“People get attacked,” says a church planter who has worked in the region for more than two decades. “Usually, it is the closest family members that give [Protestant Christians] the hardest time. We have had people cut off [the Christians’] water or do stuff like that to try to scare them.”  

According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, the region has been called “The Circle of Silence”. 

“The ‘Circle of Silence’ encompasses 115 counties in 8 states in Central Mexico,” says Representative Foley. “The ‘Circle’ has a strong culture of what has been called ‘Christo-paganism’—a syncretistic blend of ancient pagan practices and Roman Catholicism.” She says that Protestants—especially church planters seeking to evangelize in the area—regularly face persecution there.  

In 2020, Mateo and Elena and their 5-year-old daughter Sarah moved into the “Circle of Silence” in order to plant churches.  

“Christian workers like Mateo and Elena struggle to meet even the basic needs of their families in the ‘Circle of Silence’,” says Representative Foley.  

Mateo told Voice of the Martyrs that when he and his family first moved to the region, they couldn’t find anyone who would rent them a home, and Mateo struggled to find work. 

“I knew that there was work to do,” he said, “but they wouldn’t open the opportunity to me. I prayed, ‘God, I am looking to do your will, but you know that I need this job to support my family.’” Two weeks later, he was offered a university teaching job.  

“When word spread that Mateo was a Protestant Christian, however, university administrators began looking for a reason to dismiss him,” says Representative Foley. She says his Facebook page, email account and bank account were hacked, and within a year the university fired him. 

Elena, too, was threatened after trying to provide biblical counsel to a friend. The friend, a woman named Linda, often discussed her problems with Elena, so Elena read passages from the Bible to her that addressed her issues. 

As Linda continued to ask questions and witness Elena’s life, she decided to burn the religious idols and images in her house. “I will obey just the Word of God,” Linda told Elena. But when Linda’s daughter, Karina, learned that her mother had burned the idols, she began to verbally attack Elena both at home and in public, screaming curses and threats at her. 

“Elena prayed faithfully for Karina, and the two have since become friends,” says Representative Foley. “But not all of their relationships have been blessed with that kind of transformation.” She says that Mateo and Elena learned through a friend that a local Catholic priest had instructed his parishioners to “take care” of the couple because of the gospel message they were preaching—a veiled command to harass them, or worse. 

At about the same time, a neighbor who practiced witchcraft and had attended a Bible study with the couple hacked their bank account. In addition, the neighbor tried to put a curse on them and destroy their marriage, even burning candles and spreading blood in front of their door.  

Representative Foley says even Mateo and Elena’s 5-year-old daughter was not immune from the persecution. “Sara was publicly shamed by her teacher and shunned by classmates because of the family’s faith in Christ,” says Representative Foley. 

Then, in December 2022, things got even worse. Mateo and Elena found a note at their front door, reading, “This is your first warning: You cannot preach, neither you nor your wife.” The letter was signed with a skull and crossbones. 

The next day, all of the tires on Mateo and Elena’s vehicles were slashed. Three days later, the tires were slashed again. After they installed a security camera, a man warned Elena to take the camera down. “He was very aggressive and threatened that he wasn’t playing around,” Mateo told Voice of the Martyrs.  

Three weeks later, during a prayer meeting in their home, two men on motorcycles stopped outside their building and revved their engines loudly. “I wanted to see what was happening or what they wanted,” Mateo said. “But the Lord said, ‘Take it easy. Keep praying.’ So I focused on prayer.” 

As the noise continued, a neighbor called, crying. The neighbor told Elena that she and her children were hiding under her bed because the men had guns pointed at the house.  

When Mateo and Elena finished praying, they went to bed. Mateo said he thought the men might kill them. 

“I was afraid for my daughters,” Elena said. They considered leaving the city, but through a friend’s encouragement they decided to remain there and continue proclaiming the gospel to their neighbors. “It is on those occasions that we feel like God is telling us, ‘Don’t worry, I am with you,’” Mateo told Voice of the Martyrs. 

Mateo eventually found a new job that enables him to have an influence on families and youth in the community. He is still under scrutiny for his faith, but he is seizing the opportunity to share the love of Christ. “I know they are watching me, if I am doing some mistake, to fire me,” Mateo said. But God has put a lot of grace on me, so in that way I get to be a light in the middle of [these families].” 

Although the hostility they face sometimes causes them to feel discouraged, Mateo and Elena keep their eyes fixed on Christ as they lead a group of 15 believers. “My prayer request is that God [will] give us protection and that we [will] have opportunity to reach those people,” Elena said. “So please pray for protection because we are not wanting to leave this town.” 

Representative Foley says Voice of the Martyrs Korea is supporting Mexican church planters in the “Circle of Silence”. “Even simple things like helping church planters pay for gas and keep their cars running is key to enabling these Mexican church planters to endure the persecution and continue reaching the people there for Christ,” says Representative Foley. Individuals interested in supporting persecuted Christians in Mexico can give at https://vomkorea.com/en/donation/ or via electronic transfer to: 

국민은행 463501-01-243303 

예금주: (사)순교자의소리 

Please include the word “Mexico” on the donation.