Mueller and Francke

By Mike and Dottie Clark Feb 11, 2026 3 Min Read

The orphan house in Germany in 1780.

Did you know that before George Mueller had his orphanage that served a total of over 10,000 children in the 1800s in Bristol, England that August Francke had an orphanage also based on faith? He was born in 1663 and died in 1727.

Muller made a trip to Halle, Germany in the early 1800s and visited the orphanage. It was his inspiration.

Francke said this when he was starting his orphanage. “Everybody assured me of their heartiest good wishes, but the poor did not contribute because they could not, and the rich did not contribute because they would not; and it was painful to see the shifts which some were put to pretend to be great lovers of the Kingdom, but who refused to help me in my cause.” These feelings caused him to begin by faith to build the orphanage which would care for 4,000 children.

I wish I had Mueller and Francke´s faith.

We received 3 children ages 4, 7 and 11 years old.

I really do love the name for Jesus found in Mark 6:3 “Is this not the CARPENTER, the son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Juda and Simon?” Did you realize that Jesus had 4 half-brothers and at least two half-sisters?

When He was growing up, he worked with Joseph in carpentry. Only in this verse is Jesus referred to as a CARPENTER. The people used this name in a derogatory way indicating He was nothing special to his hometown. In His day Jesus as a carpenter would be making and repairing furniture. He was not honored and the people of Nazareth referred to Him not as “the CARPENTER” but rather “the CARPENTERS son.”