Mexico

Throughout the Chiapas region of Mexico evangelical Christians suffer persecution from the wealthy mafia-like local landlords and business owners knows as 'Caciques'.

Meeting with fellow Christians, building an evangelical church and refusing to drink the addictive native alcoholic drink 'posh', are all considered crimes and punishable as such.

These trips provide the opportunity to engage in presence ministry, meeting and supporting Christians and local church leaders and possibly visiting prisoners in Acteal, some of who have been unjustly imprisoned since 1998.

Demolished Church Being Rebuilt:

A new and bigger church is now being rebuilt at the site of an evangelical church destroyed by "traditionalist Catholics" The community’s great joy of worshipping in their own church, which all members of the local Christian church helped build, lasted only two months before it was totally destroyed. Open Doors has a relationship with this church through its pastor. Open Doors has provided legal help, literature and training.

Persecution Against Christian Families Intensifies:

Believers in Mexico have suffered increased persecution in recent months from caciques—powerful local leaders who are traditionalist Catholics—who oppose their Christian faith.

In September caciques invaded the properties of 10 Christian families and took over the farming plots in their backyards, denying the families access to their primary food source. They also forbade residents of Santa Rita to buy food from markets owned by Christians or to hire Christian men to work as laborers or construction workers in the countryside.

"It is a blessing to us that members of Open Doors visit this refugee camp. Nobody else does."
- Mexican Christian refugee