My Story

Pasojoc 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 more than a two hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Pasojoc is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major corps. 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! My name is Felix Edany Baelvin Gutierrez Simaj, and I hope you are doing well. I am excited to share with you a little about my life. I was born on November 10, 2017. I am a healthy boy and my favorite pastime is playing with my toy cars. I like dogs. I love eating pizza and my favorite color is blue. About my education, I tell you that I am in first grade again. My family and I are grateful to the Lord because I can enjoy delicious meals at a nearby school here in Pasojoc I. I live about a 25-minute walk from that school. Now, let me tell you about my family. My mother’s name is Marcelina Simaj Riz. Please pray for my mother’s health. She suffers from gastritis, but she is not under treatment. She keeps busy doing the chores and taking care of my siblings and me.

I have two brothers and four sisters in total. My father’s name is Domingo Gutierrez de la Cruz. He has been working in the United States about two years and a half to supply our needs. Most of them are groceries. He is doing well and makes a living by taking care of the cows on a dairy farm. We usually receive his financial support monthly. We are a humble family and do not own a house to live. However, God has always been good with us because my grandparents on my mother’s side have given us shelter.

The house where we live is made of adobe with metal tin sheet roof and dirt floor. It has three rooms and a separated kitchen. We get water from an artisanal well and a kind neighbor shares the electricity service with us. We help him to pay for the service monthly. We are glad because there is enough space at home to raise our chickens. About our spiritual life, I tell you that we attend a Christian Church called Life Christian. This is all for now, but I appreciate you taking the time to read my information.

With many blessings,

Felix Edany Baelvin Gutierrez Simaj

Translated by: Hillary Popol, A-A-C Secretary / Guatemala