My Story

Tunajá is a very primitive area of the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  The inhabitants are Quiché Indians who trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  The prevalent language is the Indian dialect - Quiché.  The people are either farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their laborers. Very little money ever changes hands as they use a barter system.  Public education is available - however, most families cannot afford it.  Electricity and running water are not available in most of the area.  Life in Tunajá is extremely difficult.

I greet you in the name of Jesus, hoping you are doing great. I am Lesly Angelina Morente Ruiz. My father´s name is Jose Morente Cux. He is a farmer. Unfortunately, he is separated from my mother since he has another wife. He has not been living with us for two years. I do not have communication with him, but he sends a pension for my support. On the other hand, my mother works as a weaver to cover our needs. She is in good health. Her dream is to own a house for us, so I would like to ask for your prayers for her so that the Lord can bless her with work to realize her dream.

Talking about me, I was born on September 17, 2020. I will be 5 years old. For that reason, I am not enrolled at school yet. I spend my time playing with dolls. I am in good health, praise God. My favorite color is pink. I like calves. My favorite dish is chao mein. I have two brothers and four sisters. I walk for 30 minutes to the program with my siblings.

My mom rents the house where we live. She pays Q600 = $80 monthly. It is a three-room house including a separate kitchen. It is made of tin sheet walls, tile roof and ceramic floor. There is running water and electricity that my mom pays every time. Our domestic animal is a dog. Our greatest necessities are corn and groceries. As a family, we attend the Catholic Church. Well, thank you for your attention and time to read this. I look forward to greeting you again. Take care!

With lots of love,

Lesly Angelina Morente Ruiz

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua