My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. Both Quiche Mayans and Ladinos (those with mixed European ancestry) inhabit the village. The prevalent language is Spanish. Families in this village live in one or two room homes usually constructed of either wood or adobe. Although many of the people are farmers, the village contains several small and 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 extremely high, and the children are very needy.

Hello! My full name is Dylan Steven Caleb Hernandez Castro, and I am delighted to share with you a little about my life. I was born on November 17, 2016. Fortunately, I am a healthy 7-year-old boy. As for school, let me tell you that I am in first grade. I enjoy playing soccer with my friends. My favorite color is red. I like lions, and my favorite food is fried chicken. The people who I live with are my parents and my youngest sister. I am the oldest child in my family. My father is Pablo Hernandez Toj. He makes a living as an electrician. My mother is Candelaria Yolanda Castro de la Cruz. She works for Living Water in the Adopt a Child area. We attend Liberty Church in Pasojoc, and my father is the pastor there. He also collaborates with another pastor to serve at another church from LW in Chixocol town. By the grace of the Lord, everything is running well at home.

We live in our own house, which has two rooms and a separate kitchen. It is made of concrete block with a concrete roof and ceramic floor. We have electricity and running water services. My parents must cover the electricity bill monthly and the running water service annually. Fortunately, the feeding program is a fifteen-minute walk from where I live. It is a tremendous blessing to have tasty meals for free there. I will leave you now, but I want you to know that my father helped me write this letter to you.

Special regards,

Dylan Steven Caleb Hernandez Castro

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary