MY ACCOUNT
The smoke from cooking fires fills the room as I sit with Juanita, a persecuted Mexican Christian, in her home in the mountains of Chiapas.
She can’t walk anymore—her legs won’t let her—but when she smiles, it lights up the dim space. Through her son Antonio translating from Tzotzil, her indigenous language, she tells me about her former life as a witch, and how she found Jesus through a moment between death and life.
“I died,” she says simply. “My son prayed for me, and I was resurrected. That’s where I accepted the Lord.”
A Different Kind of Power
The hills around us are steep, dotted with houses that command stunning views of the valleys below. Here in her small home where cooking smoke mingles with mountain air, Juanita has discovered a new kind of power—one that comes through hearing God’s Word in her native tongue.
It’s a stark contrast to her previous life. As a witch, she performed rituals in these same hills, serving as a midwife and practicing traditional medicine. But something was missing. “I had no peace in my mind,” she recalls.
The Cost of Faith
When Juanita chose to follow Jesus, the community’s response was swift and brutal. They burned her house, destroying everything she owned. She and her children escaped with only the clothes they wore. “We suffered until they burned everything we had,” she tells me, tears rolling down her cheeks. “We were left with nothing.”
Her son Antonio, now a pastor who has helped plant 130 churches across the region, explains how common this pattern is. “In some villages, when people become Christians, they cut off their water, their electricity. They face prison, death threats. But gradually, as more people come to faith, things change.”
Words That Transform
In these mountains, where many—especially women—have never learned to read, audio Bibles are revolutionizing how people encounter Scripture. Antonio sees it daily in his ministry: “When someone just preaches, it’s one thing. But when people hear God’s Word in their own language, in their mother tongue, something deeper happens. The Holy Spirit works differently through His actual words.”
For this persecuted Mexican Christian, the audio Bible has become a daily companion. She describes how the familiar cadence of her native language brings Scripture alive in ways Spanish never could. “I feel very happy,” she tells me, crying now but with joy. “I am crying, but I am happy to hear the Word of God.”
The impact ripples out beyond just understanding. Antonio has witnessed countless transformations through these audio Bibles: “Faith comes through hearing,” he reminds me, quoting Romans 10:17. “When people hear God’s Word in their heart language, we’re going to see a great harvest.”
A Message of Hope
When I ask what she would say to other persecuted Christians around the world, Juanita doesn’t hesitate. “Trust in God,” she says firmly. “Just as I went through what I was able to do when they were chasing after me, trust in God. We were left without food, without anything, but God provided. And we still live.”
The smoke in the room has made my eyes water, but I notice Juanita isn’t bothered by it. She’s too busy smiling as she shares her final thought: “It is also a joy for those who suffer persecution because of Christ.”
As a persecuted Mexican Christian, Juanita has journeyed from witch to witness, starting with hearing words she could finally understand. Her story reminds us what happens when God’s Word breaks through—not just into a new language, but into a heart ready to receive it.
Your support helps provide audio Bibles to believers like Juanita across Mexico and around the world, allowing God’s Word to reach people in their own languages and transform their daily lives. Become a Frontline Partner today and your monthly, recurring gift can provide emergency relief and long-term support—plus Bibles, safe shelter, trauma counseling, medical aid, food and more for those in dire need.
