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.

Hello! My full name is Josue Fabian Luis de la Cruz, and I am so excited to greet you through this letter. How are you doing? In this opportunity, I will be telling you a little about my life. I hope you find it engaging. I was born on September 9, 2019. Fortunately, I am a healthy boy. I attend pre-kinder. My favorite color is green. I have a lot of fun playing on the slide. My favorite animals are kangaroos. I love having sausages for my meals. Now, let me tell you about my family. My father’s name is Josue Luis Calachij. He makes a living by painting houses in the United States to survive and supply our needs. My mother’s name is Angelica de la Cruz Garcia. She is a housewife and takes care of my brothers and me. I have four brothers, but no sisters. We attend an Evangelical Church called Prince of Peace.

My family and I live at my grandparent’s house, which is made of adobe with a tile roof and concrete floor. It has two rooms and a separated kitchen; we use one room and share the kitchen. We have electricity and get water from a river. We are a humble family and most of our needs are groceries, especially corn and medical attention from a specialist for my older brother, Pedro. Unfortunately, he is having trouble swallowing because he has a little mass inside of his throat. I am so happy because I am already part of the feeding program. It is about one hour far away from where I live. Luckily, I can also enjoy delicious meals at a nearby school here in Pasojoc I, which is a great blessing. To get there, I usually walk for 20 minutes from my house. See you later!

With much love,

Josue Fabian Luis de la Cruz

Translated by: Hillary Popol, A-A-C Secretary / Guatemala