Steve and Sherree Francis work with SIM in their Chiang Mai office in Thailand, Steve with IT and finance and Sherree with other contacts.

Steve grew up in Eastbourne and attended Victoria Baptist Church from age 11. He went to Luampa Hospital in Zambia with SIM in 1993 as treasurer, and met Sherree (a nurse from USA) there a few years later. They left Zambia and married in 2003 and then worked in the SIM-UK office for 18 months before moving to Thailand in August 2005.

Steve is the SIM Treasurer for the Central and South-East Asia (C-SEA) area - covering 5 countries and over 100 missionaries. Sherree is the C-SEA area prayer coordinator and helps with some of the personnel and orientation responsibilities, as well as hospitality for people passing through.

Since their return to Thailand from Home Assignment in 2010, Steve and Sherree have concentrated far more on Thai language study and developing relationships and personal ministry opportunities in Chiang Mai. They attend a Thai church and cell group each week, and Steve is a keen squash player and runner and uses sport as a way to befriend and have opportunities to relate deeper with Thai friends. Steve wrote:

Sports Friends is part of SIM, and the Sports Friends team here has made Chiang Mai their base for a work in Thailand and some other countries in SE Asia. They partner with other churches and mission organisations too - and have had very encouraging training camps for church leaders in how to use sports ministry as an outreach tool for youth. Read how Ning (a coach from a Thai church) had an impact in his local Buddhist community here - and be encouraged to keep praying for Sports Friends’ ministry in Thailand and beyond.