At only 12 years old, Alicia has experienced significant persecution – and lived out a deep faith even when her life was threatened because of it.
Alicia* is only 12 years old, but she has already faced heavy persecution for her faith in Jesus. The threats seem senseless to Alicia. “We’re not bad people, and we don’t hurt anyone,” she says. “We just worship Jesus.”
But in this remote corner of Oaxaca, Mexico, “just worshiping Jesus” carries a heavy cost. When she says she was afraid for her life and her family’s lives, she isn’t exaggerating. They have lost access to basic services, endured threats of violence and had their rights – guaranteed by the Mexican constitution – trampled.
Through all of this, Alicia still holds to Jesus’ promises. “Jesus came to save us from our sins,” she says. “What I love most about Him is that He loves us deeply, no matter who we are, He wants everyone to be saved.”
Where does this deep faith come from in such a young girl? And how has it endured so much pain?
A traditional faith with no room for true Christianity
It may be surprising to hear about persecution in Christian-majority Mexico.
But in some parts of rural Mexico, like where Alicia and her family live, religion is heavily tied to cultural identity. In these indigenous communities, people often claim Catholicism, but in reality practice a nominal faith, often blended with pre-Hispanic religious beliefs and rituals.
“They don’t even read the Bible when they gather,” explains Alicia’s mother, Flor*, who grew up in the belief system. “They say they accept other religions, but only if you conform to their customs. So, there’s no real freedom.”
Where do Christians experience the
most persecution?
Within this version of indigenous “Catholicism,” there is little room for the worship of Jesus or to truly follow His teachings, and even less room for the acceptance of those who choose to live out the gospel.
That’s why when Alicia’s family and 18 other Christian families refused to support local religious festivals, they experienced heavy pushback. The festivals include the veneration of images and saints, who are treated as gods who can bring rain, bless crops or heal illness.
“A Christian should not do that,” says Alicia. “The Lord has taught us to worship only Him.”
When Alicia’s father and two other Christian men explained their decision to the village assembly, the leaders responded with violence. The men were arrested; one was even beaten.
“We had never seen anything like that before,” Alicia recalls.
Although they were released after a group of Christian women pleaded on their behalf, the persecution escalated quickly. Three days later, the community retaliated.
“They held a meeting just to discuss us, the Christians,” Alicia remembers. “They debated whether to tear down our houses or burn them. In the end, they decided to strip us of everything. They cut off our electricity and water and seized our land. They took … our belongings.”
Additionally, the Christian men were prohibited from working their land. The families were forced to survive through secret support from a few brave relatives. But helping the believers was dangerous. Anyone who helped them risked facing the same punishment
Not even the children were spared. “They wanted to ban us from going to school or accessing medical care,” Alicia said.
Finally, the Christians were warned they would be expelled from the village, or worse, if they continued defying community customs.
Alicia, 12, and her family were ostracized from their community for refusing to join in a ritual.
“What scared me most was that they would kill us … burn us one by one,” Alicia remembers, visibly affected by the memory.
Friends, relatives and neighbors who once cared for them now looked at them with hostility. It seemed as if the entire community wanted the Christians gone.
“I felt deeply worried because we were losing everything … even members of our own family turned against us because we decided to stop contributing to the festivals,” Alicia says.
What else could they do but pray—and sing?
Songs of hope
Alone in her room, Alicia would sing and pray to God. “In praise, I found answers. Words that echoed in my mind,” she says.
Even now, wherever Alicia goes, she carries her guitar, and with it, she carries songs of praise in her heart. Those who know her talk about how often she sings, leaving behind a trail of worship behind her.
“He gave me the gift of music, and he has told me I am His daughter who sings and praises Him.”
“Music helps me to communicate with God,” she says.
She learned to play the guitar at a very young age after missionaries visited her community to teach about Jesus and hold activities for children. It wasn’t her first encounter with Christ, but it marked a turning point in her spiritual journey. Through that experience, Alicia discovered a deeply personal way to connect with God.
“My relationship with Him is based on prayer, reading the Bible and singing,” she says. “I’m always singing to Him. Even in my mind or while I do my chores. He gave me the gift of music, and He has told me I am His daughter who sings and praises Him.”
Strengthening what remains
Soon after the violence began, Open Doors workers heard what happened and visited Alicia’s community. Alicia’s family joined with other Christian families for a persecution preparedness training led by Open Doors. For the first time, the believers learned the term “persecution” and how to face it biblically.
“[During the training seminar], we understood that God was with us,” Flor says. “No matter how long this lasted, He would provide a way out.”
Alicia and her family friends were participants in an Open Doors persecution training seminar that taught prayer and forgiveness.
One of the key parts of the training is learning about the importance of forgiveness—living out Jesus’ challenge in the Lord’s Prayer. And through prayer, Flor began to heal.
“They taught us how to forgive those who hurt us,” Flor says. “Slowly, my heart began to heal, and I started to forgive.”
Open Doors staff continued to visit the believers, and the words of encouragement and prayer became a much-needed balm for Alicia’s family.
“We felt we were not alone—that God sent some of His children to comfort us and give us strength,” Alicia says.
Living out the challenge of Christ
During the height of the persecution from their community, Alicia began a prayer diary.
“I felt God listened when I was writing,” she says. “I would tell myself: I want Him to know what we were going through, to change my life … and the lives of these people.”
Writing helped Alicia find relief, to put into words what her voice couldn’t always express, but what stands out the most is Alicia’s decision to pray for her persecutors.
In her little diary, Alicia listed the date and the names of those who hurt her family, alongside each painful experience. “I didn’t want to forget; I wanted to pray for them. In my heart, I wanted them to change,” she says sincerely. “I prayed they would realize what they were doing was wrong, and that God would show them He is the only God.”
During the worst of the persecution, Alicia and her family continued to pray.
They worship by candlelight, reaching for the gift God has given them time and again: music.
“Music helped us overcome,” Alicia says. “We sang songs that expressed how we felt and allowed us to pour out our hearts before God.”
Even as other families left the community, Alicia’s family stayed. Together with the remaining Christians, they began to fast and pray.
Then, they witnessed a miracle. The village leaders agreed to talk.
“They said we could stay if we paid a fine,” Alica remembers. Her family borrowed money to pay the debt. “We saw it as an answer from God. It happened right after we began praying in the early mornings.”
Gradually, some of their rights were restored. Services were reconnected. Although her father did not recover his land, he was allowed to return to work on his neighbor’s property.
With support from Open Doors, the group of families also started a small sheep-breeding project to help them pay their debts and have the dignity of a livelihood.
Please pray for Alicia and her family this Christmas.
A quieter Christmas
Today, Alicia and the other Christians can follow Jesus in their community … but under strict limitations.
“We can’t build a church or speak openly about our beliefs,” she says. “If we try, they might take everything away again.”
Still, they continue to worship Jesus, gathering in homes, especially during Christmas. Their celebration may be simple, but their hearts are full. Their Christmas is about thanking God for what He has done and trusting in what He will do. After all, they’ve seen His goodness in action—and trust He will be with them even as they live under constant risk.
Alicia and her family pray for their community to one day know Jesus, too. “I hope God touches their hearts and changes their customs,” she says, “that they’ll allow us to follow Jesus freely.”
Music still fills her days. She leads worship every Sunday in their house church, lifting her community—just as worship lifted her through darkness.
“If someone is sad, we sing to remind them that God is with us,” she says with hope. “If we’re feeling down, we sing to lift our spirits.” No matter what, Alicia and the other Christians in this community will keep singing, hopeful in Christ’s promises.
