My Story

Dueñas, where your child lives, is a small farming village located at the foot of one of Guatemala's active volcanoes, Fuego (Fire). The fertile ground around the village allows for the cultivation of roses and coffee, two of Guatemala's largest exports. Most of the families in this area live in one or two room wooden or adobe houses with tin roofs. Electricity is available to those who can afford it. Running water is available - however, most homes do not have indoor plumbing. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider education of value. Life in Duenas is quiet and sometimes difficult.

Hello, it is a pleasure to greet you today. I am Eimie María Lara Del Cid. I am so excited to be able to write a little bit about myself so you can learn about me. First, I hope you are well along with your loved ones. May God bless you abundantly in all you do. I want to tell you that I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to be a part of the feeding program of Living Water Adopt-A-Child. It is not only a feeding program, but I also have access to the doctor’s clinic and the dentist without any cost. They also do lots of activities and Bible classes, and the teachers are so nice. I am in first grade now. I am seven years old, but I will turn eight on January 15^th. I was born in 2018. My mom’s name is Doris Marleny Del Cid Mishia de Lara. She does not work, because she stays home to take care of me and my siblings and the housework. She works very hard at home. My stepdad’s name is Luis Fernando Ordoñez. He has lived with us for a year and a half, and he helps us so much financially. He provides for us with what he earns as an electrician in our town. My real dad’s name is Josué Mauricio Lara Gutierrez. Sadly, he traveled to the United States four years ago, but he does send us money sometimes. He works doing repairs and maintenance in houses and tunnels. I also have one brother and one sister. We live in a small house that we rent for Q600 per month, which is about 78 dollars. It is a one room house with cinderblock walls, a metal roof, and concrete floors. We are so grateful to have running water and electricity for lights in our home, and that my stepdad covers all these expenses. However, it can be difficult sometimes, since his job is not always constant, and it can vary. We pray that God will continue to provide for us in wonderful ways that we don’t expect. We do have pets at home. We have five cats. It is a lot, but I love them. Cats are my favorite animal ever. Thankfully, we live close to the feeding program, so we always walk to get there, and it takes about fifteen minutes. I love going to the program and eating the delicious food they serve us. My favorite meal is rice and chicken soup. It is so good, and I love when they serve this at the program. As a family, we go to a catholic church in our town. On the weekends and after school, I like to play with my dolls, go out to walk, and draw and color. My favorite color is pink because it is so pretty! I thank God that I am in good health. The only thing is that I have an astigmatism in my left eye, which is why I have to use glasses, but other than that I am very healthy, as well as my family. I’m going to say goodbye now, but I hope you have enjoyed reading this information. I pray God will bless whoever is reading this and will watch over you always. I send you many big hugs from Guatemala!

With much love,

Eimie María Lara Del Cid

 Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern / Antigua