My Story

Tunajá is a very primitive area of the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  The inhabitants are Quiché Indians who trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  The prevalent language is the Indian dialect - Quiché.  The people are either farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors.  Very little money ever changes hands as they use a barter system.  Public education is available - however, most families cannot afford it.  Electricity and running water are not available in most of the area.  Life in Tunajá is extremely difficult.

What a blessing to greet you this time! I am Karina Rovelina de la Cruz Gonzalez, and I feel excited to tell you about my life. This is the first time I can share it, so my oldest sister helped me to give the information to the LW team. I am 9 years old. I was born on March 31, 2015. I attend 3^rd grade at school. In my free time, I like watching tv shows. I am a healthy girl. My favorite color is pink, and I like dogs. I love eating eggs. I have a big family; my parents, three brothers and five sisters.

My father´s name is Mateo de la Cruz Garcia. He sustains our family by working as a day laborer. My mother´s name is Marta Gonzalez Morente, and she spends her time doing the hard work at home and taking care of us. Moreover, she sells snacks in a school and small bags with chopped fruits to improve the income at home. All my family is healthy thanks to God. Thankfully, we live in our own house. Our house belongs to my mom, and it has 6 rooms including the separate kitchen.  There are running water and electricity services. My mother pays the electricity every month and the water every year. The house is made of tin sheet roof, adobe walls and a cement floor. We attend the Sovereign King Church. Our greatest necessity as a family is food. I enjoy attending the feeding program and I consider it a big blessing to my life. I usually walk for 35 minutes with my siblings to go there. Thank you so much for your interest about me. It was a nice pleasure to share my history. I look forward to continuing the communication with you. I send you my love and best wishes to your life and family.

Many blessings,

Karina Rovelina de la Cruz Gonzalez

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua