My Story

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

Hello! This is Sara Ruiz Top, and it is a great pleasure to tell you about my family and me. I was born on August 10, 2019. Thankfully, I am a healthy 5-year-old girl. I still do not attend school, so I stay home with my mom. My favorite pastime is playing with my dolls. I love eating scrambled eggs and my favorite color is pink. My favorite animals are dogs. I am glad because my family and I have a lovely one at home. Talking about my family, let me tell you that everybody is doing well. My mother is Maria Hermelinda Top Ajvix. She is a housewife and works by washing other people’s clothes and raising hens to help with her income at home. My father is Felipe Ruiz Ruiz. He makes a living as a day laborer and farmer to support our family economically. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I ask you to pray for my family and me. My parents work hard to provide my siblings and me with food and clothes, but it is sometimes challenging. Some of our frequent needs are groceries and clothes. 

We are members of a Christian Church which is in our village. Fortunately, we own the house where we live. It is made of brick, concrete roof, and ceramic floor It has two rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and an artisanal well to get water. We pay for the electricity bill monthly. The feeding program is a 30-minute walk from my home. So, my mom and I usually take a motorcycle to get there on time. As for pets, let me tell you that we have one dog at home. I say goodbye to you now, but I appreciate you taking the time to read my information. My mom helped me to give all this information to a teacher of the LW evangelism team so you could hear my story. See you later!

Warm hugs,

Sara Ruiz Top

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary