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.

My full name is Yefry Alexander Luis Gutierrez and it is a big blessing to share my information with you. I hope you are doing well. I was born on February 3, 2018. I am 7 years old and thankfully, I am a healthy boy. I am excited because I am already attending school as a first grader. I enjoy playing toy cars with my brothers. I have two brothers and two sisters. My favorite color is red and I love having spaghetti and eggs for my meals. I like animals, but my favorite one is the cat. By the grace of the Lord, I have a lovely family. My mother’s name is Juana Gutierrez Calachij. She keeps busy doing the household chores and caring for my siblings and me. My father’s name is Arnoldo Luis De La Cruz. He makes a living as a farmer.

We live with my grandparents, on my father’s side, at their house. We help them with the expenses. The house is made of adobe, tile roof, and dirt floor. It has three rooms and a separate kitchen. We have electricity and get water from a nearby spring. Fortunately, we have enough space to raise chickens for our consumption. I beg you to pray for us because we are a very low-income family. Our priorities are groceries. I am grateful to God because I am already part of LW-Adopt a Child. We live about one hour away from the feeding program, so we get there on foot. My mom is the one who takes my siblings and me to the feeding program. This is all for now, but I thank you so much for reading my letter. Until next time!

Kisses and hugs,

Yefry Alexander Luis Gutierrez

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala