PT0016

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 Indians who can trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak an Indian 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.  Many of the families travel to the coast for several months each year to find work cutting cane or coffee.  Sadly, many of the children do not go to school because of lack of economic resources and because of the sheer distance they would have to walk to reach school.  As a result, the majority of the people are unable to read or write.  Many of the teenagers leave home at an early age to search for employment in other areas in Guatemala.

Hello!  My name is Kevin Agusto de la Cruz de la Cruz.  I was born on February 23, 2015 and I am 4 years old.  I am in good health and I attend the feeding program at Pasojoc III.  My father’s name is Lucas and he is a farmer.  He also travels to the coast to work during the coffee harvest.  All of my family goes with him to the coast.  My mother’s name is Juana and she is a housewife.  She also raises chickens and sells them when we need money for the household expenses.  We own the house in which we live.  It is made of adobe, but some of the walls are tin.  It has a tin roof and cement floor.  The house has one room and a separate kitchen.  We have electricity, but we do not have running water.  We get our water from a nearby natural water source.  I have 3 brothers and 5 sisters, and I walk to the feeding program with my sisters.  I do not go to school yet because I am still too young, so I spend my time playing soccer and playing with my toy cars.  My favorite color is yellow, and my favorite animal is the cat.  The foods that I like to eat the most are eggs with black beans and watermelon.  My family attends a church called “Prince of Peace”.

With much love and many blessings,

Kevin Agusto de la Cruz de la Cruz

Translated by: Edwina Lyons/AAC Missionary