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 greet you fondly, hoping you are doing well. My name is Joel Eleazar Gomez Ruiz, and I was born on October 30, 2017. Today, I am 6 years old, and I attend school as a kindergarten student. My favorite color is red, and I love eating fried chicken. My favorite domestic animal is the dove, and I enjoy playing with my toy cars and playing soccer with my brothers in my free time. I have three brothers, but no sisters. Now, let me tell you about my parents. My mother is Marta Julia Ruiz Castro. She keeps busy with the housework and taking care of our family while my father goes to work. My father's name is Pedro Gomez de la Cruz, and he makes a living as a farmer in our village. Thankfully, my whole family is doing well.

We are members of a Christian Church called Full Gospel. My family and I live in a borrowed house that belongs to one of my paternal uncles. He does not charge us for rent, but we help him to pay for the electricity and running water services. The house is made of adobe, tin sheet roofs, and dirt floors. It has two rooms and a separate kitchen. My father and uncle recently laid concrete flooring in one of the rooms. We raise eight hens and two pigs at home for our consumption. We live a 15-minute tuk-tuk ride from the feeding program. I am glad to be part of LW-Adopt A Child because it blesses me with tasty food for free. Before saying goodbye to you, I want to tell you that my mom and I gave all this information to a teacher of the LW evangelism team. Take care of yourself!

Kisses and hugs,

Joel Eleazar Gomez Ruiz

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary