My Story

Chuchuca, 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 more than a two-hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa. Chuchuca is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiché Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak an Indian 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! My name is Juan Carlos Pastor Mendez, and I am 3 years old. I was born on June 26, 2021. I am in good health, and I am not attending school yet because of my age. My hobby is playing with my toy animals. I like the color red, and my favorite animal is the sheep. I love eating Chaomen.

My parents’ names are Camilo Pastor Chingo and Ruperta Mendez Mendez. My father works as a farmer and a day laborer too. My mother is a weaver and housewife. I have four brothers and three sisters. Five of them are enrolled in the feeding program and it is a great help and blessing for us. My sister Sabina has three children and my parents help her with their needs too because she is a single mother.  We are a family with many needs because my parents are not earning enough to cover all of our needs. Some of them are groceries, clothes and shoes. By the grace of God, my mother and siblings are in good health, but my father suffers from pain in his abdomen due to a surgery. The surgery was 10 years ago but it still affects him. I ask for your prayers for him and for God to do a miracle in his life.

We are members of the Assembly of God Light and Life Church. We live in a borrowed house. It is my maternal uncle´s house. The house has one room, and it is made of adobe walls, tin sheet roof and dirt floor. We do not have a kitchen; we use the corridor to cook. It is made with nylon sheets. We do not have water or electricity. We bring water with jars from the river and we use candles for light. At home we have two pigs. We walk around 15 minutes to get to the feeding program and we are happy to be part of it. I am very thankful because you took your time to read my letter.

With love,

Juan Carlos Pastor Mendez

Translated by: Magnolia De Torres / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala