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! How are you? I hope you are doing well. My name is Brayan de la Cruz Gomez. I am writing this letter to introduce myself. I am 6 years old, and my birthday is on September 20; I was born in 2018. I am in good health. I was not registered at school this year, so I enjoy playing at home. I like playing soccer and with toy cars. My favorite dish is chicken broth. I love dogs, and I like the color red. I attend the Catholic Church with my family. I have one brother and one sister. I was not legally recognized by my father because he did not have his personal identification with him when I was born. He lives with us and is responsible for our expenses. He works as a day laborer in our village. My mother’s name is Magdalena de la Cruz Gomez, and she is a housewife; she also raises hens for the family consumption.  

We live in my paternal grandparents’ house, and they are Jose Rodriguez and Trancito Calachij. The house has two rooms and one kitchen, and it is made of adobe with a tile roof and concrete floor. We do not have running water or electricity service. We bring water from a stream, and we use candles at night. We have hens at home. We live far away from the program, so I have to walk for about 30 minutes to arrive there. We do not grow corn like other families in our village because we do not have a piece of land for it. I would like to ask you to pray for my parents so that God always provides them with the resources to have food and groceries at home. It was a little information about me, and I hope you like my letter. I pray God blesses you.  

With much love  

Brayan de la Cruz Gomez 

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary-Antigua