My Story

Hello dearest sponsor!  Please receive this greeting from the village of Chuchuca.  I hope that you and your loved ones are doing well.  It is a pleasure for me to be able to tell you more about myself through this letter.  I live with my parents and my siblings.  My mother’s name is Sabina and she is a housewife.  She is also a farmer.  She grows green tomatoes, peppers, radishes, cilantro and other herbs that she later sells in the market on Thursdays and Saturdays.  She also has some hens that she sometimes sells when necessary.  My father’s name is Gregorio and he works on the coast during the time of the coffee harvest.  He goes from November to February.  In our village, he works as a day laborer and when it is the growing season, he raises corn.  He prepares the ground, sews the seeds, and when the corn is ready, he picks and shells it.  I have three brothers: Camilo, Luis and Alejandro.  They work at the coast.  Two of them work in the sugar cane fields and one in the coffee fields.  My six sisters are Ana, Marta, Santa, Lucia, Vilma and Estela.  All of them work in the capital doing different jobs.  Lucia is the only one who is already married.  All of them help with the household expenses.  All of my family is in good health.  I no longer study.  I finished 6^th grade in 2016 and I received my diploma.  I did not want to continue studying any further.  Now, I am working.  Sometimes, I travel to the coast to work in the coffee harvest.  I actually returned from there about six days ago.  That is why I have not been attending the feeding program so please excuse me for that. 

When I go to the capital to work, I work in a tortilleria (place where they make tortillas) for one or two months and with what I earn I am able to help my family with the expenses.  A time that I enjoy with my family is at Christmas.  Even though I was at the coast with my parents and some of my siblings, my mother prepared tamales for us to eat, and later, we watched other people light beautiful fireworks.  The thing that I want to do is to continue working so that I can support my family so that they can have all that they need in order to live.  I really enjoy growing herbs, fruit trees, flowers and shade trees.  I like to see how God makes them grow.  My family and I go to Prince of Peace Pentecostal Church.  The thing that I like the most at our church is when we fast and pray because it helps us to examine our lives.  Thank you for everything.  I pray that God multiplies back to you all that you have done for me.  Take care of yourself.  See you soon.  I say goodbye with much love.

Blessings and much love,

Selena Rodriguez Gutierrez

Translated by: Edwina Lyons/AAC Missionary