Be the Voice

Gia Chacón, humanitarian and founder of March for the Martyrs, shares how her life changed completely after a mission trip to Egypt.

The turning point

I was raised in a very devout Catholic household, and my mother always emphasized on having a personal relationship with Jesus, which kept pulling on my heartstrings; but as time went on, I ended up in a balancing act where I had one foot in the world and the other planted in my faith. The one in the world pulled me deeper into heartache and compromises. I went about filling my life with what the world demanded. Finding my niche through a career, I thought I had it all as I went about partying and drinking, but one day, when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t recognize the person looking back at me.

I said a simple prayer: “Lord, I know that anyone who is in You is a new creation, and I want to be a new creation in life.” Within a few days, the Lord turned my life upside down, but it was only to fix and improve it. I quit my job and called my grandmother Doctor Michelle Carrell, who had a non-profit organization, and asked her if there were any upcoming humanitarian trips. She said: “Yes, we are going to Egypt next week. You are welcome to come along.” I was just planning to get out of the orange country to reset my life, and I landed in Egypt. For the first time, I experienced the faith of the persecuted Church. That really caused a deep change in my own life and inspired me to give my life to the service of Christ. While interacting with the refugees in Syria and Iraq, I was so inspired by their faith. Their suffering was unimaginable, yet they never renounced their faith.

After coming back to the US, I began researching the reality of Christian persecution and realized that Christians are the most persecuted group in the world. Over 365 million Christians around the world are being persecuted for their faith. So, I prayed about what we could do in the US to raise awareness, and as I sought the Lord, He laid it on my heart to start a non-profit organization for the martyrs, thereby raising awareness about Christian persecution. We also host March for the Martyrs to stand in solidarity with the persecuted church.

The changes I had to make

It was difficult to change everything. I had to break away from the people who were living a lifestyle that I no longer wanted to live. I changed my job and began working with my grandmother, helping her with humanitarian work. My mom stood by my side when I told her that I gave my life to Jesus. She encouraged and supported me. We began going for Daily Mass and Adoration, praying the Rosary together; that really strengthened me in those difficult times.

It’s never easy. Christ Himself said that it wouldn’t be easy, but He promised us that through Him, we would have victory. I thank God for His amazing grace, without which I wouldn’t have pulled through, especially when making a decision to live for Christ. It is counter-culture, but I felt the Lord chiseling me and continuing to work on my character, and I must say it’s a lifelong conversion.

Awareness Brings Action 

Knowledge inspires action, and the more people are aware of the suffering of Christians around the world, more can be done. I have seen amazing organizations such as Aid to the Church in Need, which is an incredible organization that supports the persecuted church, but I wanted to bring about a movement for the persecuted church within the United States to awaken young people to be a voice for our brothers and sisters. In my travels, when I speak to someone who is being persecuted, when I ask what it is they need, the number one thing they ask for is prayer and not clothing and other necessities. They say: “Please continue to pray for us”. So, it’s important to raise awareness by praying for our brothers and sisters and letting them know that we have not forgotten about them.

The Importance of Social Media Platforms

Social media is one of the most powerful tools of communication in our times, and it’s so important that we’re not only raising awareness but also sharing the truth of the Gospel. Through social media, it’s easier to reach out to people who may have never heard the truth of the Gospel or never had a personal relationship with Christ. You will be surprised about how God will use you through social media to touch somebody’s life across the seas. We have witnessed through our Instagram March for the Martyrs and Genuinely Gia that people from around the world are waking up to the reality of Christian persecution and joining the movement to pray for our brothers and sisters.

We have received some censorship, but we haven’t had any posts removed. Still, we did have our ad account disabled at one time and oftentimes, we have our posts rejected from being promoted because they say that the content is too political for our page to post. But I think that whenever we bring the truth to social media or to any platform, we’re definitely going to face opposition, and we do get hateful messages as well, but we just have to answer those with prayer.

You could spread awareness through your social media account and be the voice of the persecuted. If you have a desire to join an advocacy group, you can join March for the Martyrs to raise public awareness about Christian persecution and fight to bring this issue to the forefront of human rights.

Gia Chacón a renowned humanitarian and motivational speaker, is the founder of For the Martyrs and the March for the Martyrs.