PT0039                                     

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 Angel Leonardo de la Cruz Garcia.  I was born on March 20, 2016 and I am three years old.  I am basically a healthy child.  I have one brother and four sisters who also attend the feeding program and we walk about 10 minutes to get to the program.  We own the house in which we live.  It is one room with a separate kitchen.  The house is made of adobe with a tin roof and a dirt floor.  We do not have running water or electricity.  We use candles for lighting and we get our water from a well that we have.  My father’s name is Gerardo and he is a farmer.  He also travels to the coast to work in the coffee fields and to cut cane.  We have some hens and turkeys that we sell when necessary to have some extra money for our expenses.  My mother’s name is Cristina and she normally takes me to the feeding program, but sometimes my siblings do.  I am not in school yet, so I spend my time playing with my toy cars and ball.  My favorite color is green and my favorite animal is the baby chick.  The foods that I like best are watermelons and Caldo de Res (typical Guatemalan dish).  My family attends Prince of Peace Church.

With much love and many blessings,

          Angel Leonardo de la Cruz Garcia         

Translated by: Edwina Lyons/AAC Missionary