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.

What a blessing to greet you with this letter, and to share with you more about my family and me. My name is Jose Marvin Pu Uzoy. I am a healthy boy, and I am 7 years old and attending 1st grade at school. Some of my interests are playing soccer. I like green, and my favorite animal is the cat. Chinese fried rice is my favorite meal. I have a big family; I have five brothers and four sisters. We live with our parents in our own house. It has three rooms made of adobe walls, tin sheet and tile roof, and a cement floor. It has a separate kitchen We have electricity and we pay for it monthly. We get from a spring, so we do not have to pay for this service. I live close to my school where I receive my food from feeding program, so it only takes me five minutes walking to be there.

Thankfully, my parents are in good health; my father struggles to cover our needs by working as a farmer and as a day laborer. His name is Nazario Pu. My mother is a housewife, and she also raises hens for selling to earn some extra money for our expenses; her name is Juana Uzoy Benito. At home, we also have some turkeys. As a family, we are not members of any Church, but I would like to ask you for your prayers so we can be part of one someday. We pray for God to provide us with groceries and school supplies since these are some of our needs, and we trust He will provide us with what we need. I also want you to know that my mother came to register me at the feeding program, and she gave all this information. May God bless you, and I will be waiting to hear from you soon.

Kisses and Hugs

Jose Marvin Pu Uzoy

Translated by: Luisa Reyes de Solis, A-A-C Secretary/Antigua