My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley.  The village is inhabited by both Quiché Indians 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 smalltown 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.

It is good to greet you this time. I bless you in the name of Jesus hoping you are doing great in your country. My name is Oscar Diego Jhony Benito Lindo. I am almost 5 years old. I was born on November 23, 2019. I have not attended school yet because I am too young. I enjoy spending my time playing with toy cars. My health is good thanks to God. I like cats, and my favorite dish is noodles. I like yellow. I attend the feeding program with my mom and siblings. We take a tuc-tuc to go there, and it takes us 10 minutes to arrive.

I come from a humble family. My father is Gregorio Benito Tzoy. He farms the land and works as a day laborer to sustain our family. Nevertheless, my father has alcoholic problems and sometimes he does not support the expenses. In that case, my oldest brother helps my mother economically. His name is Manuel Benito, and he works as a mason´s helper. On the other hand, my mother´s name is Estela Lindo Riz. She does the hard housework and takes care of us. I have four brothers and two sisters. Thank God, other than my father, all of us are healthy. My family is are members of the Restoration Church. Our greatest necessities as a family are food and clothes.

We live in our own house that belongs to my mother. It has two rooms and one separate kitchen. There is running water and electricity. The electricity is paid monthly and the water annually. The house is made of adobe walls, a tile roof and dirt floor. We have some domestic animals such as chickens and pigs. Well, this is all for now. Before I say goodbye to you, I just wanted to add that my mother gave all this information to you. Thank you so much for being interested in me. I love you and send you my best desires to your life and family. May God bless you greatly!

Kisses and hugs,

Oscar Diego Jhony Benito Lindo

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua