My Story

Cuatro Caminos "four roads", where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world. It is a two hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Cuatro Caminos is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! This is Adan Calachij Morente, and I want to share with you a little about my family and me. I am in good health, and I am 6 years old; I was born on March 31, 2018. I do not attend school yet due to my age. I stay at home playing soccer and with my toy cars in my free time. My favorite dish is fried chicken. I like birds, and I love red. I have four brothers and four sisters, and two of them are registered at the feeding program too. My father’s name is Camilo Calachij Barrera, and he works as a farmer or day laborer. My mother’s name is Maria Morente Morente, and she weaves typical blankets, blouses and belts to sell. My parents are in good health. We all go to pick coffee beans at the coast from November to February.

We live in a house that belongs to my mom, and it has one room and one kitchen. Our house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We use candles at night, and we use a hose to bring water from a stream to our home. We have hens, pigs, a cow, a cat and a dog as domestic animals. My family and I attend the Catholic Church. I would like to ask for your prayers for us so that we always have groceries and clothes. I tell you that I walk for 30 minutes to arrive at the feeding program. My mother helped me to give my information to the Evangelism team, and I hope you find my letter interesting. May God bless you!

With much love

Adan Calachij Morente

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua Guatemala