Mark & Melissa Ellis

Mark & Melissa are currently based in the United States while their kids launch into adulthood. Melissa is working at the ACTION USA office.
Mark and Melissa are from Everett, Washington. They both grew up in godly homes and developed a heart for missions at an early age.
Mark has led short-term mission trips from his church for years and comes from a mission-minded family with two brothers who are missionaries, both of whom he has served alongside in short-term ministry. Melissa spent 4 years in the Ivory Coast teaching missionary kids from 1989-1993.The two met at Edgewood Baptist Church and were married in 1995. In August of 2012, they visited the Philippines on a short-term mission trip and fell in love with the country and the people. They visited Faith Academy and knew that they would love to work with missionary kids and staff there.
In July of 2015, they moved their family of three children to Manila. Mark served as the Ministry Coordinator for Faith Academy. Mark was responsible for various ministries, including Bible studies for staff and dads of students and prayer ministries for staff and for parents. Mark helped lead several ministries where students either went off campus to minister to the poor or to work with Christian ministries in the Manila area. He brought up to 400 children from the surrounding communities to Faith Academy for the purpose of sharing God’s message of salvation to them through a VBS format. Mark also led short-term mission trips for both students and staff down on Mindoro Island. He also worked with children who had been trafficked (many of them in the horrible sex trades against their will). Lastly, Mark coached soccer and tennis teams to mentor boys and girls through devotions. Melissa taught 3rd Grade at Faith and was also involved with the ministries that Mark did for children.
In 2018, they returned home for what they thought would be a 6 month furlough. However, God had other plans for them. The Lord was leading them to remain home to support their children while in college and to do missions at the Action USA office. Melissa was asked to head up Donor Relations, where she is responsible for thanking donors for supporting Action missionaries and answering questions donors have. She also answers phone calls and assists others in the office. Mark went back to work in the water restoration business to support the family. Mark has done several much needed construction projects at the office. Both he and Melissa also help out with mobilization while manning the ACTION booth at the Seattle Missions Fest each year.
In the future they hope to do more short term missions projects and are open to God’s leading in ministries outside of the USA.