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.

I fondly greet you, hoping the grace of the Lord be with you. I am Jorge Grave Ruiz and I am pleased to share with you a little bit about my life. I was born on June 10, 2018. Fortunately, I am in good health and I am in first grade. Some of my interests are playing soccer and doing homework. I like the color yellow and my favorite animals are doves. What I love the most is having fried chicken for my meals. I live with my parents and siblings; I have four brothers and one sister. Luckily, they are in good health just like my parents. We are members of Christ Church. My father is the main supporter of our family. His name is Bruno Grave Morente and he makes a living as a day laborer. 

On the other hand, my mother keeps busy doing the chores and taking care of my siblings and me. Her name is Isabel Ruiz Gomez. We live in our own four-room house with a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. It is made of adobe walls with tin sheet roof and dirt floors. We raise chickens for our consumption and have one dog and one cat as pets. I want you to know that I am so happy to be part of the feeding program. I usually walk for fifteen minutes alongside my brother, who is enrolled there too. We sometimes take a busto get there fast. I will leave you now, but I kindly ask you to pray for our needs. Most of them are groceries, corn, shoes, and clothes. Thank you so much for having read my information.

With many blessings,

Jorge Grave Ruiz

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala