My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley.  The village is inhabited by both Quiché Indians 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 smalltown 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.

My name is German Elisandro Ajqui Quino, and I feel grateful to have this opportunity to share a little about my family and me. Thank you so much. I will start by telling you that my grandmother gave all this information on my behalf. My father´s name is Hugo Ajqui de la Cruz. He supports us by working as a day laborer. My mother´s name is Maria Quino Portuguez. She takes care of us and the house. I have one brother and two sisters. We attend church fortunately. As a family, we have many needs, but perhaps the main one which my parents are praying for is to be able to have our own house. I know this is my first time writing to you, but I would like to ask for your prayers for my family. Besides that, we need corn and groceries. Thank God, our health is good in general.

Talking about me. I was born on October 7, 2020. I am 4 years old. I am still too young to attend school. In my free time, I like playing with toy cars. My favorite color is blue, and my favorite pet is the dog. I love eating chicken soup. Thankfully, one of my father´s friends let us live on his land and we do not pay any rent. It is a one-room house with a separate kitchen. It is made of tin sheet roof, block walls and cemented floor. We have running water but no electricity. We use candles for light. We get water for free from a nearby well that belongs to our relative Lazaro Portuguez who is in The United States. Our domestic animals are chickens and pigs. Well, I have to say goodbye for now. Thank you for taking the time to read this. May God pour out lots of blessing upon your life and family! Take care!

Kisses and hugs,

German Elisandro Ajqui Quino

Translated by: Mireya de Sandoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua