My Story

Jocotenango, where your child lives, is in the state of Sacatepequez, Guatemala and is a suburb of Antigua. It is an urban environment and is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). Most of the children attend school, but financial hardship affects many families and forces most of the children to leave after the sixth grade. Only one out of ten children finish high school. Children in this area face temptations from gangs and drugs.

Hello and many blessings! I hope you are very blessed as you read this. My name is Galilea Jerusalen Ixcayau Barrera. I am so happy that you chose to read my information today. I am a 4-year-old girl from Guatemala, and I live in a town called Jocotenango. My birthday is March 13. I have one older sister. Her name is Genesis Nazareth. We live with my mom in a small little house that we rent for Q700 a month, which is about $91 USD. My mom’s name is Olivia Ixcayau Barrera. She is a great mom, and she works very hard to take care of us and provide for us. She works as an in-home assistant for someone who lives in another town. She has to sustain our family because my dad left us and never claimed us. We do not know anything about him. God has taken great care of us though. Our home is made of cinderblock and ceramic floors, and we have a small terrace on the roof. There is one room, and we have a small kitchen in the same area that we use. Our greatest need as a family would be groceries, since it is difficult to cover all the expenses sometimes. Our house is about thirty minutes away from the feeding program. We always walk to get there, and I love going and eating the delicious food they serve us. At home my favorite foods to eat are fruits and vegetables. I do not go to school yet, because I am still too young. I like to spend time playing with my dolls and toy cars. My favorite animal is a bunny, even though we do not have a bunny or any pets at home. We go to a Christian Church called Sanctuary. I love learning about God and Jesus and how much He loves us. I also want to tell you that my favorite color is pink and red. I think that is the best color. I hope you will pray for my family and especially for my mom, because she is having some health problems, but she has not been able to go to the doctor, because she is really busy with work. I pray that she will get better soon and that she will be able to get the help she needs from the doctor so she can be healthy. I hope you enjoyed reading my information today. It makes me happy to know somebody may be thinking about me. I send you big hugs and many kisses.

With much love,

Galilea Jerusalen Ixcayau Barrera

Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern / Antigua