My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. Both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry) inhabit the village. The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes usually constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small and specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers, and many other small-town tradesmen. It also has a large open-air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is extremely high, and the children are very needy.

I cordially greet you hoping you are doing well. My full name is Elsy Raquel Castro Noriega, and in this opportunity, I will be telling you a little about my life. I was born on June 12, 2015, so I am 9 years old. I am in third grade, and I enjoy playing with my dolls in my free time. My favorite color is yellow, and I love eating fried chicken. My favorite animal is a cat, and that is why I have a lovely one at home as a pet. I only live with my father. I am the only girl in my family. My father is Jose Castro Morales. He makes a living as a high school teacher to support our family economically. He helped me to give all this information to a teacher of the LW evangelism team. Unfortunately, my mother no longer lives with me because she was not taking care of me well. I only can see her every six months, but I am in touch with her. My mother’s name is Tomasa Noriega Sut. Today, she lives in the city. 

My father and I are doing well. We attend a Christian Church called Emmanuel. Fortunately, we live in our own house. It is made of concrete block with a concrete roof and ceramic floor. It has three rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water.  We raise hens and turkeys at home for our consumption. God has always been merciful with us, and as proof, I am already part of the feeding program. I usually walk 10 minutes from where I live to get there. I will leave you now, but I ask you to pray for my family and our needs. Our frequent needs are groceries. May the Lord reward you for your kind attention and kindness! 

In the name of Jesus,

Elsy Raquel Castro Noriega

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary