The words spoken by the voice on the other end of the phone stunned Bishop L.W. Francisco III. When his wife and ministry partner, Pastor Natalie Francisco, heard the news, it certainly wasn’t the answer to prayer they had anticipated.

It was 2010, and the leaders of Calvary Community Church, Hampton, Va. (also known as “C3”), were convinced that God would not let nearly 10 years of nurturing their church plant in nearby Chesapeake, Va., be in vain. But the news was true that the Pastor John* and his family would have to return to South Africa.

“It was shocking, at first, when we found out the attorney had missed the filing date,” says Bishop Francisco regarding the extension of their R-1 temporary religious worker visa. “My biggest concern was not how it affected us but for his family and how I would feel if I was in his situation.”

This family had put down roots. Their daughters were basically Americanized.

“We were advised that the only way it could be resolved is if the laws were changed,” Pastor Natalie says. “But we trusted that God was still in control and would bring forth a victory.”

The Franciscos helped the family scramble to attempt to get the U.S. Citizens and Immigration Department decision reversed. They contacted U.S. Congress members.

Pastor John* even wrote President Obama but to no avail. In this post-9/11 world of heightened homeland security, the rules are the rules, and the law is the law. No grace for missing the visa extension deadline. The family would have to begin the immigration process in South Africa all over again, which could take years. After much contemplation, they decided that the family and the Chesapeake congregants would attend services at C3 in Hampton while preparations were made to move the family back to their native homeland. They rented the church in Chesapeake to another ministry, and on July 3, 2011, the family boarded a plane for South Africa.

The Franciscos had become like family. The Franciscos’ daughters, Nicole, 28, Lesley, 23, and Lauren, 21, were like sisters to the Pastor John’s girls. The ministers had walked together since the vision of the church plant began taking shape in 2000 during a visit to the United States by Pastor John. He came to cement the relationship between C3 and Breakthru Church International, a church-planting partnership with Mennonite Mission Network founded in

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Pastor John was then an associate pastor at New Zion Ministries International, Breakthru’s umbrella organization.

During the initial visit, Bishop Francisco shared his vision of a church plant in the United States being pastored by a South African under what officially became Calvary Covenant Ministries in 2006. CCM is an association of affinity churches under Bishop Francisco. There are also churches in Rocky Mount, N.C., and in Houston and San Antonio, Texas. C3 is part of the Virginia Menno­nite Conference.

The location of the former Deep Creek Mennonite Church in Chesapeake became available. Pastor John’s family agreed that God was calling them to the United States, so they obtained the visas, sold their business and in 2001 packed the family and moved to Virginia. After a six-month pastoral apprenticeship under the Franciscos, they started Calvary Community Church, Chesapeake. Its membership steadily grew to just shy of 100 people.

“The Lord was gracious by sending to us different people with different needs,” Pastor John says. “Through the grace and strength of God I was able to shepherd them.”

Pastor John says he retained a lawyer and in 2003 began the steps toward permanent residency. In January 2005, the lawyer filed the residency application, but it was later denied because the lawyer had mistakenly missed a previous filing extension for their visas, Pastor John says.

The Department of Homeland Security estimates there are 11.5 million unauthorized immigrants (individuals who are foreign born and living illegally) in the United States as of January 2011. Fifty-nine percent cross through the Mexican border. South Africa is not among the top 10 countries of origin, which include China, India and Brazil. An estimated one-third of illegal immigrants in the United States have expired visas for tourism, education or work.

“I believe the government should fix the immigration system because there are a lot of honest people that come to America not only seeking greener pastures but to make America a better place,” Pastor John says.

However, the family’s return to Pietermaritzburg has not been all bitter. Pastor John’s family have reconnected with family members they missed dearly and have begun a new church, C3 South Africa, in their home. They hold worship services in their garage.

Pastor Natalie visited in March and was heartwarmed to witness the overflow of more than 100 worshipers filling Pastor John’s driveway. Some people had to be turned away for lack of space.

“It has been bittersweet, but I believe the church in Pietermaritzburg is taking off so quickly because they brought the principals of sound teaching that they learned from C3 and also a new leadership style,” Pastor Natalie says.

“As a church family and husband and wife, we tried to walk with them and be a source of encouragement and let them know we would continue to partner with them in terms of what God is doing in South Africa,” Bishop Francisco says.

Indeed, it seems Jesus had a plan for C3 in Virginia to plant a church in South Africa.

“Bishop and Pastor Natalie made a tremendous impact in our lives, nurturing us spiritually as well as having supported us financially (Sarah,* Pastor John’s wife, also worked at C3’s school, Calvary Christian Academy) for the 10 years that we were in the [United States],” Pastor John says. “We are forever grateful for all they have done for us and our children. … Although we are living about 10,000 miles away from them, they still mentor us, and we thank God for them.”

*Names have been changed at request of anonymity.