My Story

My name is Berta Alicia, and I am glad to say hello to you through this letter. I hope your loved ones and you are doing well. Before I continue with this, let me tell you that my family and I do not attend any church at the moment. However, we appreciate that a member of the LW staff encouraged us to do it, by sharing the gospel with my father and me. I hope my family and I can attend church soon. This happened while the teacher collected all this information for you. My father is Domingo Simaj Toj, and he is 43 years old. He is a healthy man who works by farming the land for other people. He also grows corn and beans for our consumption. My mom is Petrona Toj Cux, and she is 43 years old. She is a healthy housewife who keeps busy doing the chores and raising our hens for our consumption.

Now, let me tell you a little bit more about me. I am a healthy 14-year-old girl. This year, I was in seventh grade. I was glad to receive face-to-face classes because I understood the lessons much better. My father has done his best for our family, but he does not earn much and everything has been pricey. He had trouble covering my school supplies and buying my uniform. Our greatest need is food. I would love to continue studying to become a doctor and speak English when I grow up. Therefore, I would love to count on your prayers for me. My favorite holidays are Christmas, because I enjoy burning firecrackers, and Holy Week because my family and I visit our relatives. I like drinking Coca-Cola, and my favorite sport is soccer. My birthday was in December. For my next birthday, I hope to have all my family and relatives with me to celebrate. To end this letter, I want you to know that LW has blessed me with delicious food and medicines for free. Thank you so much for trusting in this project! I say goodbye to you for now, but I send you my best wishes.

From the bottom of my heart,

Berta Alicia Simaj Toj

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala