Al & Diane Mellinger's Missionary Adventure

Year-End Stories and Opportunities

December 20, 2023 – One place we work with each month is a home for low-income elderly women.  It’s called the Friendly House. Each month we go and give the ladies a project to complete, and we pay them for their time. Over the last couple of years, they have helped us create ornaments for Christmas.

This year we decided to pull a collection of the ornaments they have made and give them as a donation to the home so that the ladies can see their creations.  Here is a post and photo that the Friendly home made on Facebook.

Story Behind the Tree

Some of the ladies have been working for Al at Marketplace Manna Inc. They have been busy making ornaments, bags, heating pads, and other items which are then sold in store at Marketplace Manna in downtown Jackson. Some of the ornaments the ladies made were donated back to the home so the ladies could enjoy them this season. If you’d like to check out other items, they have made visit Marketplace Manna Downtown.

We are working to change the lives of these ladies as we not only have them work for us, but also share the love of God with them – at times offering prayers for the needs that they have.

Diane has also begun to engage with My Place in Jackson. It is a home for girls who have aged out of the foster care system.  She has been asked to do an early morning shift (6-8 AM) So she is the one who helps get these gals off to school.  It has just begun and Diane is enjoying the interaction and the influence she has on these girls lives. (and that is saying a lot as Diane is NOT a morning person)

Why do we share these kinds of stories?  It is not to make us look good but rather to let you know that there are places, people and programs all around us that need God‘s people to engage.  We are finding that God keeps putting opportunities before us so that we can learn more about the people in our neighborhood.  We think it is also about how we can bring the love and message of Jesus to folks who are not currently getting much support. Our goal is to take what we have learned and are engaging with to help train others in their cities to go and do the same.

We want to thank you for your support both financial and prayer.  We are many days on the front lines and without your prayers and support it would be much tougher. 

As you think about your year-end giving and commitments for the coming year we ask that you continue to consider our work and what we do.

To give to our work Click here https://app.aplos.com/aws/give/MissionIgniter/Mellinger

Pray for Wisdom as we engage and go deeper into the lives of the folks in our Town.

Pray for our support to stay strong this coming year

Pray for the store - Sales have picked up a bit and we need that to continue.

Prayer Needed

December 6, 2023 -

Okay prayer warriors, we need your help.  Sales this holiday season are not where they need to be for us to make it.  If they don’t pick up after the first of the year we will have to take a serious look at what we are doing and if it can be sustained.  Please pray first of all for wisdom, second for sales.  We need folks to come in and leave with product from the store.  It is nice to look and admire the unique items we have but they are there to be bought and taken home or given as a gift.

It is always fun to tell folks about the store as they come in to shop.  Almost everyone loves the concept and the fact that we are all about helping people care for their families.  Then after checking out the store and telling us that we have some really great items here, they leave without buying a thing.

I know times are tight for most people.  Inflation and income are making your spending dollars are not going as far.  But we are not getting the holidays sales we should and need the income to pay off some venders and to prepare for the lean winter months.

This is where we are at and so we are just being real.

Thanks for all you prayers and support.