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 Erick Otoniel Ruiz Ventura. I am a healthy child who was born on November 12, 2016. Currently, I am 7 years old, and I am attending kindergarten. I stay at home coloring in my free time. I love the color green, and I like dogs. My favorite food is pizza. I have one brother and two sisters; two of them are registered at the feeding program too. My family and I attend a Methodist Church. My father’s name is Edras Otoniel Ruiz de la Cruz, and he works in a place where they record videos.  My mother’s name is Rufina Ventura Canil, and she works hard at home and takes care of us.

We live in our own house, and it has five rooms and a separate kitchen. The house is made of adobe and concrete block with a tile/tin sheet roof and concrete floor. Thankfully, we have running water and electricity services. We have hens and turkeys as domestic animals. Our frequent needs are groceries. The feeding program is located 10 minutes away from our house, and I take a motorbike to get there. My mom helped me to give this information to a LW Evangelism teacher. I thank you for reading my little letter, and I hope you find it interesting.

Kisses and hugs

Erick Otoniel Ruiz Ventura

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