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! I am Elmer Alexander Gutierrez Morente, and it is a big privilege to share my story with you. I was born on August 11, 2021. I am too young to attend school, so I stay at home. I have a lot of fun playing with my toy cars and soccer. My favorite color is red. I like cats, and I love having black beans with rice. I am glad because my family is healthy. My parents are Manuela Morente Simaj and Manuel Gutierrez Garcia. My mother is a housewife and takes care of my sister and me. I only have one sister. My mother also contributes to the expenses with the income she gets from her business. She raises turkeys, ducks, chickens, and one pig at home.  

My father keeps busy farming the land for our neighbors. He works hard to cover our needs, but it has been challenging because he does not earn much. So please, pray for us. Our priorities are shoes, clothes, tin sheets to renew our roof, and food, especially corn. The house where we live belongs to my father. One of my grandmothers also lives with us. The house is made of wood with a tin sheet roof and a concrete floor. It has one room, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. We have a dog as a pet at home. The feeding program is about 20 minutes away from where I live. My grandmother takes me there on foot. I will leave you now, but I look forward to hearing from you soon. Have a wonderful day! 

Sincerely yours,  

Elmer Alexander Gutierrez Morente 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala