PT0027                                               

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 Edgar David Jimon Barrera.  I was born on February 14, 2007 and I am twelve years old.  I am basically a healthy child. I have two brothers and four sisters who also attend the feeding program.  We walk about 20-25 minutes to get to the program.  My father’s name is Domingo and he is a farmer.  My mother’s name is Catalina and she is a housewife.  We own the house in which we live.  It is made of adobe with a tin roof and a dirt floor.  We do not have water or electricity.  We carry our water from a well, and we use candles for lighting.  We have some domestic animals that we sell when they are grown to have some money for our expenses.  I am in 5^th grade.  My favorite color is green and my favorite animals are the cow and the rabbit.  The foods that I like best are papayas, noodles and chicken.  In my free time, I like to play ball.  My family attends a Catholic church.

With much love and many blessings,

Edgar David Jimon Barrera

Translated by: Edwina Lyons/AAC Missionary