My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small, attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years electricity and water have become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value.  Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

Hello! My name is Elmer Antonio Marroquin Gonzalez, and I am writing this small letter to tell you about me. I was born on March 5, 2012, so I am 11 years old now. I am in good health, and I am in 4^th grade this year. I enjoy playing soccer in my free time. I like the color light blue, and my favorite animal is the dog. I love eating pizza. I have one brother and four sisters; one of them is part of the feeding program too. My mother, Edna Janeth Marroquin Gonzalez, works as a waitress in a restaurant to cover our needs. I was not legally recognized by my biological father because he had legal problems when I was born. Sadly, he passed away in jail four years ago. My family and I are not attending a church at the moment.

We live in a rented house, and we pay Q900.00 quetzals (about $120) per month. The house has two rooms and a separate kitchen, and it is made of concrete block with a concrete roof and ceramic floor. Thankfully, we have running water and electricity; the water bill is included in the rent payment, but we pay the electricity bill every month. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries. I walk for 5 minutes to arrive at the feeding program and enjoy a delicious lunch. I tell you that my oldest sister, Juleimi, helped me to give this information to the LW Evangelism team, and I am happy to be part of this Ministry. She takes care of my siblings and me while our mother is working. I hope you find my information interesting.

Warm greetings

Elmer Antonio Marroquin Gonzalez

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio/A-A-C Secretary, Antigua Guatemala