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.

Hello! My name is Yostin Estevin Tul Morente and I am excited to tell you a little about my life through this letter. I hope you find my story engaging. I was born on March 8, 2011. I am in fifth grade and after school, I help my mother to do the household chores. My favorite hobby is playing soccer and I love cats. My favorite color is black, and my favorite dish is fried chicken. I live with my mother and siblings. I have two brothers and two sisters. The one who covers the expenses and needs at home is my father. He does not live with us because he works full time by carrying heavy packages in the market in the city. His name is Gerardo Tul Chu, and he usually visits us every six months. My mother’s name is Olivia Morente Garcia. She is a housewife and takes care of my siblings and me. Thankfully, we are all in good health. 

We attend a Pentecostal Church called Power and Faith. We live in the house of one of my maternal uncles. My grandmother lives with us too. My uncle allows us to live on his property for free. The house has one room and a separate kitchen. The walls are made of bricks with a tin sheet roof and concrete floors. Fortunately, we have electricity and running water. We are a needy family. Some of our greatest needs are clothes and groceries, but especially corn. I love having delicious meals at the feeding program. My siblings and I must walk for one hour and a half to get there. To end this letter, I want you to know that my mom helped me to give all this information to a teacher of LW. I will leave you now, but I hope to hear from you soon. 

Kisses and hugs,

Yostin Estevin Tul Morente

Translated by: Hillary Popol / AAC Secretary / Antigua Guatemala