My Story

Nueva Esperanza, which means New Hope, is located in a slum area of Guatemala City, Guatemala. An extremely poor area, our program is squeezed in among the shanty dwellings built over an old city dump. Many houses in this area are without toilets or running water and are assembled with scrap wood, sheet metal, and cardboard. Zone 5, where Nueva Esperanza is located, is considered one of the most dangerous areas of Guatemala City. It is controlled by gangs and drug pushers. Robberies and murders are common in this area. Public education is available - however, many cannot afford it.  

Many blessings! It is a pleasure to greet you and tell you a little bit about myself today. I am Emili Elizabeth Morales Castañeda. I am 12 years old. My birthday is June 22^nd, 2013. I live with my parents and my siblings. My dad’s name is Emilio Estuardo Morales Urías. He works in a shoe store. My mom’s name is Nincy Elizabeth Castañeda Bobadilla. She is a street vendor. She sells little pastries. I am the oldest child of three. I have one brother and one sister. My brother’s name is Jean Carlos Ezequiel Morales Castañeda, and my sister is Genesis Abigail Morales Castañeda. As a family, we go to church at Jehovah Ministries. Now, I want to tell you a little bit about myself. I go to school in the 4^th grade. In my free time, I like to play soccer and color. My favorite color is pink, and I love cats. I have one pet cat of my own. My favorite food is fried chicken. My home is a very humble place. We are a family with very limited resources. That’s why we live with my grandmother in her house, along with my aunts and uncles. My family uses one room in the house. The walls are made of cinderblock, and the roof is made of tin. My parents along with my uncles and aunts help pay for utilities like water and lights. As a family we would love to be able to get our own stove. My siblings and I love going to the feeding program each week. We walk for about thirty minutes to arrive at the program. I want to thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me today. I hope you enjoyed getting to know me. Thank you for what you do to help the people of Guatemala through Living Water Adopt-A-Child. I pray for you, and I hope you will keep me in your prayers as well. I send much love and big hugs.  

Blessings,  

Emili Elizabeth Morales Castañeda 

Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern / Antigua