The Place

Leon Guanajuato, Mexico

Deep in the heartland of Mexico’s culture, tradition, and religion, lies the fifth most populous city of the country. With a population of nearly two million people, the city of Leon sits at the geographic center of Mexico and is the largest city in the state of Guanajuato. Nestled in a valley of the “Sierra Madre Oriental” Mountains, Leon rests at an altitude of six thousand feet.

Engulfed by mountains, this picturesque colonial city was a key partner in Mexico’s fight for Independence from Spain during the early 1800’s. The city was birthed as silver and gold was discovered in the surrounding landscape luring miners and prospectors to settle the area. As the economic value of Leon increased, so did the number of businesses and industries flocking to this potentially wealthy territory. Because of its rich Spanish heritage, colonial architecture, and breathtaking scenery, this entire valley earned the reputation as a known tourist destination for both the citizens of Mexico and foreigners alike.

Leon is a thriving metropolis of business and commerce. The epicenter of industry in Leon is the manufacturing plants where shoes, fabrics, and clothing are produced. The city of Leon earned it’s nickname as the “shoe and leather capital of the world” because of the many foreign and domestic manufacturing plants which produce some of the world’s finest shoe and leather products. This part of Central Mexico is also one of the country’s richest agricultural regions producing a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and even flowers.

Economically, Leon is one of the wealthiest cities of Mexico with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. The city and its surrounding municipalities are also home to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country. There are over a dozen in Leon itself.

Because of Leon’s business and industry, colleges and universities, and because of it’s economic importance to the country, it has emerged as one of the most metropolitan and modern cities of Mexico. It is a city where twenty first century meets colonial; where culture and tradition meet cosmopolitanism. Surprisingly the majority of Guanajuato’s nearly five million residents are under the age of forty, nearly two million of whom live in Leon. There is a growing number of Mexico’s young people from all walks of life; young families, teens, working class, business professionals, educated and uneducated that have found the church to be irrelevant and unable to address the issues of today’s ever changing world.

The Need

This region of Central Mexico has been described by many mission’s organizations as, “The Heart of Darkness,” or the “10/40 window” of Mexico. It is said to be the least evangelized region of the country with just over 1% of the population in this area claiming to have a personal relationship with Christ.

Those who have been disillusioned with church and those who don’t yet know God are searching for meaning and purpose, for direction and balance, for an authentic spiritual experience, for the wisdom and ability to manage life and family in a twenty first century world. They are looking to find peace in their hearts, to find hope for the restoration of their marriage, to find freedom from the chains of alcohol, infidelity, and despair, and to find vision for their lives on this side of life as well as the other.

This is an area that is lost and in need of the gospel message. There are more opportunities now than ever before to establish churches who proclaim the life giving message of Christ. Mexico's larger cities have been the most difficult areas to evangelize; Leon Guanajuato is no exception. However progress is being made as more and more Churches are being established and more and more lives and families are being changed.

God has called us to establish an Authentic Ministry that emphasizes family, discipleship, leadership development, small groups, compassionate outreach, relevant teaching and worship all while building an atmosphere of family and community.

In this sprawling city of nearly two million, there is a tremendous need. There are only a handful of “Christian” churches in a city that is larger than San Antonio Texas. The timing has never been better, nor the door opened wider to evangelize this least reached region of Mexico.

Arbol De Vida held its first Sunday service November 7th, 2010. Please pray about partnering with us in reaching this lost and hurting city in the heart of Central Mexico.