My Story

Pasojoc is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, Guatemala. Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is more than a two hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Pasojoc is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major corps. The Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! I hope you are well, and I feel so pleased to write you this letter so you can get to know me better. My full name is Efrain Eliseo de la Cruz Chivalan. I was born on December 28, 2017, so I am 7 years old. I am in good health condition, and I am in 1^st grade at school. My hobbies are doing my homework and playing at home. The color I like the most is red; my favorite animal is the turkey, and I love eating fried chicken. I enjoy attending the feeding program. I go with my sister and mother because it takes us one hour and a half walking to arrive. 

I live with my parents and siblings; I have four brothers and three sisters, but most of them are older, and only one of my sisters is registered at the feeding program like me. My father is a day laborer, and he works every day to cover our needs. My mother works very hard at home, looking after us, and doing the chores. We live in our own house; it has one room and a kitchen. It is made of adobe walls with a tin sheet roof, and dirt floor. We do not have running water, so we get it from a water spring with a hose. We have electricity through a solar panel. We have some animals like a pig, sheep, hens, a dog, and a cat. As a family, some of our needs are groceries and clothes, but we trust that God will always provide the necessities. We are a Christian family, and we attend Prince of Peace Church. Let me tell you that my mother gave all this information to the Evangelism teacher when she came to enroll me. May God bless you today and always, and I hope you like my letter.  

Sincerely yours,

Efrain Eliseo de la Cruz Chivalan

Translated by: Luisa Reyes de Solis, A-A-C Secretary/Antigua