My Story

Tunaja is a very primitive area of the state of Quiche, Guatemala. The inhabitants are Quiche Mayans who trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. The prevalent language is the Mayan dialect - Quiche. The people are either farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. 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 Tunaja is extremely difficult.

Hello! How are you? I hope you are in good health together with your loved ones. My name is Nelson Zacarias Lopez, and I am a happy and healthy 5-year-old boy. I am not in school yet because of my young age. In my free time, I like to play at home. My favorite color is blue, my favorite animal is a sheep, and my favorite food is carne asada (grilled beef/steak).

Both of my biological parents live with me. My father works as a farmer to take care of our needs. My mother is a hardworking housewife and weaves typical Guatemalan clothing to support us economically. I have one sibling: one sister. I am joyful to say that we are all healthy, and God has taken good care of us. Also, we do not attend a church yet. I live in a village called Tunaja, and it takes me 30 minutes to walk to the feeding program. My humble house has walls made of adobe, the roof is made of tin sheet, and the floor is made of cement. There are two rooms and a separate kitchen. We have hens at home, too. We have running water and electricity at home. My parents pay for the utilities monthly. My family owns the house. Our greatest need is groceries. Thank you for all your support. God bless you!

The Living Waters Evangelism Team is speaking to families in Quiche by phone call. They spoke to my mother to receive information pertaining to me.

Kisses and hugs,

Nelson Zacarias Lopez

Translated by: Kalyan Marroquin / AAC Missionary Intern