My Story

Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is a two-hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Cuatro Caminos is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiché Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! I am so glad to share with you something about my family and me. My name is Esvin Leonel Benito Morente, and I am in good health. I am 8 years old, and I was born on August 17, 2015. This is my first year attending school, and I am in 1^st grade; in my free time I like to play with spinning tops. My favorite animal is the duck, I like the color yellow, and what I love eating is black beans with eggs. I live with my parents and two sisters. My father’s name is Mario Benito Riz, and he works so hard to cover our needs; he is a day laborer, and he also travels to the coast to cut sugar cane or pick coffee beans every six months to improve our income. My mother’s name is Ana Estela Morente Calachij, and she is a housewife and looks after us. As a family, we are not attending any Church yet.

We live with my paternal grandparents and aunts; the house belongs to my grandparents, and it is made of adobe with a tile roof and dirt floor. It has three rooms, and a separate kitchen; we have running water that is paid every year, and electricity which is paid every month.  At home, we have some pigs and hens. Some of our basic needs are groceries, so we pray for God to provide for us. I enjoy attending the feeding program, and I walk 25 minutes to be there. My mother came to register me, and she gave all this information to the Evangelism team. I say goodbye to you for now, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Many blessings,

Esvin Leonel Benito Morente

Translated by: Luisa Reyes /A-A-C Secretary/ Guatemala