My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small, attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years electricity and water have become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value.  Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

Hello! My name is Maria Cristina Gonzalez Pichiya, and I want to share with you a little about my life. I was born on September 22, 2011, so I am 12 years old now. I am in good health, and I am in 5^th grade this year. In my free time, I enjoy playing with my dolls. My favorite color is pink, and I love dogs. What I like to eat the most is cheese. I have two brothers and two sisters; three of them are registered at the feeding program too. My father, Sebastian Gonzalez Guarcas, works as a day laborer and farmer three or four days per week to support the family. My mother, Maria Carmela Pichiya Simon, sometimes embroiders clothes and raises domestic animals to help with the income. My family and I are attending Christian Life Church.

We live in a house that belongs to my paternal grandparents, and we share it with them. The house has four rooms and one kitchen, and we use two of these rooms. It is made of adobe with a tile roof and concrete floor. Thankfully, we have running water and electricity services; my dad pays the electricity bill. We have hens as domestic animals. We are a humble family, and our frequent needs are groceries and clothes. I walk for 30 minutes to arrive at the feeding program and enjoy a delicious lunch. I tell you that my mom helped me to give this information to a LW Evangelism teacher, and I am happy to be part of Living Water. I end this small letter hoping you find it interesting.

Many blessings

Maria Cristina Gonzalez Pichiya

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio/A-A-C Secretary, Antigua Guatemala