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! I am Luis Riz Gomez and I was born on October 7, 2018. Fortunately, I am a healthy 7-year-old boy. I am in first grade and I love playing soccer. My favorite color is black. I am a big fan of dinosaurs, and what I love eating the most is fried chicken. About my family, I tell you that my mother is the main supporter. Her name is Gregoria Gomez Ruiz. She works by making tortillas on Thursdays and Sundays. She also washes clothes for other people twice a week. I want to open my heart and tell you that my biological father abandoned us. His name is Francisco Riz Quino. Since he left our family, we have passed through a hard economic situation. However, we trust that God will help us. We are members of a Pentecostal Church called Prince of Peace.

My family and I live in a rented house made of concrete blocks with tin sheet roof and concrete floors. We pay Q400=$52.46 for rent monthly. It has three rooms, a separate kitchen, and running water. My family and I only use one room because my oldest sister and her family also live with us. I have one brother and two sisters in total. We have electricity thanks to a neighbor who shares the service with us. My mother takes turns with him to pay for it monthly. Fortunately, we have enough space at home to raise chickens for our consumption. As a family, our main needs are groceries, shoes, and clothes. The feeding program is near where I live, but I usually take a bus to get there in five minutes. It is time to say goodbye, but I hope you enjoyed my information.

Cordially yours,

Luis Riz Gomez

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala