Chixocol is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  Life in this state is very difficult and somewhat isolated from the outside world.  Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small attached kitchen.  The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks.  In the past few years electricity and water has become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare.  Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors.  Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value.  Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

Hello, my name is Ericson Manuel Cac Mendez.  I was born on August 5, 2015.  I am a healthy child, and I walk about one hour to get to the feeding program.  I have four brothers and one sister who also attend the program.  My father’s name is Noe and he is a mason.  My mother’s name is Magdalena and she takes care of our home.  She also raises chickens to sell and earn money for our expenses.  We also have a pig and a dog.  We own the house in which we live.  It has three small rooms and a kitchen which is made of tin sheet metal.  The other rooms are made of cement block with a tin roof and a cement floor.  We have water and electricity.  My family does not travel to the coast to work as many families do.  I am in kindergarten, and when I am not in school, I spend my time playing with my toy cars.  My favorite color is orange and my favorite animal is the rabbit.  The foods that I like best are papayas and fried chicken.  My family attends an Evangelical church.

With much love and many blessings,

Ericson Manuel Cac Mendez

Translated by: Edwina Lyons/ AAC Missionary