My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry). The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes generally constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small specialized stores, a body repair shop for buses, mechanics, plumbers and many other small-town tradesmen. It also has a large open-air market which serves much of the area. Even with all of this, the poverty level is very high and the children are very needy.

Special regards from beautiful Guatemala! I hope this information letter finds you doing well. My full name is Santos Brayson Mendoza Tino and I am so happy to share that I like to attend the feeding program in Zacualpa village. I usually get there on foot, which takes me 30 minutes from where I live. I also take a bus to get there faster. I am 11 years old and I am in good health. I was born on August 20, 2015. I am in fourth grade and my favorite pastime is playing soccer. I like the color blue. My favorite dish is roasted meat, and I like cats. I attend the Full gospel Church alongside my mother. Her name is Esperanza Maria Tino Tomas. She is a single parent and works by washing clothes for other people and as a day laborer hard to support me. I am an only child.

I want to open my heart and tell you that my father abandoned us after he traveled to the United States about six months ago. His name is Salvador Mendoza Lux and we have heard that he has another family. I want you to know that my grandparents are Santos Tino Tino and Cecilia Lopez. While my mother works, they take care of me. Thankfully, my whole family is doing well. We live in a two-room house with a separate kitchen made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. We have electricity and running water. The owners of the house are my grandparents. We raise chickens and pigs for our consumption or occasional sales. We are a needy family and some of them are groceries and corn. Therefore, I kindly ask you to pray for us. It is time to say goodbye, but if you want to know something else about me, feel free to ask me.

Cordiality yours,

Santos Brayson Mendoza Tino

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala