My Story

Hello!
I am Jayron Eliseo Gomez Simaj and I am very glad to share a little about my life with you. I am seven years old and I did
not attend school this year, but I hope to do it the next year. Nowadays, I take advantage of my free time to play with my
toys. Happily, I want you to know that I am able to enjoy the tasty lunches in the feeding program as I used to do before the
pandemic. The program is a 25-minute walk from where I live. My father strives a lot to cover the expenses of my family, so
he makes a living by working in a gas station in Santa Cruz town here in El Quiche; because of his job, he visits us every
weekend. My mother also works hard at home doing the chores and raising some hens to sell and help to support other
necessities. We enjoy good moments together as a family; what I enjoy is eating some snacks with them. Despite the
pandemic, we have celebrated Christmas by preparing tamales (a typical dish) and hot fruit punch. My family and I continue attending the Catholic Church, which is an hour away from where we live. Even though the virus caused many churches to stop their services, our church continued working behind closed doors.

We live in our own house which is made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof, and dirt floors. It has one room, a separate kitchen, and running water. We have electricity at home because my paternal grandmother provides us with that service, so my parents pay her monthly. Fortunately, it is in good condition. Let me tell you that my father is recovering from a surgery that he had to undergo on his spine since he hurt himself. Thank goodness, the rest of my family and I are healthy. As you know, the pandemic came to affect our economy since everything went up in price. Our current necessities are many, but the most demanding are clothes and groceries, especially corn. Finally, let me tell you that my mother gave this information to an evangelism team member to share with you my last news. I leave you now, but I hope to hear from you the next time.

Thinking of you,

Jayron Eliseo Gomez Simaj

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary/Antigua