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. 

Hello! My name is Blanqui Marleny Salazar De Leon, and I fondly greet you from the beautiful Zacualpa village. I was born on June 6, 2014. I am a deaf and mute girl, so I do not attend school. In addition, I was born with a malformation in one of my ears, but I am doing well. I am 11 years old and I have fun playing with my dolls. My favorite food is chicken broth, and I like the color purple. I live with my parents and siblings. I have three brothers and three sisters. My parents’ names are Sebastian Salazar Aguilar and Marta De Leon Lopez. They are merchants and do their best to support our family. My father is healthy and has a modest grocery store. On the other hand, my mother sells fruits and sausages at the market. Please pray for her. She has trouble seeing because she has diabetes, but she is already under treatment. As for our spiritual life, we attend a nearby church called Full Gospel. My family and I live in our own house. It is made of adobe, a tile roof, and a concrete floor. It has three rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. We live about five minutes away from the feeding program, so my mother and I usually walk to get there. It is time to say goodbye, but I look forward to hearing about your life soon. 

Huge hugs,  

Blanqui Marleny Salazar De Leon 

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala