My Story

Nueva Esperanza, which means New Hope, is located in a slum area of Guatemala City, Guatemala. An extremely poor area, our program is squeezed in among the shanty dwellings built over an old city dump. Many houses in this area are without toilets or running water and are assembled with scrap wood, sheet metal, and cardboard. Zone 5, where Nueva Esperanza is located, is considered one of the most dangerous areas of Guatemala City. It is controlled by gangs and drug pushers. Robberies and murders are common in this area. Public education is available - however, many cannot afford it. Life in Zone 5 is very difficult. This child lives on top of an old rubbish dump in Zone 5 of Guatemala City. It is an extremely dangerous area where criminals, prostitutes and drug addicts live.

Hello, my name is Josue David Perez Gomez. I am so grateful to be able to share my information with someone from so far away. It feels so special to think that someone is thinking of me. I want to tell you a little bit about my family now. I do not know who my dad is. He never claimed me, and he did not ever want to help support me. My mom’s name is Maria Luisa Perez Gomez. She works as an in-home-assistant. She is the one who supports us financially and provides for us. We live in a house that we rent for Q1,200.00 per month. That is about $157.00. We have two rooms and a separate kitchen. The walls are made of cinderblock, the roof is tin metal, and the floor is made of concrete. We also pay for running water and lights in our house, which is a blessing that we can do that. We have three pet dogs at home as well. We live near a park called Christmas Park, and we like to go out and play there. There is also a market nearby where we can buy our produce and other ingredients.

We are very blessed, but we also have our needs. It is not always easy to cover all our expenses. Our biggest needs are groceries and school fees. We also need new school shoes. We know that God will provide every need in His ways. We walk to the feeding program each week, and it takes us about 25 minutes to get there. They always serve us delicious food. My favorite food to eat is eggs and black beans. My favorite animal is a lion, and I love the color red. Some of my favorite things to do are play soccer, play with my cars, legos, and color. I also like to play with my sister. We go to church as a family at Calvary Evangelistic Church. I am going to school now and thankfully it is going well. I am in Pre-Kindergarten now, and we learn about numbers and letters. Lastly, I want to tell you that I will turn 5 years old this year on November 28th! I am so excited to be five years old soon. I hope you enjoyed reading my information and learning about me. I send big hugs and many blessings from God.

With much love, 

Josue David Perez Gomez

Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern