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.

Special regards from beautiful Guatemala! My full name is Jose Angel Gutierrez and I want to share my story with you through this letter. I was born on March 31, 2019. I am a healthy boy and I attend first grade. My favorite pastime is playing soccer. I like the color yellow. My favorite animals are turtles, and I like eating “pollo en arroz” (it is a dish prepared with chicken, rice, and tomato sauce). I live with my mother, stepfather, and three siblings; one sister and two brothers. Fortunately, they are doing well. We do not attend any church at the moment. My mother’s name is Gregoria Riz Uz. She works as domestic employee, while my stepfather works as a farmer. His name is Rolando Garcia Hernandez and he has lived with us for about six years.

Unfortunately, my biological father abandoned me some years ago. His name is Felix Jonathan Gutierrez Ruiz. My family and I live in a rented house, which costs Q600=$78.71 monthly. It is made of concrete block with a tile roof and concrete floor. It has one room, a separate kitchen, and electricity. We get water from a well, which is at the house. We are a needy family and most of our needs are groceries, clothes, and shoes. So please, pray for us. I am so happy to be part of the feeding program because I can have delicious meals for free. My siblings and I usually walk for 30 minutes from our house to get there. I send you huge hugs, hoping to hear from you soon.

Sincerely yours,

Jose Angel Gutierrez

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala