My Story

Chuchuca, where your child lives, is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, 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. Chuchuca is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiché Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello! My name is Joel Garcia Mendez. My birthdate is March 19, 2013, which makes me 10 years of age now. This year I attend 3^rd grade at school. The color I like the most is yellow. My hobby is playing football. The meal I love is fried chicken. I love my family; I have five brothers and four sisters. My younger brother suffers from pneumonia; he is 2 years old and my parents have already taken him to the doctor at the hospital for medical care. Due to this situation, his physical and mental development is going slow; please pray for him. Besides that, the rest of my family and I are fine. My father´s name is Simeon Garcia Chivalan. He works as both a farmer and a day laborer to supply the family´s needs. My mother´s name is Sabina Mendez Garcia. She weaves typical blouses to sell and contribute to the income. She also raises hens.

For now, we do not attend church because of a lack of time. We live on our property, and we share it with my paternal parents. Our rooms are made of adobe walls with a roof made of tin sheets and a floor that is just dirt. We have two rooms and the kitchen is separate. We have running water but no electricity; we use candles to get light. The water is only one payment per year. At the moment, our greatest needs are groceries, corn and clothes. I walk 20 minutes to get to the feeding program. This time the Living Water staff collected this information personally for the record, and my mother Sabina Mendez provided it. I will leave you for now, but I hope to receive news from you very soon. May God bless you wherever you go!

Best wishes,

Joel Garcia Mendez

Translated by: Violeta Hernandez / A-A-C Secretary-Antigua Guatemala