PA1924

Pasojoc is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world.  It is more than a two-hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa.  Pasojoc is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major corps.  The Quiché Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak an Indian dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common.  Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello, my name is Heidy Marina Gutierrez Morente.  I was born on August 31, 2014 and I am four years old.  I attend the Pasojoc feeding program.  My father’s name is Ramiro, but sadly, he abandoned my family when my mother was pregnant with me.  Her name is Martina.  She travels to the coast twice a year to work in the coffee fields.  My father legally recognized me because it was needed for some health documents. We do not own a home. We live with my grandparents, and they take care of me while my mother is at the coast.  Our house is adobe with a tin roof and a dirt floor.  It has only one room with a separate kitchen.  We have running water, but right now, we do not have electricity because my grandparents were unable to pay for it.  We are using candles for light.  My grandparents have 2 sheep that we care for.  I am an only child, and my grandmother is the one who brings me to the feeding program.  I do not go to school yet because I am still too small.  I spend my time playing with my dolls that are made of rags.  My favorite color is brown, and my favorite animal is the rabbit.  The food that I like the most is refried beans.  My family attends a church called “Prince of Peace.”

With much love and many blessings,

Heidy Marina Gutierrez Morente

Translated by: Edwina Lyons/AAC Missionary