My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. Both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry) inhabit the village. The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two-room homes usually constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small and 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 extremely high, and the children are very needy.

I greet you fondly, hoping you are doing well. My full name is Julian Miguel de la Cruz Mendez, and I am 5 years old. Before telling you more about my life, I want you to know that my father helped me to give all this information to a teacher of the LW evangelism team. I was born on July 15, 2019. I still do not attend school, so I stay home playing with my toys. My favorite pastime is playing soccer with my siblings. I have one brother and three sisters. I like domestic animals, but my favorite one is the rabbit. My favorite color is yellow and my favorite food is fried chicken. Now, let me tell you a little about my life. My father is Miguel de la Cruz Garcia. He works as a carpenter to support our family economically. My mother is Juana Mendez Morente. She makes a living by tending a bakery and helps at home with her income. Our frequent needs are groceries and clothes.

The house where we live belongs to us. It is made of adobe, a tile roof, and a concrete floor. It has three rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. We raise hens at home for our consumption. My family and I are members of a Christian Church. My father, siblings, and I are doing well. Please pray for my mom. She suffers from asthma, and due to her condition, she had to go to the hospital for emergency services recently. By the grace of God, she is already stable thanks to a treatment that she must take. I am so happy to attend the feeding program with my siblings. We usually walk 5 minutes from our house to get to the project. I will leave you now, but if you want to hear something else from me, feel free to ask me. See you later!

Kind regards,

Julian Miguel de la Cruz Mendez

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary