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.

Hello! My full name is Linda Damaris Bartolo Chingo, and I am glad to share with you a little about my life. I was born on December 17, 2017, so I am 6 years old. I was born with hydrocephalus, and unfortunately, I cannot walk. I do not attend school because of my condition. My favorite pastime is playing with my dolls and I like eating black beans with rice. My favorite color is blue and my favorite domestic animals are dogs. The people who I live with are my parents and siblings. I have five brothers and one sister. My father is Abel Bartolo Benites. He is the Mount Sinai Christian Church pastor, and because of his occupation, he is dedicated full-time to guiding our brethren. On the other hand, my mother works as a domestic employee and helps with her income at home. Her name is Julia Oralia Chingo Chingo de Bartolo. Fortunately, my whole family is doing well. 

We live in our own house, and it is made of concrete blocks with a concrete floor. It has two rooms, a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. My father is in charge of paying for the services. We have hens, ducks, and one dog at home. The feeding program is a 10-minute walk from where I live. I am glad to be part of the project because my siblings and I can enjoy tasty food for free. Most of my family's needs are clothes and food. So, I beg you to pray for us. Before saying goodbye to you, I want you to know that my mother helped me to give all this information to a teacher of the LW evangelism team. Take care of yourself so much!

Looking forward to hearing from you soon,

Linda Damaris Bartolo Chingo

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary