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 Marta Erlinda de la Cruz Mateo. I was born on January 25, 2021, and I am 3 years old. I am a healthy girl.  I am not enrolled at school this year due to my young age. I spend my spare time playing dolls. My favorite color is pink, and I love hens. I enjoy eating rice and black beans. I have 2 brothers. I want to tell you that I walk to the program in about thirty minutes.  We are not attending any church. I am under the care of my parents. My father’s name is Andres de la Cruz de la Cruz. He lives with us, and he is a healthy man. My father provides for our financial needs by working as a farmer and day laborer. Moreover, he travels to the coast from November to January to pick coffee beans during the harvest season along with my mother. My mother’s name is Lucia Mateo Blanco, she is a healthy woman. She is a housewife and takes care of the family. Moreover, she raises hens to sell and get some income.

We live in my grandfather`s house and he and my grandmother live with us. The house has three rooms and one separated kitchen. We use only two rooms. Our house is made of adobe, tin sheet roof and dirt floors. We have running water, but we do not have electricity so, we use lanterns. My father pays the running water services once a year. As a humble family, our current need is groceries. We have hens at home. This is my personal information, and I hope you like to read it. My mother gave this information to the LW evangelism team. I send you many blessings!

Kisses and hugs,

Marta Erlinda de la Cruz Mateo

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