My Story

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

What a blessing to greet you today from Guatemala. I am Ana Griselda de la Cruz de la Cruz. I am grateful that you took the time to read about me. First, I want to mention that my mother helped me to give all this data to you. I was born on April 20, 2018. I am 6 years old. I am in pre-kinder at school. My favorite color is pink. I love eating rice and noodles. My health is good at the moment. My favorite animal is the parrot. In my free time, I enjoy playing with my dolls.

My father´s name is Juan de la Cruz. Unfortunately, he is not living with us because he traveled to the coast, and we lost communication with him. We do not know when he is coming to visit us. He rarely comes and does not want to support us economically. My mother´s name is Ana Linda de la Cruz de Leon de de la Cruz. We are under her care. She struggles to support us by raising domestic animals to sell. Moreover, she grows herbs to sell too. I know you just met me, but I would like to ask for your prayers for my mother because she has been sick with bronchitis. She went to the public Health Center but due to our low resources, she stopped her treatment, and her health is not improving. I have two brothers and two sisters, and my mother takes us to the program. We walk for one hour to arrive there. Thank God, we are part of a Church. About our house, we live in our own home. My maternal grandmother lives with us. It is a one-room house. We do not have a separate kitchen, so we cook in the corridor. The house is made of tin sheet roof, dirt floor and adobe walls. We do not have running water, but there is a nearby river where we get our water. We do not have electricity, so we use candles at night. Our domestic animals are chickens. We have many needs at home, but the main ones are food, school supplies and clothes. Alright, it is time to say goodbye to you. May the Lord protect you wherever you are and pour out lots of blessings upon you!

With love,

Ana Griselda de la Cruz de la Cruz

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua