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.

May the grace of the Lord be with you! This is Yeimy Yulisa Morente Garcia, and I will be telling you about my life. I was born on January 23, 2018. I am 6 years old and taking advantage of this opportunity, I beg you to pray for healing for me. I was diagnosed with a kidney infection three years ago. Therefore, I was under medical treatment and felt slightly better. Because of our low economic resources, my parents have not been able to take me to the doctor again. Currently, I suffer from stomachaches and pain in my feet, and I do not take any medicine to mitigate the issues. My family and I do not know if the problems, that I am feeling are due to the illness that I previously told you about. I hope to attend the LW clinics and see the doctor soon. As for school, let me tell you that I am in kindergarten. My favorite pastime is playing soccer with my siblings. I have one brother and one sister. I like cats. My favorite color is pink, and I love eating chicken soup. Now, let me tell you a little about my parents. My father is Agustin Morente Luis. He makes a living by assisting masons. My mother is Magdalena Garcia Riz. She dedicates her full time to doing important tasks at home like taking care of my siblings and me. Fortunately, my whole family is doing well.

Thankfully, we own the house where we live. It is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. It has two rooms and an improvised kitchen made of wood and tin sheets. We have running water, but no electricity. Luckily, my paternal grandfather shares that service with us, so we help him pay for half of the bill. Our house is not in good condition because water seeps into the roof during the rainy season. So, my mother takes me there by tuk-tuk. The trip takes us about 15 minutes. I say goodbye to you now, but if you want to hear something else about my life, feel free to ask me. Have a nice day!

With much love,

Yeimy Yulisa Morente Garcia

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary