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. 

Many special greetings to you! My name is Juan Francisco De La Cruz Garcia, and I am excited to share my information with you. I was born on April 30, 2021. I am too young to attend school, so I stay home. I have a lot of fun playing with my toy cars in my spare time. My favorite color is blue. I love cats. My favorite food is fried chicken. I live with my parents and siblings. I have two brothers and two sisters. My father’s name is Juan De La Cruz Jimon. He is a farmer and day laborer in our village. My mother’s name is Ruperta Garcia Chingo. She is a housewife and does her best to contribute to the household expenses. She grows radishes and onions and raises chickens and pigs to sell. We are Christians and attend a nearby church called Full Gospel. The house where my family and I live belongs to my mother. It has one room and a separate kitchen. The room is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and a concrete floor. The kitchen is made of tin sheets, and the floor is dirt. Luckily, there is running water and electricity. We have one cat and one dog as pets at home. Please pray for my family and our needs. Our priorities are clothes, shoes, food, and new tin sheets to improve our roof. We trust that God will provide everything that we need. I am glad to be part of the feeding program. Our house is about one hour away, so we usually walk to get there on time. See you later! 

With much love,  

Juan Francisco De La Cruz Garcia 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala