Leaving our country was difficult, and I wondered if the love we feel for our culture would stay with my kids, but I was determined to help them remember. Almost 10 years later, they still love and long for Guatemala, and I am so grateful. We will always be proud Guatemalans.

Before we arrived in sunny Valencia, we used to live in Hawai’i! It is a lovely community, full of different cultures, and we never thought we would leave, but life sneaks up on you and plans change. We have never been wealthy, by the way; instead, we have achieved all of it by staying together as a family (like the Hawaiians), and through the love and support of others around us.