Franc and Mary Ortega

We serve at Iglesia Bíblica Cristiana Maranatha in McAllen, Texas, sharing the gospel with families, friends, and neighbors from a Roman Catholic background. Nearly every family in our church came to Christ that way, having found Him to be the only Mediator between God and man.

Beyond McAllen, we have done church-planting work in Mexico and South Carolina, and Franc has taken part in pastors' conferences in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Peru. We stay closely connected to Cuba, where our church has adopted a small group of believers and supports them with resources, seminars, and encouragement. Whether in McAllen, Mexico, or Cuba, we long to see many come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The words the Lord spoke to Paul are often on our hearts: to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and receive forgiveness of sins (Acts 26:18).

Franc
I was born in a small village in northern Mexico to a Roman Catholic family. When I was four, my oldest brother died suddenly at fourteen, and about four months later my mother died the same way. Overwhelmed by grief, my father turned to alcohol, which only deepened the hardship for my siblings and me. An aunt took me to California for a time, and later I rejoined my family in Mexico. For years, anger and bitterness against God filled my heart. When I was seventeen, a Bible student tried to share the gospel with me and I cursed at him. A few months later, in a season of deep depression when I had even thought of ending my life, a pastor who had graduated from Rio Grande Bible Institute came to my home. After a two-hour conversation, I surrendered my heart to Christ, and He filled me with joy, peace, and purpose. About a year and a half later I enrolled at the same institute, where I met the woman who is now my wife.

Mary
I am from Panama, where I taught primary school but was searching for purpose. Coming from a nominal Roman Catholic home with an alcoholic father, I was hungry for something greater. While teaching among a native tribe in the jungle, I met a missionary family with New Tribes Mission, who connected me with other missionaries in Panama City. Living with that family, I felt a deep void and an urgent need for God. They shared Christ with me, and I received Him as Lord and Savior. A short time later I enrolled at Rio Grande Bible Institute, resigned my teaching post, and came to Texas, where I met the man who would become my husband. The Lord has since blessed us with three daughters.