Al & Diane Mellinger's Missionary Adventure

Six Months from today...

June 25, 2020 - … is Christmas Day!  Now some of you are groaning because it is so early and some of you can’t wait for it to arrive.  The reason I mention it is we are trying to get folks prepared and ready to help with our VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS GIFT BOX (VCGB) Program.

We have been doing this for more than a decade now and it is growing but this year we are expecting the need to be even greater due to the COVID 19 Pandemic and so many folks we serve have not had their normal summer employment opportunities this year.  And we are going to need more participation for more of our partners to make it happen this year.

So below are 2 videos that contain a great deal of the details about VCGB Program:

• This is how to organize your group to help us with the VCGB Program.

• This is how the program works to show to people in your group.

We are not necessarily asking for donations now (but if you want to go to https://marketplacemanna.networkforgood.com/projects/103527-virtual-christmas-gift-box-fund) but rather asking our supporters to work with their church, small group, or class to help us later this summer and fall.  We want to give you lots of time to prepare and get ready for this program.

Thanks for your support – praying you to have a blessed summer.

This week pray for…

… people and groups to choose to help with the VCGB Program

… our churches as the Government here has increase restrictions(again) which will prevent some groups from meeting

… our partnership building plans in the US starting in August

What’s your view?

June 18, 2020 -(written by Diane) These are confusing times and it’s easy to get discouraged. Our community in Bulgaria is also confused about world events. Students are finishing school, and people are working temporary jobs from project to project. For many, these are uncertain times. We all can be overwhelmed by what is happening in these days.

We have different views outside our home windows, we are beginning to see activity in our neighborhood. People are starting to fix their roofs.

One view is of an old wall. When I think about the devastation worldwide with the pandemic, I get overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next.

Another view is a lookout over our town to other towns in the Petrich region. When I switch my view from the old wall to look and pray over the town, I begin to see the world from a different perspective. Throughout history, times have been good and bad, yet God is working through those who are part of His Kingdom.

When I look up and out I quit feeling overwhelmed and can once again put my hand in His and follow His lead knowing He’s in control and has me, my community and the world’s future in mind.

This week pray for –

• Local leaders making decisions as to how to live after the stay at home orders
• our own perspectives that we continue to look at the world through God’s eyes
• Continued plans for our time in the states this fall

Looking For

June 12, 2020 – Things are starting to come together for our Partnership Building stateside this fall – Our flights are booked and we are planning to arrive back on August 5, 2020, and be connecting with our churches and other supporters until the start of 2021.

Our Sunday schedule is coming along nicely but we do have time between Sundays that we would like to fill up with conversations, stories and dreams about what God has is and will do with you and people you know.

So, we are looking to invite ourselves to your place – You provide the meal, and invited friends and we will provide the conversation, excitement and few other surprizes.  Services are great for getting the big idea across but when we can sit and share over a couple of hours so much more can be learned and understood.

If you would like to take advantage of us while in your area in between churches, contact us and we will figure out a date when we can come to your place.

This week

• Pray as we are working on more details for the girls home.
• Pray for the economic realities as we come out of the shelter at home and try and get things going again. Pray about changes we feel we need to make as we move forward.
• Pray for our partnership building plans

Pray about Everything!

June 3, 2020 – Paul tells us to pray about everything in Thessalonians. When we ask folks to pray we often bring the big things – sicknesses, abuse, marriage concerns, job loss, and things like that.  

And yet I find myself praying all the time about all kinds of things – Lord, where did I put____, help me find my keys, bless and be with that family I see in the park.  These are not the kinds of things I would bring to the larger praying community but I pray about them every day.

Even though there are many things to pray about – with the riots, COVID 19 issues, and such I want to ask you to pray for Marketplace Manna – Our store sales during the past 3 months have been difficult – the store was closed (which always impact sales).  Our online sales were also not good. Churches were not open and so displays and sales did not happen.  We have gotten some Government aid but without sales, our future does not look good.  The store in Michigan has been open about a week and traffic and interest has not been high (People are afraid to come out for a number of reasons)

(Recycled Chew Toy - made by the homeless in Jackson, MI)

Some will say just close and move on to something else which would be fine for us – but Marketplace Manna, Inc. is more than Diane and I – what we do impacts 100’s of people in 40 countries.  These folks depend on ministries like ours to sell the merchandise they make.  They are making the products to earn a living to support their families, their churches, and their communities and without the sales, they have no income to do this.

So this week I am asking you to pray that sales would increase (in-store and online) and people would remember that we are here and what we do makes a big difference in people’s lives.  It is not just about selling something it is about impacting a family.  Our tagline is “Helping People Around the World Care for their Families.”  If we are not open many families would not be helped.

So, please pray for sales, pray that we would know what we need to do to maximize our presence and prayer for the Livelihood groups that make what we sell.

To shop online go to Marketplacemanna.com

To give to our development fund click Here