Rocio Pino, Colombia

Rocio Pino was known for sharing the gospel wherever she went. “All who come here will hear about Christ,” she had said about her life in one of Colombia’s red zones, areas that are controlled by the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC). 

But Rocio’s witness for Christ to guerrilla fighters drew the attention of this violent Marxist group. One day a female guerrilla fighter stopped by Rocio’s house, and Rocio shared the gospel with her. “The Lord is waiting for you,” she told the woman, handing her a New Testament. 

A few weeks later, Rocio was gunned down on her doorstep by members of the FARC in retaliation for her witness to the young guerrilla fighter. And because the road to her village was heavily mined and guarded by armed FARC guerrillas, no emergency services responded. Rocio’s husband and children were left to watch Rocio die. 

Knowing the risks, Rocio and her family chose to live and share the gospel in this dangerous area of Colombia because they took Jesus’s Great Commission seriously. Though it cost Rocio her life, her Christian witness amid violent Marxist oppression was worthy of Christ and advanced His kingdom. 

Prayer

Thank You, Jesus, for dying for me while I was still Your enemy. May I love others in the same way—not because I have to, but because You are alive and working through me. Thank You for giving me relationships to steward for Your glory. May I make much of Jesus today. In Jesus’s name, amen.