My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small 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 very high and the children are very needy.

Kind regards! My full name is Lea Cristina Sarai Ruiz Chingo and I am grateful to LW-Adopt A Child for allowing me to share my story with you. I was born on December 20, 2021. Fortunately, I am in good health and I am in preschool. When I come back home, I dedicate myself to doing homework. What I like the most is playing with dolls in my free time. My favorite color is sky blue; I like having fried chicken for my meals, and my favorite animals are elephants. I attend a Christian Church called Senderos de Dios alongside my parents and siblings. I have four brothers and two sisters. The main supporter of my family is my father. His name is Felipe Ruiz Gomez and he makes a living as a merchant and day laborer.

On the other hand, my mother keeps busy as a housewife. Her name is Ana Cristina Chingo Riz and she also sells chickens that she raises to contribute to the household expenses. Some of our greatest needs are groceries and clothes. Please pray for my mother’s recovery since she had a surgery about three months ago. She was suffering from ovarian cysts. We live in our own two-room house with a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. Besides having chickens, we have a cat as a pet. I live about ten minutes from the feeding program. To get there, my siblings and I walk. It is time to say goodbye, but I hope you enjoyed my information.

Best wishes,

Lea Cristina Sarai Ruiz Chingo

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala