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! I am Lesly Mendez Garcia. I was born on July 5, 2011, and I am a 12-year-old girl. I am in 4^th grade this year. I like cows, and my favorite color is yellow. I love black beans. I help my mother with the chores at home. Thankfully, my mother and I are in good health. I have one sister. My mother´s name is Ana Maria Mendez Garcia. She is a housewife and raises cows and sheep to sell and supply our needs. Unfortunately, my father abandoned us, and we do know anything about him.

We attend Church of God Full Gospel. The house where we live belongs to one of my maternal aunts; my maternal grandparents live with us. There are three adobe rooms with a tile roof and a concrete floor. We have running water and electricity, and my mother pays for them. We are a needy family, and the most needed item for us is groceries. I walk 30 minutes to arrive at the feeding program. This time the Living Water staff collected this information personally for the record, and my mother Ana Maria Mendez provided it. Well, I leave you for now. Many and rich blessings!

Best wishes,

Lesly Mendez Garcia

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