My Story

Chuchuca, where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, 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. Chuchuca is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiché Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiché - 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 Aura Maribel Ordonez Luis. My birthdate is January 17, 2012, which makes me 12 years of age now. This year I attend second grade. I love the pink color, and the animal I like is the cow. The meal I love is fried chicken. I like to play tag with my siblings. My father is Camilo Ordonez Coj. He left for the United States some years ago. He works as a gardener and is sending us financial support for my siblings, my stepmother and me. Sadly, my biological mother passed away about four years ago. She was Dominga Luis Ruiz. Now, I have a stepmother. She is Mrs. Manuela Guarcas Pol and has been living with us about three years. She does the housework and raises hens.

We are members of the Assembly of God Church. Fortunately, we live on our own property; there are three rooms made of adobe walls with a roof made of tin sheets and a floor that is just dirt. The kitchen is in one of the rooms. There is no running water or electricity; we use candles to get light and bring water from a nearby river. Our priorities needs are groceries and a wardrobe. I live far away from the feeding program and I walk about one hour to arrive. This time the Living Water staff collected this information personally for the record, and my stepmother Manuela Guarcas provided it. Sending much love. Every kind of blessing to you

Lots of love,

Aura Maribel Ordonez Luis

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala