Marcos Bragado Cruz, enjoying his freedom from prison, and as a new man in Christ
Two men fled into the night—in opposite directions. One was the dead man’s killer. The other was the dead man’s best friend.
It started with an argument that ended with a fatal gunshot. The body of Marcos’ best friend, Daniel, lay dead on the street. Fearing the murderer would shoot him as well, Marcos ran for his life into the darkness. To the local police, his flight made him a suspect. They nabbed him and then locked him up. The real murderer was never apprehended.
Although Marcos was ultimately released for lack of evidence, his deceased friend’s family didn’t believe his story, and they were willing to pursue justice at any cost. Sadly, justice in Mexico often goes to the highest bidder. It is estimated by some that as many as fifty percent of those incarcerated in Mexican prisons are innocent and held without evidence. Many remain in prison because they have no money to mount a legal defense.
The family of Marcos’ murdered friend paid for a warrant to have him arrested. Fearful of unjustly spending the rest of his life in prison, Marcos appealed for help from some American missionaries. Jason and Nicole Fitzpatrick listened to his story, believed it, and with financial assistance from Heaven’s Family, secured legal representation so that Marcos could have a fair trial and stay out of jail until his day in court.
While awaiting that day, Jason and Nicole also invited Marcos to live with them at their ministry base, a place they refer to as The Village, where numerous other needy folks reside, including orphans and widows. Marcos had to agree, however, to abide by the rules, which included helping in the fields and attending prayer meetings and Bible studies. Although he was not a believer by any stretch of the imagination, Marcos accepted their invitation. At The Village, he found sanctuary from a dead man’s family’s revenge as well as from corrupt Mexican police.
After living at The Village for five months, Marcos’ heart began to change. In May of last year, he attended an evening crusade where David Servant taught and proclaimed the gospel. That night, Marcos believed in Jesus and repented of his sins. Since then, he has been regularly traveling to Mexican villages with other godly men, preaching the gospel and making disciples.
Marcos is now nearing the end of the legal struggle to clear his name, and he is grateful for what God has done for him. He is also thankful for Jason and Nicole, as well as Heaven’s Family, for the part each has played in his redemption. Now declared innocent before God for all the crimes of which he was guilty, Marcos is rejoicing that he will soon be declared innocent before men of a crime he did not commit!
