My Story

Hello, my name is Armando Riz Matías. It is great to send you this short update and share some information with you about myself. I am a six-year-old boy who lives in Guatemala. We live in the mountains in a rural town called Pasajoc. I am in pre-k now. I am so happy to be able to go to school now and learn like my big brother. I love to play with my brother and our best friend, Adrian. We have been friends with Adrian for years now. We love to play soccer together. Thankfully, my family and I are in good health. My mom’s name is Estela Matías Ramos. She is a stay-at-home mom. She takes care of me, and she does a lot of chores and work at home too. She also raises chickens and sells them to make some extra money for our family. My dad is the one who makes money for our family. He works as a day laborer on a farm. His name is Carlos Riz Riz.

My mom and dad are my favorite people in the world. They are so important to me because they love me so much and I love how they act and treat other people. Sometimes we have struggles in the family when my grandmother gets sick, because she is very old and it gets hard to take care of her. She is not very healthy anymore, so we have to take care of her, and it is hard. God always helps us to do this, and he gives us new strength and encouragement when we don’t have any more. We believe in Jesus and God, but we don’t go to church. My mom has heard about the gospel of Jesus, but she is not ready to make a decision. She isn’t sure what she should do, but the teachers at Living Water Adopt-A-Child pray that God will work in her heart so she can accept Jesus. I have to say goodbye now, but I hope you enjoyed reading my information and learning about me. It makes me feel special to know someone from so far away could be thinking about me. I hope you have a wonderful day, and I send a big hug from Guatemala!

With much love,

Armando Riz Matías

Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern