My Story

Pasojoc III, where your child lives, is located in an extremely remote area of the mountains in Quiche, Guatemala.  Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is a 3-hour walk to the nearest market town.  The people who inhabit the area are Quiche Mayans who can trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche, however, Spanish is becoming more common.  The climate is basically warm, but it can get very cold at night.  Houses in this area are typically constructed of adobe with tin sheet or tile roofs and dirt floors.  Pasojoc III is an area rich with natural resources.  It is a farming area where the inhabitants grow staples such as corn, beans and other types of vegetables. Many families also raise domestic animals such as sheep, goats, cows and chickens.

Warm regards to you. My name is Francisco Eliseo Luis Acabal and I was born in Zacualpa Quiche on May 19^th 2,020. I am 5 years old and I am in pre-kindergarten at school. My pastime is playing soccer. I like the color blue and I love to eat fried chicken. My favorite animal is the cow. I have two brothers and two sisters. We like to attend the Feeding Center because together two of them are part of this project, and we only walk 5 minutes to come. We belong to the Christian Church New Covenant.  My father`s name is Gerardo Luis Ponce and my mother`s name is Odilia Acabal Mejia. My father is working in Guatemala City and he tends a grocery store. He visits us every three months. He sustains the family financially, but my mother also contributes to the home expenses by raising and selling her hens. Our current needs are groceries. I am thankful because my parents and I are doing fine.

I want to tell you about my house. We live in my paternal grandfather`s house and my grandparents live with us. We have three rooms with a separated kitchen. The rooms are made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floors. We have electricity and my father pays for the service monthly. We get from a nearby river by connecting a hose. We have hens, pigs and cows at home but we would like to have some chicks because we have enough space for them. Thank you for reading my letter. I hope you like it. In the name of Jesus.

Kisses and hugs,

Francisco Eliseo Luis Acabal

Translated by:  Gladys Chavez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua