A Letter to God – By G.L. Fuentes

Summary

This story is about a poor and hardworking farmer named Lencho who lives with his family on a small farm in the hills. He depends entirely on his crops to feed his family. As the story begins, Lencho is waiting for the rain to come so that his corn plants can grow well.

Finally, the rain comes, and Lencho is happy. But soon the rain turns into a terrible hailstorm. It destroys all the crops in his field. There is nothing left. Lencho and his family are heartbroken, and he knows they will go hungry without food or money.

But Lencho is not hopeless. He has a strong faith in God. He decides to write a letter to God, asking for 100 pesos (Mexican currency) to buy seeds and support his family.

The letter reaches the post office. The postmaster is surprised to read it but is touched by Lencho’s deep faith. He and the other employees collect money for Lencho. They can only collect 70 pesos, not 100, but they send it anyway, pretending it is from God.

Lencho receives the letter with money. But instead of being thankful, he becomes angry. He writes another letter to God, saying that he received only 70 pesos and asking God not to send the money through the post office because he believes the post office employees “stole” the rest.

This ending is ironic because the same people who helped Lencho are the ones he wrongly doubts.

Word Meanings – 

Word	Meaning
Crest	The top or highest part of a hill or mountain
Downpour	A heavy and sudden rainfall
Hailstorm	A storm with small balls of ice (hail) falling like rain
Locusts	Insects that travel in groups and destroy crops
Solitary	Alone; only one
Ox of a man	A very strong and hardworking man (like an ox)
Ripe	Ready to be harvested
Conscience	The inner sense of what is right or wrong
Supper	Evening meal or dinner
Blow	A sudden misfortune or hardship (e.g. “a blow to hopes”)
Amiable	Friendly and pleasant in manner
Faith	Strong belief or trust, especially in God

Book Questions and Answers

Q1: Q1. What did Lencho hope for?

Ans: Lencho hoped for a good rain so that his crops would grow well and he could have a good harvest.

Q2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like “new coins”?

Ans: Lencho compared the raindrops to new coins because he believed that the rain would help his crops grow and bring him money after the harvest.

Q3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s crops?

Ans: The rain turned into a hailstorm. The hailstones destroyed all of Lencho’s crops and left the field covered with ice, ruining his only source of income.

Q4. What was Lencho’s only hope?

Ans: Lencho’s only hope was God. He had strong faith and believed that God would help him. So, he wrote a letter to God asking for money.

Q5. How did the postmaster help Lencho?

Ans: The postmaster was surprised by Lencho’s faith. He collected money from his colleagues and gave it to Lencho in an envelope, pretending it was from God.

Q6. Why was Lencho angry when he received the money?

Ans: Lencho was angry because he received only 70 pesos instead of the 100 pesos he had asked for. He believed that God sent the full amount and the post office employees had stolen the rest.

Q7. Do you think Lencho’s faith was rewarded?

Ans: Yes, Lencho’s faith was rewarded because he received help. But he misunderstood the people who helped him and doubted their honesty, which shows that faith should also come with understanding and gratitude.

Page No. 5 – Oral Comprehension Check

1. What did Lencho hope for?

Answer:
Lencho hoped for rainfall, as his corn field was ready and the only thing it needed was a shower to ensure a good harvest.

2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?

Answer:
Lencho believed the rain would lead to a good crop, which meant more money for his family. So, he compared the raindrops to new coins, symbolizing prosperity.

3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?

Answer:
The rain started gently, but soon turned into a hailstorm with strong winds and large hailstones. As a result, all of Lencho’s crops were destroyed.

4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?

Answer:
Lencho felt deep sadness and despair. He saw a hopeless future for himself and his family, as there was no food left for the coming year.

Page No. 6 – Oral Comprehension Check

1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

Answer:
Lencho had complete faith in God. He believed God could see everything. He wrote a letter to God asking for 100 pesos so that he could sow his field again and feed his family.

2. Who read the letter?

Answer:
The postmaster read the letter addressed to God.

3. What did the postmaster do then?

Answer:
At first, the postmaster laughed, but later he was moved by Lencho’s strong faith. To avoid breaking Lencho’s trust in God, he decided to collect money and send it to him as if it were from God.

Page No. 7 – Oral Comprehension Check

1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?

Answer:
No, Lencho wasn’t surprised. He had complete faith in God and was sure he would get help. So, he expected a reply from God.

2. What made him angry?

Answer:
Lencho asked for 100 pesos but received only 70 pesos. He believed that God couldn’t have made a mistake, so he assumed the post office employees had stolen the remaining 30 pesos. This made him angry.

Thinking about the Text

1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

Answer:
Lencho had complete faith in God. Sentences that show this include:

• “There was a single hope: help from God.”

• “The help of God, whose eyes… see everything.”

• “God: if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year.”

• “He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope…”

• “God: of the money I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me…”

2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?

Answer:
The postmaster was touched by Lencho’s faith in God. He didn’t want to break that faith, so he collected money from his colleagues and added some of his own. He signed the letter “God” so that Lencho would believe the money came from God himself.

3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

Answer:
No, Lencho didn’t try to find out who sent the money. He  believed that the money came from God. His faith was so strong that he never suspected it could have come from anyone else.

4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?

Answer:
Lencho thought the post office employees had taken the money. The irony is that these same employees were the ones who helped him by collecting money. Instead of thanking them, he called them “a bunch of crooks.”
This is ironic because it’s the opposite of what’s expected—the kind people are wrongly accused.