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! This is Heydrien Huvalder Agusto Riz de la Cruz, and I am writing this to tell you a little about me. I was born on January 7, 2019, so I am now 4 years old. I am in good health, and I am not attending school yet due to my age. I like playing soccer and toy cars in my free time. I love the color green, and my favorite animal is the giraffe. I really enjoy eating black beans with eggs. As a family, we attend a church. My mother’s name is Estela de la Cruz Benito, and she sells fruits in the local plaza on Thursdays and Sundays. My father’s name is Agustin Riz Jimon, and he is a farmer. He has not been working for others for about two years because, apparently, he is having problems with his nerves; his hands shake a lot when he holds something. He has not visited a doctor due to our low resources. I have three siblings who are in the United States, and they are helping us financially. I have four brothers and eight sisters, and three of them are part of the feeding program too.

We live in our own house, and we share it with my grandmother. The house has five rooms and a separate kitchen, and it is made of adobe with a tile roof and concrete floor. Thankfully, we have running water and electricity services. We have hens, sheep, cows and geese as domestic animals. We are a humble family, and our greatest needs are groceries and firewood. I walk for 10 minutes to arrive at the feeding program. I tell you that my sister, Nelida, helped me to give this information to an Evangelism teacher, and I am happy to be part of this Ministry. I thank you for reading my information, and I hope you find it interesting.

Kisses and hugs

Heydrien Huvalder Agusto Riz de la Cruz

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