My Story

Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, Guatemala. Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is a two hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Cuatro Caminos is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system. 

Hello! I hope you are doing well. My name is Elmer Elias Ruiz Gomez, and I am writing this letter to tell you about my life. I was born on June 8, 2017, so I am 8 years old. I am in good health, and I am in 1^st grade this year. I play soccer in my free time. My favorite color is black, and I love the quetzal which is our national bird. I really enjoy eating grilled chicken. My family and I are attending Full Gospel Church of God. My father’s name is Israel Ruiz Gutierrez, and he works as a mason to cover our needs. My mother’s name is Estela Angelica Gomez Ajqui, and she works hard at home and looks after the family. Thank God, my parents are both in good health.

We live in our own house, and it has four rooms; we cook outside the rooms in the corridor. It is made of concrete block with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. My maternal grandfather provides us with the electricity service, and we get the water from a river. We have hens and pigs at home. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries. I have two sisters, and one of them is registered at the feeding program too. We attend the program together, and we have to walk for 30 minutes to arrive there. I tell you that my mom accompanies us to the program, and she helped me to give my information to LW Evangelism team. I hope to have news from you soon.

Sincerely yours

Elmer Elias Ruiz Gomez

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary/Antigua Guatemala