My Story

Chixocol, where your child lives, is a very small village nestled in a mountain valley in the state of Quiché, Guatemala. Life in this state is very difficult and somewhat isolated from the outside world. Most families live in one-room adobe houses with dirt floors and a small attached kitchen. The extremely poor live in houses made of corn stalks. In the past few years electricity and water has become available to most people in the area - however, indoor plumbing is very rare. Most of the families are farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Public education is available for those who can afford it and consider it of value. Life in Quiché is always a challenge.

I send warm greetings in this beautiful day! I am so excited to introduce myself. My name is Jose Eliseo Panjoj Nix, and I am now 4 years old. I was born on December 25, 2021. My family and I are so grateful to God for our good health. I have four brothers and one sister. Jose Panjoj Aguilar is my father. He makes a living as a tuk-tuk driver. Juana Nix Ordonez is my mother. She weaves typical blankets to sell and raises hens. I will share a few things about me. I am attending school and I am in Pre-kindergarten. Let me tell you that I have a motorcycle toy and I love to play with it. My favorite food is fried chicken. I love the color blue, and the animal I like the most is the sheep.

We are members of the Sovereign King Christian Church. It is a great blessing for my family to have our own house. There is only one room and a small place where my mom cooks. The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and a dirt and a cement floor. We do not have running water or electricity services. We get water from a natural spring that is located in a house of one of our relatives and we do not pay for it. Fortunately, one of our relatives shares the electricity with us, and my parents help to pay for the half of the bill every month. We are a humble family and our greatest needs are groceries, clothes and shoes. For me, it is a great blessing to be enrolled in the feeding program. I live 30 minutes away and I get there by walking. My mom accompanies me to the program. Well, I hope you find my letter interesting. Many and abundant blessings!

Warm hugs,

Jose Eliseo Panjoj Nix

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala