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 Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak an Indian 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.

My name is Estuardo Leonel Luis Gutierrez. I was born on February 20, 2020. I am 5 years old. I am not attending school yet because of my age. I spend my free time playing soccer and toy cars. I love the color black, and I like rabbits. My favorite meal is noodles. I want to tell you a little bit about my family. I live with my parents and my five sisters. Four of them are enrolled in the feeding program too. We enjoy attending there and we walk one hour to get there. My father´s name is Camilo Luis De La Cruz. He works as a day laborer and a farmer. My mother´s name is Santos Gutierrez Garcia. She is a housewife. Some days she goes to work as a farmer, and from time to time, she sells her hens and sheep. She helps at home with the income. Thanks to God, my mother and sisters are in good health, but my father is not. He complains of burning in his stomach, but he has not visited any doctor for lack of economic resources. I ask for your prayers for him so that God can help us and he can have a medical checkup. 

We attend Prince of Peace Church. Thanks to God, we live in my father´s house. We have one room and a separated kitchen. It is made of wooden board walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We do not have running water or electricity. We use candles and get water from the spring. What we need most at home are groceries and clothes. We have some hens, turkeys and sheep at home. I am very thankful to you for taking your time to read a little of my history. 

Many blessings,

Estuardo Leonel Luis Gutierrez

 Translated by: Magnolia De Torres / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala