My Story

Cuatro Caminos "four roads", 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 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 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 Brenda Estela Roxana Luis Garcia. I am 5 years old since I was born on January 5^th, 2018. I am not attending school this year due to my age; I like to play with dolls, my favorite color is purple. I like sheep, and what I enjoy eating the most are noodles. Thankfully, my family and I are in good health. I have one brother and one sister. My father earns a living by working both as a farmer and as a day laborer; his name is Paulo Luis Xirum. My mother works so hard at home, and she is a housewife and looks after us. As a family, we are members of Seventh Day Adventist Church.

We live in our own house. It is humble and made of tin sheets with a dirt floor; it has two rooms and a separate kitchen. We do not have running water nor electricity; one of our neighbors gives us water, and we use flashlights at night. My paternal grandmother lives with us, and we have some hens here too. Today, I want you to pray for us and especially for our house since it is not very safe. We pray for God to provide the resources to improve it and make it safer. We also need groceries, but we trust that God will help us to go ahead and have the necessities every day. I feel so blessed to be part of the feeding program, and I walk 30 minutes to arrive. Before saying goodbye, I want you to know that my mother came to register me and gave all this information for my enrollment process. It was so nice to share something about me with you. I hope you find my letter interesting, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Many Blessings,

Brenda Estela Roxana Luis Garcia

Translated by: Luisa Reyes /A-A-C Secretary/ Guatemala