MEXICO: EX FOOTBALLER BRINGING THE GOSPEL TO GANGS

Jeremías* made a promise with his wife. After nine years as a semi-pro footballer, he felt God calling him to be a missionary. He said if his team won the league and he finished top scorer, he’d quit football.

It happened.

“In that moment, we felt God’s call,” he says. “Of course, we had doubts. We wondered, ‘How will we live?’ But the Lord reminded us that if we obey Him, He is faithful and will provide everything we need.”

In 2020, his family moved to serve an unreached indigenous community in Chiapas, Mexico. They couldn’t live there, so they travelled over two hours every weekend to help. One day, they prayed for a woman in severe pain. “From that day on, it never returned. And she and her family came to faith,” Jeremías shares. Soon, more people wanted to hear about Jesus.

‘MANY RECEIVED JESUS’

After three years, gangs took control of the area. Jeremías and his son Josías* refused to join them, putting their lives in danger. One night, they had to flee. Jeremías’ youngest son was very sick. “I thought he would die that night in the cold, but we still chose to leave, otherwise we would all die,” he recalls.

That night, something incredible happened. “It was as if we were inside a bubble… God saved us that night,” Jeremías says.

Three weeks later, they returned—even though armed checkpoints filled the area. “I was afraid,” he admits. Still, he handed out gospel leaflets, even to gang members. “Many were there because they were being forced. They needed a glimpse of God.”

The family stayed, praying and encouraging people. “They didn’t understand why we had peace, until we shared the gospel with them. Many received Jesus in those days.”

VIOLENCE LEADS MANY TO FLEE

Then violence broke out. “We prayed the entire night,” Jeremías says. By morning, everyone else had fled. His family escaped again, along with thousands displaced.

Josías remembers: “I was afraid the bad men would take my dad… I was only able to pack some clothes and honey for my little brother.” Leaving friends behind was the hardest part. “It was hard to leave them.”

Even so, Jeremías says God reminded him: “One sows and another reaps.” He still prays others will continue the work.

‘We teach people to serve God, not them’

With support, the family rebuilt their lives. “I realised that dependence on God makes you immovable. When you act out of fear, you make wrong decisions.”

Life is still tough, but their faith is strong. “The cartels are almost everywhere, but God is more powerful,” Jeremías says. “They see us as a problem because we teach people to serve God, not them.”

Despite rejection, they keep loving their community. “Organised crime made us lose everything, but Jesus loves these people, and they need to hear about Him.”

Now, Jeremías trains other Christians facing persecution. “I share my testimony and remind them that God can bless us wherever we are, if we obey,” he says.

He has one simple request: “Pray for spiritual and physical strength… May God’s work continue despite persecution.”

Pray as they play

With the World Cup kicking off, the coming weeks provide an amazing opportunity to pray for believers like Jeremías in Mexico who are vulnerable to persecution for their faith. Mexico is one of 14 teams on the World Watch List that are playing at the tournament, so will you join us to pray as they play?

Keep an eye on our social media channels for special World Cup prayer cards… we’ll be sharing these on the days when countries on the World Watch List are playing. They feature facts and figures, together with a short prayer request. You can also download, print off and stick together to use throughout the tournament Grab them here…  

*Names changed for security reasons. Images are of Jeremias and Josias.