I was born in Guatemala and my parents separated when I was very young.  It was a difficult situation for our family, but my mother made things work.  Tragically, at the age of five, an uncle raped me.  My innocence was taken from me.  I was just a child.  Every day, I carry the trauma with me. Fast-forward six years; at the age of eleven, I am without a mother.  She was killed on her way to work.  There I was – no mother, no family and all alone.  I am traumatized and afraid.When I was sixteen, my situation grew worse.  As I was walking home, two men accosted me and placed a rag over my mouth.  When I woke, I was alone in a hotel room and unclothed.  I then realized that I had been kidnapped, drugged and brutally raped.  Why can’t I just be left to live my life in peace?

Peace, I definitely need. Since I was very young, I knew that I was a girl.  I wasn’t born a girl, but deep down inside I just knew that I was.  I am transgender and because of it, I have been persecuted.  That is why I decided to leave my country and head for the United States.  I had no choice.  My mother was gone, my family didn’t accept me, and the Guatemalan police turned their back on me.  My journey has begun.

I left Guatemala in August of 2019 and arrived in Mexico where I worked and stayed for six months.  I finally decided it was time to cross into the United States.  I was successful and taken by Border Patrol.  I was processed and sent to Casa Padre, in Port Isabel, Texas.  The three months that I spent there I was treated exceptionally well.  I was treated with respect and all my basic needs were met.  Above all, I suffered no discrimination.  I was accepted – a feeling so foreign to me.

I arrived at La Posada Providencia to continue my journey.  I was received with open arms and most importantly, no judgment.  They assisted me with everything that I needed.  I am continuing my journey to my final resettlement location – Los Angeles.  La Posada showed me that love has no boundaries.

Pontifex. (2013, June 06). Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven [Tweet from Pope Francis].