diane and I were scheduled to be at the Family Together Conference in Poconos Manor, PA. It was held at the Kalahari Resort (Waterpark) so we decided to take Faith our granddaughter who just so happens to love swimming and being in the water! 

It has been an amazing and yet tiring time. This 2-year-old is nonstop movement from when she wakes up until she falls to sleep. Which has given Diane a great deal of exercise! (I have been in the meetings and running our display)

We also en route to the conference visited a supporting church, some former missionary friends, and one of our Church Express locations. 

I do also want to report that your prayers for support, finances, and employees are being heard. I spoke and shared with many new people and through that received a nice contribution for the development fund.  We also this week received a grant for the work we are doing that we forgot about and have had applications returned and interviews made for our store positions.

We ask you (and we) pray and God provides.  Thanks for partnering with us – YOU are a huge part of what we do and are able to do for Christ and the Kingdom.

This next week we get the keys for our 3^rd location and will begin refitting the space to make it our store. Pray that it all goes well and is under budget.

We are also going to be having a booth at the Jackson (MI) county fair this year (AUG 8-14). Pray for good contacts and exposure of what we are trying to do with the folks in our town. And for some volunteers to help us man the 12 hours a day schedule.

Praise God for the many prayers that have been answered during this past month of transition.

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To give to our Personal Support Click here

To give to the Development Fund Click here

Walking by Faith

July 20, 2021 –  I am reminded of the story of Peter walking on the water these days. He followed Jesus and then saw the rough sea and when he did he began to sink and then Jesus caught him when he returned his focus to Jesus.

I am reminded of this as we can relate to it a bit right now. With our changing roles, we know it is God’s call for us but we look around and see that some supporters have not followed us and we see the need to raise additional funds. There are details and regulations for the stores and new livelihood groups.

Additionally, we have employees, vendors, and livelihood folks who depend on us for their income.  We do not have a large reserve (if any some days) to make sure these folks get paid and what they are owed and that weighs on us every couple of weeks.

We have plans for adding folks and new products but that takes development funds to get it started. We are trying to figure out who to ask and how to make the presentation.

Add to that the rules, guidelines, and compliance expectations for the federal, state and local governments to operate all that we do.

And then there are customer concerns, additional employees to find and lots of forms at times.

All that said to share what “wind and rough seas” that seem to be around us.

And yet in so many ways, God has provided and we are able to meet our obligations when we get down to it. We just have to keep our focus on Jesus!

Sometimes we write like it is all going gangbusters and that there are not needs but it is truly a ministry that walks by faith and is totally dependent on God and His people to keep this going week to week.

I write this to you so that you are more fully aware and can pray for the financial needs of the work and the relational needs too.  We are doing all that we can and are trusting God (getting out of the boat) and doing our best to stay focused on Him and not all the details that we have to take care of, but sometimes we get distracted and need to refocus on Jesus.

This week please pray that we will know who to speak with about support, how to expand as we begin to try and develop domestic livelihood groups in poor areas, and for Diane and me as we think and work on all the details this brings.

To give to our Personal Support Click here

To give to the Development Fund Click here

Balkan Update

July 14, 2021 – Last weekend the Balkan Provisional Annual Conference held its ordination service. (The Annual Conference was held in the spring but due to COVID restrictions the ordination service had to be postponed).

Here are some photos of the ordination. These are dear friends that we worked with for much of the time we were in Bulgaria. We are praising God for the way He is working and calling His servants to minister.

We are also very excited that the first 2 Female Elders were ordained for ministry in the Balkans!

Continue to pray for the team that is working and serving on the ground in the Balkans.

Pray also for our transition and specifically the funding needed.

Pray as we are about to enter a time of a great deal of travel as we expand our roles and work at getting new partners.

To give to our Personal Support Click here

To give to the Development Fund Click here

A New Start and a New Look!

July 8, 2021 - We are now with Mission Igniter and are beginning to figure out what we are doing.  The new catchphrase for our work is Counsel, Coach & Collaborate for Economic Impact! Each week we will be sharing about partners we are working with and things we are doing to help the poor around the world support their families. 

We are still getting things set up and our first item is to make sure we have our funding and support in place.  Not all our supporters have come with us so we are looking for a few new ones to help us with our new focus.  Here is a link that will explain more of that.

This week please join us in praying about our support and the Development fund we are working to set up.  As soon as these are in place the more we can focus on the mission at hand!

 

Lunch or Dinner Anyone?

June 21, 2021 - We have been writing and sharing about the changes coming to our ministry and we continue to give more details, that is because what we are doing is being worked out as we do it.  We would love to be able to sit down face to face and share what God is doing and how He is moving and are now scheduling meals and meetings with supporters, small groups, and churches that would like to know more.

Contact us and we will do our best to try and come and share all that God has done and what we believe HE is asking us to do. Almellinger@yahoo.com 

This week pray for us as we finish our debriefing time.

Pray too as we work to secure our support for the new work.

Pray for wisdom as we look at many new options and partners.