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	Mission - Maya Quiche Presbyteries
	February 2002. Isabel Gomez Lopez, of La Cumbre
en español
Isabel Gomez Lopez is 35 years old. She recounts the story of a boyfriend she had as a young girl. Because of a tragic fall, she was unable to marry her boyfriend. She tumbled down the hill, hitting herself against the rocks. Her right side was damaged starting from her teeth, arm, and legs where she suffered broken bones. She didn't receive medical treatment for three months. This is common in her village. People don't usually have the money to seek proper medical care. Isabel lost her mother at the age of six and her father at the age of thirteen. She and her three brothers were separated and sent to live with different relatives. Isabel lamented vehemently over the loss of her mother. Her grief escalated when she lost her father. At the age of seventeen, she went to work for a family as a maid. She was physically abused by the head of the house. She endured the beatings so that she wouldn't lose her job. One of Isabel's relatives pointed out to her that it was time for her to start living and stop dwelling on the loss of her parents. At the age of eighteen, she stopped crying. She praised God because she was able to start supporting herself by embroidering huipiles. Huipiles are part of the traditional traje (garb) worn by the Mayan indigenous women. Specifically, huipiles are blouses. These huipiles are usually made of hand woven textiles woven on a back strap loom. The women embroider them by hand. At the age of twenty, Isabel's eyes started bothering her. As time went on, she had to stop her embroidering because she could no longer see clearly. It became very difficult for her to thread a needle. She had to rely on others to thread the needle for her. She attributed the deterioration of her vision to her excessive crying. She virtually lost her livelihood, her sustenance in life.
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