Gregory R. Saracoff

Gregory Roger Saracoff was born to Roger Saracoff and LaVerne DeBoer Saracoff on the 27th day of November in 1946 in Michigan City, IN. Grandchildren of immigrants from Bulgaria, Poland and Holland, he and his younger sister, Tanya Saracoff Cummings, spent the first 20 years of their lives near Lake Michigan. Fishing on the pier, helping on the family hobby farm in Southern Michigan and participating in the youth group of Evergreen Baptist Church shaped Greg's early years. Before he graduated from Elston High School, at the age of 16, he spent summer as a missionary with Child Evangelism Fellowship. During that experience of leading "Five-Day Clubs" in small towns of Indiana, Greg sensed God calling him to be life-long missionary. Greg started college at the Purdue branch in Michigan City, majoring in Electrical Engineering, but transferred to Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He liked to say "Bethel gave me the third degree" because he graduated with two bachelor's degrees (Bible and Elementary Education) and eventually went on Bethel Seminary where he earned a Master's of Divinity.

Greg's career as an elementary teacher of 5th graders was cut short by his draft notice for the Vietnam War. He signed up to be an officer in the Air Force, and was training to be a fighter pilot when the war wound down, giving him an early out, some incredible stories and the chance to go to seminary on the GI Bill. It was at Bethel Seminary where he met Kathy Dennis in 1976, who became his wife 10 years later. Taking the path less chosen, Greg used his seminary training to do vocational training with Hmong refugees who were arriving in the Twin Cities after the Vietnam war. His path crossed with Kathy's again when she was teaching English as a Second Language. They married on September 27, 1986 and honeymooned in Guadalajara for a preview of their future missionary life in Mexico. Greg and Kathy have two children, Ian Nicholas, and Anna Katrina.

Greg Saracoff didn't do things the traditional way. Instead of joining a missionary organization and following the usual protocol, he whisked Kathy off to Mexico to start learning Spanish, figuring they'd find the right mission at the right time. In the process, the Saracoffs served with a variety of organizations, including Spectrum Ministries out of Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Diego, Christ for the City International, the Latin America Mission which later merged with the United World Mission. The Saracoffs' 32 years of ministry focused on the border city of Tijuana, Mexico. Greg worked with Latin leaders doing drug rehabilitation, micro-finance, children's work, and work with elderly and handicapped. He challenged short-term mission teams from across the country to come build houses, serve and learn. He founded "Team Tijuana" by uniting ministry leaders from different projects to simply join in community to study the Bible, pray and encourage each other.

In 2014 the Saracoffs began to commute between San Diego and Indianapolis to help with their son's recovery from a traumatic brain injury. The Eagle Creek Community Church wrapped their arms around the Saracoff family and helped them navigate this "new normal." Greg and Kathy saw God's hand as the leadership in Tijuana was challenged to function without them. New doors opened for service in Indianapolis with international students.

A fellow missionary expressed it well for many when he wrote, "I always really liked Greg... an eclectic, unpretentious, entrepreneurial guy who lived a time in a squatters village out of a risk-it-all- faith in Jesus to serve the poor, and also read deep theology with his bright, creative mind."

Greg loved to tell stories. However, he never neglected to tell people the most important one--that of God's love for us. That while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Greg was almost 72 when he joined his parents in heaven. He is survived by his uncle, Norman Saracoff, his sister, Tanya (wife of Donn Cummings), his wife Kathy, and adult children Ian and Anna.

In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations in his name to any of these organizations that he loved and supported:

United World Mission www.uwm.org

Child Evangelism Fellowship www.cefonline.com

The Bible Project www.thebibleproject.com