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.

It is a blessing for me to say hello to you through this letter. My name is Bryan Mucia de Leon and I hope you find my story engaging. I was born on September 27, 2011. Thankfully, I am a healthy boy. I attend school as a fifth grader. My family is also in good health. My favorite hobby is playing soccer and I love eating fried chicken. My favorite color is blue, and I love dogs. The people who I live with are my mother and paternal grandparents. I am an only child. I do not have my father with me because he traveled to the United States to support my family economically. His name is Transito Mucia Riz. He makes a living as a cook and keeps in touch with us by phone every day. My mother also works hard to help with her income at home. Her name is Angelica de Leon Ruiz. She works by tending a grocery store in our community.

We attend the Renewal Charismatic Catholic Church. We live in my grandparents’ house. It has two rooms and a separate kitchen. The walls are made of bricks with a tin sheet roof and concrete floors. We have electricity and a well which provides us with fresh water. My mom and grandparents share the expenses at home. We are a needy family; our greatest needs are groceries. I usually walk for one hour from my house to get to the feeding program. To end this letter, I want you to know that my grandma, Teresa Ruiz Riz, helped me to give all this information to a teacher of LW. She takes care of me while my mother works. I will leave you now, but I hope to hear from you soon.

Cordiality yours,

Bryan Mucia de Leon

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala