My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers and many other small town tradesmen. It also has a large open air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is very high and the children are very needy.

My full name is Maycol Eliseo Manuel Hernandez Tino and I am delighted to tell you a little about my life through this letter. I was born on February 6, 2021. By the grace of the Lord, I am a healthy 4-year-old boy. I do not attend school because I am younger, so I stay home with my mom. My favorite pastime is playing with my toy cars. I like having eggs for my meals and my favorite color is blue. Chickens are cute, so they are my favorite animals. About my family, let me tell you that everybody is doing well. We attend a Christian Church called Prince of Peace. I have three brothers and four sisters. I am the youngest child at home. My father’s name is Manuel Hernandez Benito. He makes a living as a day laborer and farmer. He strives to provide us with food, which is one of our priorities, but it has sometimes been difficult for him. So please pray for us. My mother’s name is Lucia Tino Gutierrez. She is a housewife and raises chickens and pigs at home. She occasionally sells them to earn a little income. 

We live in our own house. It is made adobe bricks with a tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. It has two rooms and a separate kitchen. My grandmother on my father’s side shares the running water service with us. There is no electricity either at home, so we use candles. The feeding program is about 40 minutes from where I live, so I get there on foot alongside my mom. I send you many kisses and hugs, hoping to hear from you next time.

With love,

Maycol Eliseo Manuel Hernandez Tino

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala