My Story

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 Mayans who can trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan 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.

My name is Elmer Alexander de la Cruz Garcia, and I am 11 years old. I was born on December 18, 2010. I attend school, and I am a third-grade student. I enjoy playing with marbles. My favorite color is black, and I love rabbits. I like eating every kind of food. I live with my parents and siblings. My father works as a farmer in our town to support our family. Unfortunately, he does not have a stable job. Sometimes, he works only two days per week. My mother is a housewife, but she likes to help my father, so she carries firewood for other people and earns some money doing that. Most of our family is in good health except for my father who has health problems. He suffers from seizures very often, and he is not taking medicine due to his low resources. For this reason, he does not travel to the Coast. I have one brother and three sisters. We are members of a Liberty Church in Pasojoc. We live in our own house, and my paternal grandmother lives there also. Our house has one room and a separate kitchen made of adobe walls, tile roof, dirt floor. We have electricity but not running water. We get the water through a hose from a creek. At home, we have three sheep and hens. I have one brother and three sisters. Our basic needs are groceries and corn. I walk about 30 minutes with my mother to attend the Feeding Program. I feel so happy to be part of the Feeding Program.

Many blessings,

Elmer Alexander de la Cruz Garcia

Translated by: Lucia Gravez, AAC Secretary Antigua