Welcome to the new MBI website!
Hello and welcome to MBI! "Kumusta!" (How are you? in Bisaya). Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit us. It is our hope and prayer that by the time you finish visiting this site you will not only gain an understanding of what we do, but more importantly, that you are inspired by the vision of what we do to impact the lives of children and adults in the communities of Mindanao, Philippines. We welcome you with open arms as friends and partners of the ministry.
Let us introduce ourselves. We are Evangeline (Vangie) and Martin (Marty) Melone. Vangie is the founder of MBI and Marty is the Executive Director. We were married in June 2014, and we are living testimonies of God's redeeming grace. The Lord saw our need and was gracious enough to put us together not only as marriage partners, but ministry partners. We have been so blessed by the Lord that we rejoice, worship, love Him, and want to make a difference in the lives of those who are in the most desperate need. Vangie established MBI in 1995 after her first trip back to the Philippines after becoming an American citizen. With her 3 year old son by her side, she witnessed crushing poverty, where children scavenged the dump for food, slept on cardboard mats on the street, and are highly vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. She was called into action by God. Vangie faithfully kept the ministry going for 20 years, and has never failed to bless the children monthly since its inception. Marty believes, as Vangie, in helping the poor. He is committed to serving as Executive Director and using his talents to bless the children and families in Mindanao. His heart cries out when he sees what the Lord sees, and feels what the Lord feels for these people. Together, we put our trust in God, doing everything we can, and leaving the outcome to him.
We realize that we cannot do this work alone. God has blessed all of us so we can bless others. Take a moment and reflect on what God has done in your life, rejoice in his blessings and then think how you can bless others as He has blessed you. We are looking for partners and friends to provide life's basic needs for food, clothing and shelter, prevent children from being trafficked and exploited, and enable every sponsored child to graduate from college. Please join us!
Marty and Vangie
"And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:10
