Why your support matters to Beatriz in Mexico

In March, we brought you the story of Beatriz*, a woman who has sacrificed so much to serve Jesus in one of the toughest places. 

Through your support and prayers, Open Doors has been able to come alongside Beatriz with a partnership that can make all the difference. 
 

Update from Beatriz

Beatriz was called as a missionary to the “Circle of Silence” in Mexico (number 30 on the Open Doors World Watch List of the most dangerous places to serve Jesus). Beatriz served as salt and light, working closely with women. Open Doors worked with local partners to help her with financial support and persecution preparedness training.  

But after a period of fruitful ministry, God called Beatriz to something different.

For months, God had stirred the same conviction in Beatriz and her husband’s hearts: it was time to leave.

“At first, I didn’t want to,” she recalled. “I kept thinking about the women in the group. How are we going to leave them here alone?”

The couple had served as missionaries for nearly six and a half years. Deep relationships had taken root. Leaving felt almost impossible.

Yet they sensed God leading them into a new season. What they didn’t realize was that the seeds planted through years of tears were already beginning to grow.


The women in Beatriz's group praying before a persecution preparedness class
 

Forming ‘Timothy’s’

Before leaving, Beatriz and her husband spent months intentionally equipping Irene* and Emiliano*—a young missionary couple—to step into leadership.

“We started delegating little by little,” Beatriz explains. “First the preaching, then the Bible studies, then the women’s groups. We wanted the women to begin seeing them as the leaders.”

Today, Irene and Emiliano fully lead the ministry in the Circle. The two couples meet in person every month and a half and regularly communicate.

“God allowed us to build a beautiful friendship through serving Him,” Beatriz said. “We see them as our spiritual children—our Timothy’s.”
 

Faith that remains

Persecution continues. But so do the gatherings, the prayers and the growth.

Some women are now preparing for baptism—a quiet but significant step. In their communities, baptism is not just a ceremony. It is a public declaration that carries a real cost.

“Their faith is firm,” Beatriz says, “but there is still fear of rejection.”

Still, they move forward.

One breakthrough came early this year. A woman named Rachel saw her husband begin attending marriage meetings with Irene and Emiliano—his first steps toward the Gospel. “That is a huge victory,” Beatriz says.

The ministry among children also continues despite overwhelming challenges: poverty, drug abuse, crime, and spiritual darkness.

“Humanly speaking, these children have no future,” says Victoria Vélez, an Open Doors team member in the country. And yet, Irene and Emiliano, together with volunteers like Carmen*, show up week after week—teaching, sharing and carrying light into that darkness.

  “I know they cry, they get tired, they feel discouraged,” Beatriz admits. “But they keep going. Humanly speaking, we could never do this. It’s the Holy Spirit.”

During their time with Beatriz, Emiliano and Irene took part in the “Standing Strong Through the Storm” trainings. Now they are multiplying those lessons among new believers in the Circle, teaching them to remain steadfast despite pressure.

“Psychological support and biblical knowledge will continue to be deeply needed, so we thank God for the ‘Standing Strong Through the Storm’ manual,” Emiliano says.

Beatriz with Carmen, a volunteer
 

Beatriz today

Beatriz and her family no longer live in the village. After much prayer, they relocated to another city, where her husband now serves in pastoral leadership.

The transition was not easy. Open Doors walked alongside them spiritually, emotionally and financially.

“It has been very meaningful for us as a family,” Beatriz said, “and for the women in the Circle.”

She is still healing from the wounds caused by persecution left behind. She recalls how frightened she felt when a stranger in their new hometown simply asked whether she was a Christian.

Even so, she believes God is in control—of her life, her family and the sisters she left behind in the Circle.

  Like Paul, she and her husband have learned to trust God through every transition.

“He will take care of each one of us wherever He wants us to be.”
 

A future beyond silence

Beatriz still carries the Circle of Silence in her heart.

“The older generations are still very closed to the Gospel,” she said. “But young people are opening their hearts. I think that in twenty years, these villages will tell a different story.”

At the beginning of her journey, God gave her a promise. She still holds onto Psalm 126: “Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

“Maybe we will not be the ones who gather the harvest,” Beatriz says. “But others will. That is the promise—every seed planted will bear fruit in its time.”

And so, in the Circle of Silence, they continue to sow.
 

Partnership that matters

Christian women around the world face unique challenges because of their faith—but continue to follow Jesus despite the cost. 

And because of the support and prayers of generous donors, women like Beatriz are able to live out their faith and be a blessing to those around them. Her story shows that God continues to use His people to provide hope where everything seems hopeless. 

That partnership is critical for persecuted believers. Will you consider coming alongside the most persecuted, helping them to bring the light of Christ into the darkest places? 

*Name changed to protect their identity