My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiché 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.

Hello! I praise the Lord because I can tell you a little about my life through this letter. My name is Brayan Alexander Granados Morales and I attend the feeding program in Zacualpa. I usually walk 15 minutes from my home to get there. I was born on August 30, 2014. This year, I am in second grade again. My favorite color is blue, and I like playing soccer. My favorite animals are lions and I love eating hamburgers. As for health, let me tell you that I tend to get bronchitis. I have been sick since I was very young. Because of that, my mother takes me to the health center to receive medicine. On the other hand, my family is in good health. I live with my mother and two brothers. Actually, they are my half-brothers since their biological father passed away many years ago. I do not have any sisters. My mother’s name is Berta Morales Velasquez. She makes a living as a domestic employee to support our family. Unfortunately, I do not have my father with me because he left my family and me about nine years ago. His name is Marvin Leonel Granados Urizar. He works as a mason and occasionally helps me economically.

My family and I attend a Christian Church. We live in our own house. It has one room and a separate kitchen. The walls are made of bricks with a tin sheet roof and dirt floors. Fortunately, there are essential services at home. We pay monthly for running water and annually for electricity at home. We raise some chickens at home. Some of our greatest needs are groceries. Thank you so much for reading my story! I will leave you now, but I want you to know that my mother helped me to give all this information to a teacher of LW. May God bless you!

In the name of Jesus,

Brayan Alexander Granados Morales

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala