My Story

Pasojoc III, where your child lives, is located in an extremely remote area of the mountains in Quiche, Guatemala.  Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is a 3-hour walk to the nearest market town.  The people who inhabit the area are Quiche Mayans who can trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche; however, Spanish is becoming more common.  The climate is basically warm, but it can get very cold at night.  Houses in this area are typically constructed of adobe with tin sheet or tile roofs and dirt floors.  Pasojoc III is an area rich with natural resources.  It is a farming area where the inhabitants grow staples such as corn, beans, and other types of vegetables.  Many families also raise domestic animals such as sheep, goats, cows, and chickens.

Hello, my name is Erika Maricela Gutierrez Grave. I was born on December 13, 2019, and I am 4 years old. I am a healthy girl. I am not enrolled at school this year due to my young age. My favorite color is pink. I love tigers.  My favorite food is fried chicken. I have two sisters. One of them is part of the Feeding Program. We walk for forty-five minutes to attend the Program along with my mother. I like to play with dolls, hide and seek, and balls with my sisters at home. As a family, we are attending the Prince of Peace Church. I am under the care of my parents. My father’s name is Jose Martin Gutierrez Grave. He earns a living by working as a farmer and day laborer.  My mother’s name is Martina Maribel Grave Garcia, and she is a housewife and takes care of us. In addition, she raises hens, cows, sheep, and goats to sell and get some income. We live in our grandfather`s house, and we share the house with my uncles and grandparents. It has three rooms and one separated kitchen. Our house is made of adobe, tin sheet roof, and dirt floors.  We have running water and electricity. My grandparents paid for the services and shared the home expenses with my parents every week. We have hens, cows, sheep, and goats at home, but we would like to have some chickens. As a humble family, our needs are corn and groceries. This is my personal information, and I hope you find it interesting. I want to let you know that my mother gave this information to the LW evangelism team.  God bless you greatly!

Kisses and hugs,

Erika Maricela Gutierrez Grave

Translated by:  Gladys Chavez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua