My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers and many other small-town tradesmen. It also has a large open-air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is very high and the children are very needy. 

Hello! My name is Gricelda Luis Gutierrez, and I want to tell you a little about me. I was born on July 10, 2019, so I am 6 years old now. I am in good health, and I am attending pre-kindergarten this year. I love playing with my dolls in my free time, and I enjoy eating fried chicken. My favorite color is pink, and I like ducks. I attend Prince of Peace Church with my family. My father’s name is Arnoldo Luis de la Cruz, and he works as a farmer to support us; he also grows tomatoes for selling. My mother’s name is Juana Gutierrez Calachij, and she is a housewife; she raises some domestic animals for selling. Thankfully, my parents are both in good health.

We do not have our own house, so we are living with my paternal grandparents and their children. The house has three rooms and a kitchen, and it is made of adobe with a tile roof and dirt floor. We have electricity service, but we get the water from a spring which is 30 minutes away from our house. We have hens at home. We live far away from the feeding program, and I have to walk for one hour to arrive there. I have two brothers and two sisters, and my brothers are registered at the feeding program too. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries; please keep us in your prayers. I tell you that my aunt, Elvia Luis, helped me to give my information to LW evangelism team. This is all for now.

Kisses and hugs

Gricelda Luis Gutierrez

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary/Antigua Guatemala