My Story

Nueva Esperanza, which means New Hope, is located in a slum area of Guatemala City, Guatemala. An extremely poor area, our program is squeezed in among the shanty dwellings built over an old city dump. Many houses in this area are without toilets or running water and are assembled with scrap wood, sheet metal, and cardboard. Zone 5, where Nueva Esperanza is located, is considered one of the most dangerous areas of Guatemala City. It is controlled by gangs and drug pushers. Robberies and murders are common in this area. Public education is available - however, many cannot afford it. 

Hello, my name is José Sebastián Mendoza Vasquez. I am so happy to be able to greet you today and tell you a little bit about myself. I am 9 years old. I live in Guatemala City in Zone 5. My birthday is November 9^th. My dad’s name is William José Mendoza García. He works as a delivery driver. He is our primary provider. My mom’s name is Cindy Estefanía Vasquez Pineda. She is a stay-at-home mom. She takes care of us at home, she walks us to school, and she helps us with homework. I also have two brothers. One of them goes to the program with me. His name is Damian Alessandro Mendoza Vasquez. We have to walk to get to the program each week. It takes about fifteen minutes. In our free time and on the weekends, we love to go out and play with the other kids on the block. We also sometimes go to a park called Christmas Park. I love playing soccer. As a family, we go to María Auxiliadora Church. I am in third grade now. Some of my favorite things are cats, and the color green. My favorite food to eat is chicken in lime. My family and I live in a house that we rent from our neighbor for 1800 quetzales per month. That’s about $240. There are six rooms in the house, but we rent one. The walls are made of cinder block. My dad is the one who pays for lights and water, and other essential expenses. Something we would love to have is a new bed and a dresser.  We know that God provides in His own ways, and we pray that He will continue to watch over us. I also pray that He will bless you. I thank you for taking the time to read my information. I hope you enjoyed it, and I am so thankful for the great heart you have to love and serve the people of Guatemala. I send you a big hug.

With much love,

José Sebastián Mendoza Vasquez

Translated by: Olivia Gallardo, Missionary Intern / Antigua