My Story

Pasojoc is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, 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. Pasojoc is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major corps. The Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

My name is Alex Danilo Benito Hernandez, and it is a pleasure to greet you through this letter. How are you doing? I am excited to share with you a little about my life. I was born on June 16, 2016. I am a healthy boy. My favorite color is blue. I have a lot of fun playing soccer in my free time. I love eating fried chicken and I like cows. I am in fourth grade. I am grateful to God and LW for blessing me with a delicious meal, which I can enjoy at a nearby school here in Pasojoc I. I live about a 20-minute walk from that school. The people who I live with are my parents, siblings, nephews and nieces. I have five brothers and two sisters. Some of them are adults and have their own families.

My father’s name is Santiago Benito Chivalan. He makes a living as a day laborer and farmer. He also works on a coffee farm at the coast for one month at the end of the year, in order to earn extra income. My mother’s name is Pabla Hernandez Grave. She is a busy housewife, who raises chickens and cows to contribute to the expenses with the income that she gets from occasional sales. Fortunately, my whole family and I are doing well. We attend a Christian Church called Christian Life. We live in our own two-room house with a separated kitchen. It is made of adobe with a metal tin sheet roof and a dirt floor. We have electricity and get water from a nearby spring. To cover the household expenses, everybody contributes. We are a humble family and most of our needs are food and clothes. It is time to say goodbye, but I send you my best wishes.

Sincerely yours,

Alex Danilo Benito Hernandez

Translated by: Hillary Popol, A-A-C Secretary / Guatemala