Get To Know The Francis Family

Before Mexico | In Mexico | Jeremy | Karen | Noah | Belén

Jeremy and Karen Francis

Hi!  We are Jeremy and Karen Francis and we are in the Visa process to be missionaries in Granada, Spain.  We have been in Visa process for nearly a year now and are anxious to get “back to work.”  For nearly the last 8 years we were missionaries in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico.  We are honored to serve the Lord with our two beautiful children Noah (10) and Belen (8), who are a huge part of our ministry team!

We focus on strengthening families and restoration.  We know that when you re-introduce Christ into the family unit you can expect huge changes.

We do this by working with traditional families through small group evangelism, public outreach projects and education.

We also work with less traditional families like orphanages to help strengthen children’s bonds with their Heavenly Father at the same time coping with the neglect or abandonment of their earthly parents.

Finally we focus a great deal of energy on youth and children’s education outreach projects.  We worked in a support capacity at a local youth center as well as opening our home to a number of young men to help them get their educations on track.

Before Mexico

We first met in junior high school but we started dating in College.  Together we participated in ministry projects and missions trips and after we got married we spent or first year together living in Spain as missionaries working with college students and in the music ministry.

We came home and immediately started working in children’s ministry at our church in Flagstaff, AZ and served there for 4 years in different capacities- worship ministers, youth and children’s ministers as well as serving as interim pastors for 6 months.  During that time we participated in countless outreach projects in the area including food distribution projects in some of the hard hit areas of Flagstaff and to the migrant communities in the Grand Canyon, as well as planting a Spanish mission church in the Grand Canyon.

In 2002 I (Jeremy) recieved a phone call while I was teaching at a Vacation Bible School in the park.  On the other end of the line was Karen and she had to share with me the wonderful news that in 7 months our first child would be born.  Little did she know I had put her on speaker phone because my hands were full so our little suprise was shared by around 25 first graders-who were all thrilled!

Noah and Belén Francis

Noah was born in February 2003 and a few months later we started a new adventure working with abused children in a group home and from there I was recruited by the organization that ran the group home to work for them as managers of a christian camp ground.  Karen worked as an early intervention therapist and advocate for families with special needs.  During that time we were blessed with our second miracle when our daughter Belén was born in September 2004.

While working our organization picked us to head up a new program in Tecate Mexico and in 2005 we started our next great adventure as full time missionaries in Mexico.

In Mexico

Our original role was as administrators, but as we became more familiar with the needs in our community we started several outreach ministries working with churches and orphanges.  After our first year our ministry had grown to the point that our organization allowed us to focus entirely on the ministry as they supported us in the area of administration.

From that point on we began working with Rey de Reyes Iglesia Cristiana de las Asemblas de Dios in both Loma Tova and Tecate  (King of Kings Christian Church of the Assemblies of God) with Pastors Rodlofo and Marta Cervantes as music and children’s workers.  In a little more than 7 years with the church we have grown to music, children’s and youth leaders and then oversaw the training and preparation of leaders to fill those ministries. It was rewarding to know that from the youth God has raised up leaders that took over our ministries when we left Mexico.

We also had the honor of working with Rancho San Juan Bosco and Centro Medico San Juan Bosco (San Juan Bosco Medical Center) an orphanage that houses boys ages 3 to 18.  It was an honor working with such a great instituation.  Part of our first job was to help finish building the new clinic for the medical center.  We were glad to meet that goal with the help of several dedicated groups from the United States.  As Bosco became better staffed we were introduced to another orphanage in need.   We continue to keep in contact with Rancho San Juan Bosco.  It was through Centro Medico San Juan Bosco that we met Laura Cota the director of Wa Ta’Luz Kuatai (Big House Kumiai) an orphanage of indiginous children from the Kumiai tribe.  We had the privilege to work with Laura and her kids for nearly 7  years.  We took church to them every Thursday we could and planned weekend outings often.  Miss them dearly and hear from them every month, the work continues through the faithfulness of Grupo Unidad Cristiano Cardenas (Cristian Unity Group Church) and the faithfulness of Grace Church of San Bernardino, CA.

We have had the honor of working with many American mission teams as well over the last nearly 8 years.  Grace Church of San Bernardino, CA is a faithful supporter of Wa Ta Luz orphanage and Ground Zero of Chiacago, IL is a faithful help each summer for VBS at RDR.  We have had groups from Northern Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Oregon, Sacramento and San Bernardino, CA.  We truly have loved hosting teams and ministering to them as they minister to ours.

We were privileged to have housed and helped out 5 of the young men of RDR as they continue their education.  We provided them a place to live and well let’s just say we all liked to eat together.  Two of our young men are married or soon to be and fathers or soon to be now.  We are proud of the family men they have become!   One continues to serve the Lord in a new congregation and another returned to San Diego where he was born and raised.  Working with youth has always been a big part of our calling.

Jeremy

Graduated NAU / Universidad de Granada España BA Spanish and International Politics
Graduated Global University Licensed Minister Studies
Licensed Minister

Interested in: Web Design, Video Production, Multi-media Marketing
Music, Cooking, Traveling With His Family, Playing With His Kids, Preaching and Teaching

Reccomended Book: The God Catchers by Tommy Tenney

Favorite Verse: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners…” Isaiah 61:1

Karen

Graduated Evangel University BA Missions and Spanish
Specialized (Childrens Ministry) Licensed Minister

Interested in: Mom and Homemaker, Teaching Children, Cooking And Baking, Singing, Music ,Good Movies,
Having People In Our Home-“ministering to them as they minister to ours”, Translating, Traveling With Her Family

Reccomended Book: I really have loved reading The Message, it is a paraphrased version of the Bible in modern English.  It makes reading the Bible like reading a great novel, how fitting!

Favorite Verse: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:11-13

Noah

Graduated Francisco Montes De Oca Kindergarten
2nd  & 3rd Grade at Instituto Pedadgogico Freinet, 4th grade Jefferson Academy (1st American school)

Interested in: Lima Lama (mixed martial arts), Swimming, Computer Games

Nintendo DS, Bike Riding,  Trips To The Beach, Star Wars and Ben 10,
Art Projects, Helping With Work Projects (loves to build and hammer), Cooking

Favorite Verse: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”  1 Timothy 4:12

Belén

Graduated Francisco Montes De Oca Kindergarten
1st & 2nd Gradesr at Instituto Pedadgogico Freinet, 3rd Jefferson Academy (1st American School)

Interested in: Ballet, Lima Lama,  Swimming, Computers, Bike Riding, Trips To The Beach
Barbies And Littlest Pet Shop, Arts And Crafts, Tea Parties And Dress-Up, Cooking

Favorite Verse:  “The Lord your God is with you, he is Mighty to save. He will take great delight in you;
he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17