My Story

Pasojoc 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. Pasojoc is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major crops. The Quiche Mayans who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. They normally speak a Mayan dialect called Quiche - however, Spanish is becoming more common. Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hi! I hope you are fine. This is Adelso Orlando Grave Chivalan, and it is a pleasure to tell you about my family and me. I am in good health, and I am 4 years old; I was born on June 5, 2020. I do not attend school yet due to my age, so I stay at home playing soccer and with my toy cars. I really love eating rice with black beans. I like cows, and my favorite color is blue. I have one brother and four sisters, and four of them are part of the feeding program too. My father’s name is Rodolfo Grave Gutierrez, and he works as a farmer in our town; he goes to pick coffee beans at the coast for four months. My mother’s name is Elena Chivalan Hernandez de Grave, and she works hard at home and weaves typical clothes. My parents are both in good health.

We are a family who believes in God, and we are members of Christian Life Church. Please, keep us in your prayers since we are always in need of clothes and groceries. We live in our own house, and it is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor; it has four rooms and a separated kitchen. We have electricity but no running water; we bring water to the house using a hose. We have hens, pigs, cows, sheep and dogs at home. I walk for 30 minutes to arrive to the feeding program, and it is a blessing to receive a plate of food there. I tell you that my oldest sister helped me to give my information to the Evangelism team. I end my letter giving you thanks for reading it.

With much love

Adelso Orlando Grave Chivalan

Translated by: Loyda de Osorio, AAC Secretary/Antigua