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 name is Juan Tomas Dilan Toj Morales, and I cordially greet you through this letter. I am a healthy 9-year-old boy. I was born on June 3, 2016. I am in third grade. My favorite pastime is playing soccer. I like the color blue. I love eating noodles. My favorite animals are cats. I want to open my heart and tell you about my family. My father’s name is Juan Toj Gomez. He is a hardworking man who does his best to support my siblings and me. I have one brother and four sisters. My father is a mechanic who works for himself in his own business. Unfortunately, my mother abandoned us about two years ago. We have not heard anything about her since then. Her name is Carmen Morales Morales.  

My oldest sister has become the one who takes care of my young siblings and me while our father is at work. Her name is Yoselin Maria Toj Morales, and she is 22 years old. She also keeps busy doing the household chores. Thankfully, we are all doing well. We are Christians and attend a nearby church called the Assembly of God. Luckily, the house where we live is ours. It is made of concrete blocks, a tin sheet roof, and a concrete floor. It has four rooms, but we only use two of them. It also has a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. Luckily, we have enough space at home to raise chickens for our consumption. We live about 15 minutes away from the feeding program. So, we usually take a minivan to get there. To end this letter, I kindly ask you to pray for my family and our needs. Some of them are clothes, food, and school supplies for my siblings and me. In advance, thank you so much! 

Sincerely yours,  

Juan Tomas Dilan Toj Morales 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala