My Story

Tunaja is a very primitive area of the state of Quiché, Guatemala. The inhabitants are Quiche Mayans who trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. The prevalent language is the Mayan dialect - Quiche. The people are either farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Very little money ever changes hands as they use a barter system. Public education is available - however, most families cannot afford it. Electricity and running water are not available in most of the area. Life in Tunaja is extremely difficult.

Hello, dear siblings in Christ! My full name is Madelin Yorleni Luis Luis, and I am so happy to introduce myself through this letter. Fortunately, I am a healthy 3-year-old girl. I was born on October 24, 2020. I still do not attend school because of my age, so I stay home with my grandparents while my mother works. What I like the most is playing with my dolls. My favorite color is red. I like cats, and my favorite food is fried chicken. I only have one brother. I live with him, my mom, and my paternal grandparents. Fortunately, everybody is in good health. About my father, let me tell you that he does not live with me because he had to travel to the United States to find a better job opportunity. Fortunately, he is in good health. He works in the construction area and helps us economically. His name is Carlos Luis Gutierrez. My mom is a housewife and works in a grocery store to earn an extra income and help at home with the expenses. Her name is Irma Victoria Luis Morente.

Let me tell you that we are a Catholic family and attend the church in our village. The house where we live belongs to my grandparents. The building is made of adobe walls with tin sheet roof and concrete floors. Fortunately, we have electricity and running water services at home. We pay the electricity bill monthly while the running water service is paid annually. The building has four rooms and a separated kitchen. My family and I only use two of those rooms. I am glad because we have enough space to raise some domestic animals. We have chickens and pigs at home. We are a humble family, and one of our greatest needs is food. By the grace of the Lord, my house is near the feeding program. My brother and I only walk for ten minutes to get there. To end this letter, I want you to know that a teacher of the LW evangelism team helped my mom and me to write this letter to you. I say goodbye to you now, but if you want to hear something else about my life, feel free to ask me.

Lots of kisses and hugs,

Madelin Yorleni Luis Luis

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC secretary / Antigua