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.

Kind regards! My full name is Arius Emanuel Morente De Leon and I am so happy to share a little bit about my life with you. I was born on June 14, 2021. Thankfully, I am a healthy boy and I am in pre-kinder. I love having sausages for my meals and I like rabbits. My favorite pastime is riding the bike and I like the color red. I have two brothers and one of them is enrolled at the feeding program, too. We attend a nearby Methodist Church. We usually walk for fifteen minutes to enjoy our meals. My father’s name is Manuel Morente Luis and he works as a farmer. My mother’s name is Miriam Leticia De Leon Chingo and she is a very busy housewife. She sometimes sells chickens that she raises.

We live in our own one-room house with a separate kitchen, electricity, and running water. It is made of concrete block with concrete floors. There are a few things that we need to fix at home such as the door and window, but we do not have enough resources to do it. Please pray for my family, especially for my parents and their health condition. My father suffers from stomachaches and my mother suffers from urinary infection and other health issues. Unfortunately, they do not take any medicine because of a lack of financial resources. It is time to say goodbye, but I hope to hear from you soon.

Huge hugs,

Arius Emanuel Morente De Leon

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala