My Story

Duenas, where your child lives, is a small farming village located at the foot of one of Guatemala's active volcanoes, Fuego (Fire). The fertile ground around the village allows for the cultivation of roses and coffee, two of Guatemala's largest exports. Most of the families in this area live in one or two room wooden or adobe houses with tin roofs. Electricity is available to those who can afford it. Running water is available - however, most homes do not have indoor plumbing. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider education of value. Life in Duenas is quiet and sometimes difficult.

Hello, my name is Adrian Caleb Lopez Pelen. I hope you and your family are doing well. I send you many blessings and big hugs. It feels so special to think that someone from so far away could be thinking of me. My birthday is December 20, 2019. I will turn six years old this year. I am so excited to turn six years old. I am in pre-kindergarten this year, and it is going well, thanks be to God. I want to tell you that I am in good health, but I have had some troubles since I was a baby. I was born with a deformity in my Achilles tendon. It was too short, which made it hard for me to walk correctly and run, but I had a surgery this year in April, and they fixed my tendon so it could be longer. Now, I am in physical therapy to learn how to walk better. I thank God that everything went well and that I am recovering well now. I have one older brother and a baby sister. My brother, Gustavo Elias, also goes to the program at Living Water Adopt-A-Child. We love going to eat a delicious meal each week. We always walk together, and it takes about seven minutes to get there from our house. We go to church as a family at Liberty Church in Dueñas, which is an evangelical church. We get to learn about Jesus and play with the other kids there.

I live in a nice house with my family and my grandparents. My mom inherited our house from her family. We live on the second level, and my grandparents have their own space on the first level. We have two rooms and a kitchen. My dad pays for the water and lights so we can have those services in our house. Our house is made of cinderblock walls, and we have a ceramic tile floor. We also have a small terrace on the roof. Thanks to the grace of God, we have been blessed, and we do not have any major needs. God always provides for us in wonderful ways. I want to tell you about my parents. My dad’s name is Pedro Antonio Lopez Ortiz. He is a construction worker, and he works hard to be able to provide for our family. My mom is Maritza Isabel Pelen Zuniga. She does not have a job, but she works very hard at home to do the housework and to take care of me and my siblings. She takes us when we have to go to school or the feeding program. I want to tell you that we have one pet parakeet. It sings and makes a lot of noise. Some of my favorite things to do are playing soccer with my brother and jump rope. I love playing with my older brother. I have to say goodbye now. I hope you enjoyed reading my information. I hope God will touch your heart to pray for me and maybe even sponsor me. Many blessings for you and your family wherever you are.

With much love,  

Adrian Caleb Lopez Pelen

Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern