PT0035                                     

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 Isaias Jimon Guitierrez.  I was born on November 8, 2010 and I am eight years old.  I am basically a healthy child.  I have four brothers and four sisters.  Three of them also attend the feeding program and we walk about 30 minutes to get to the program.  My father’s name is Agustin and he is in the United States.  My mother’s name is Martina and she is a housewife.  She also weaves typical blouses to sell and earn money for our expenses.  We grow corn and beans for our own consumption and to sell.  We own the house in which we live.  It has three rooms and a separate kitchen.  The house is made of cement block with a tile roof and a cement floor.  We have water and electricity.  We have cows, ducks, turkeys, pigs, chickens and dogs.  I am in the 2^nd grade.  My favorite color is red and my favorite animal is the duck.  The food that I like best are mangoes and fried chicken.  In my spare time, I like to play with my marbles and my balls.  My family attends a Christian church.

With much love and many blessings,

Isaias Jimon Gutierrez

Translated by: Edwina Lyons/AAC Missionary