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.

Many greetings from Guatemala! I am Yoselin Yojana Chingo Mendez and it is a pleasure to share my updated information with you. I was born on September 12, 2017. I am in first grade again and I love pretending to cook with plastic food toys. I am doing well, but my mother will take me to the LW clinics soon because I suffer from a lack of appetite. I like the color purple. My favorite animals are cats, and my favorite food is fried eggs. I attend the Catholic Church alongside my mother. I have two brothers, but no sisters. The main supporter of my family is my father. His name is Antolin Rigoberto Chingo Chingo. He works in a hardware store as a delivery person, but he has problems with alcohol. Unfortunately, this situation affects us a lot since he does not cover the household expenses when he is drunk. Therefore, I kindly ask you to pray for him so that God touches his heart and helps him to change his life.

My mother’s name is Santos Elizabeth Mendez Barrera and she is a very busy housewife. We do not own a house, so we live with my paternal grandparents at their house. One of my aunts also lives with us. The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. It has two rooms and an improvised kitchen made of tin sheets and wood beams. There is running water, but no electricity at home. Fortunately, one of our relatives shares the service with us and my father pays him monthly. We raise turkeys and geese at home. The feeding program is close to where I live because my siblings and I usually walk for fifteen minutes to get there. It is time to say goodbye, but I send you huge hugs. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

With much love,

Yoselin Yojana Chingo Mendez

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala