My Story

Chuchuca, where your child lives, 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. Chuchuca 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.

My full name is Juan Brayan Luis Morente, and I am glad to greet you and tell you a little about my life through this letter. I was born on June 11, 2021. I am not enrolled at school because of my age. I am 4 years old. My favorite pastime is playing with toy cars. I love having noodles for my meals. My favorite color is blue. I like all domestic animals, but my favorite one is the cow. By the grace of the Lord, my whole family and I are healthy. I have three brothers and two sisters. My father’s name is Mario Luis Ruiz. He makes a living as a day laborer. He sometimes travels to the coast and picks coffee beans to earn extra income. My mother’s name is Marcela Morente Chingo. She is a housewife and weaves typical belts. We attend a Christian Church called the Assembly of God.

The house where we live belongs to my mother. It is made of wood with a tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. It has only one room, but we have a specific area to prepare our meals. There is running water, and instead of the conventional electric system, we have a solar panel at home. We have chickens and pigs at home for our consumption and occasional sales. We live about 30 minutes from the feeding program, so we walk to get there. Please, pray for my family and our needs. Some of them are clothes and food, especially corn. This is all for now, but I want you to know that my mom and a staff member helped me write this letter. Take care of yourself!

Sincerely yours,

Juan Brayan Luis Morente

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala