My Story

Hello! It is a pleasure to greet you. I hope you are doing well along with your loved ones. I would like to introduce myself to you and share a little bit about myself. My name is Isabel Cabrera. I am 77 years old now, and thankfully, I am in good health. I was born on December 27, 1947. I am originally from El Salvador, but I have lived here in Guatemala for over 30 years now. I was married to a man in Salvador, and I had six children with him, but we separated. Then I remarried and we have been together for 28 years now. His name is Santos. I do not work because I am old, and I cannot do as much as I used to. I stay home and work as the housewife. I do the chores and housework. My husband is the one who provides for us. He goes out on the streets every day to beg for alms. He receives between 25 and 40 quetzales a day, which is equivalent to about $3 to $6 a day. None of my children provide us any support. I have five daughters and one son. They are all adults with their own families and responsibilities. I go to church with my husband at Source of Life church in the next town over from us. It is called Ciudad Vieja, or “Old City”

We live in a very humble home. We pay Q400 a month for rent, which is about $52. It has one room and a little area in the same room where we can cook and keep our food. The walls are made of cinder block, the roof is tin, and the floor is concrete. We pay Q50 for lights and water each month to the owner of the house. Our biggest needs are groceries and rent money, since we don’t have a good stream of income. We walk about ten minutes to get to the feeding program each week. Thankfully, it is not very far. I want to thank you so much for taking the time to read my information today. I send many blessings and much love in the name of Jesus.

With much love,

Maria Isabel Rodriguez Cabrera

Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern