My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiché Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small, specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers and many other small-town tradesmen. It also has a large open-air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is very high, and the children are very needy.

I am so happy to say hello to you through this letter. My name is Jose Armando Hernandez Ruiz and this is my story. I was born on April 26, 2015. I am in second grade and my favorite hobby is playing soccer. I love eating fried chicken and my favorite color is blue. I like chickens, and actually, we have chickens at home. I live with my mother, father, three brothers, and two sisters. By God’s grace, we are all in good health. My father’s name is Tereso Hernandez Ajqui. He works by digging river sand and cultivates his own vegetables. My mom helps him to sell them in the market on Thursdays and Sundays. Her name is Guadalupe Ruiz Gomez.

We attend a Catholic Church in our town. We live in our own house. It has two rooms and a separate kitchen. The walls are made of bricks with a tile roof and concrete floors. We have electricity and running water. We are a large family. Some of our greatest needs are groceries and a new closet. The feeding program is one hour away from where we live. My siblings and I usually get there by walking. To end this letter, I want to tell you that my mom helped me to give all this information to a teacher of LW. I will leave you now, but I hope to hear from you soon. Have a fantastic and blessed day!

From the bottom of my heart,

Jose Armando Hernandez Ruiz

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala