My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small, attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years electricity and water have become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value.  Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

Hello! This is Ana Sofia Marleny Benito Ruiz, and I am writing this to tell you a little about me. I was born on December 28, 2018, so I am now 4 years old. I am in good health, and I am not attending school yet due to my age. I like playing with my sister and helping my mother in my free time. I love the color blue, and my favorite animal is the cow. I really enjoy eating fried chicken. As a family, we are attending LW Church called Liberty. My mother’s name is Vilma Josefina Benito Ruiz, and she sometimes works as a maid to cover our needs. My father did not legally recognize me because he abandoned my mother when she was pregnant with me.  I do not know anything about him. I only have one sister.

We live in my maternal grandparents’ house, and we share it with my uncles, cousins and grandparents. The house has two rooms and a separate kitchen, and it is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. Thankfully, we have running water and electricity services; my grandmother pays these bills. We have hens as domestic animals. We are a humble family, and our greatest needs are groceries and clothes. I walk for one hour to arrive at the feeding program. I tell you that my mom helped me to give this information to an Evangelism teacher, and I am happy to be part of this Ministry. I thank you for reading my information, and I hope you find it interesting.

In Jesus name

Ana Sofia Marleny Benito Ruiz

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio/A-A-C Secretary, Antigua Guatemala