My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. Both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry) inhabit the village. The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes usually constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small and specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers, and many other small-town tradesmen. It also has a large open-air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is extremely high, and the children are very needy.

This is Zuleima Beatriz Grave Aguilar, and I hope you are doing great. Before telling you about my life, I want you to know that my mom and I gave all this information to a teacher of the LW evangelism team. I was born on April 29, 2017, so I am 7 years old. One of my favorite pastimes is playing with my dolls. My favorite color is purple. I like rabbits, and my favorite food is fried chicken. Today, I am in first grade. I attend school with my brother, sister, and cousin, Esmeralda Aguilar, who has lived with my family and me for a long time. My father is Gabriel Grave de la Cruz. He is a baker and works hard to support our family economically. My mother is Ana Elizabeth Aguilar Chingo. She dedicates her full time to cleaning our house, preparing delicious meals, and taking care of my siblings, cousin, and me. 

We live in a rented house, which is a fifteen-minute walk from the feeding program. The rent payment is Q800=$103.44 monthly. The house is made of adobe, a tile roof, and a concrete floor. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. Luckily, we have enough space for our domestic animals. We have one cat as a pet and raise chickens for our consumption. By the grace of the Lord, we have everything we need to survive. As for our spiritual life, let me tell you that we are members of Bethel Christian Church. I say goodbye to you now, but I would love to hear from you soon. 

Kind regards,

Zuleima Beatriz Grave Aguilar

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary