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.  

My name is Jose Miguel Perez Luis, and I am writing this small letter to tell you about me. I was born on September 2, 2020, so I am now 5 years old. I live in a village called Pacoc I, and I am attending Cuatro Caminos feeding program. I am not attending school yet due to my age, so I stay at home playing with my toy cars. I attend a Methodist Church with my sisters and grandmother; I have two sisters. Thank God, I am in good health. I really love eating fried chicken. I love the color black, and my favorite animal is our national bird “the quetzal”.  

My father’s name is Jonatan Perez Siquinay, and he only legally recognized me; he abandoned my mother and me and already has another family. My mother’s name is Isabel Luis Ajqui. My sisters, grandmother, mother and I live in the same house, but my mom only covers my needs; my grandmother covers my older sister’s needs. My mom is earning a living by raising and selling hens; she sometimes works as a day laborer. I would like to ask for your prayers for her because she is having some health issues.  

The house where we live belongs to my oldest sister, and it has two rooms and a kitchen. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We get the water from a stream, and we use a hose to bring it home. We have electricity. As for domestic animals, we have hens and turkeys. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries, clothes and shoes. My older sister has been registered at the feeding program too, and we walk for 30 minutes to arrive at the feeding program. My grandmother Petrona helped me to give my information to LW Evangelism team, and I hope you find it interesting. May God bless you! 

Sincerely yours  

Jose Miguel Perez Luis 

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