My Story

Pasojoc is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiche, 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 corps. 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.

Hello! My name is Melinda Marcela Tzoy Ruiz, and it is a blessing to greet you from Pasojoc village. I was born on October 31, 2021. I am a healthy girl and I am in preschool. I have fun playing with my toy dishes. I like sheep and my favorite food is fried chicken. My favorite color is pink. I tell you that I live with my mother, grandparents, and siblings. I have two brothers and one sister. My mother’s name is Odilia Ruiz Gutierrez de Tzoy. She is a very busy housewife, who takes care of us. By the grace of the Lord, we survive thanks to my father’s efforts. He traveled to the United States some years ago. His name is Miguel Tzoy Toj and he makes a living in a dairy farm.

Please pray for my father’s health. He suffers from gastritis, but he is not taking medicine at the moment. The house where we live belongs to my grandfather. It is made of adobe with metal tin sheet roof and concrete floor. It has three rooms and a separated kitchen. We have electricity and get water from a natural spring. My siblings and I feel blessed to be part of the feeding program in Pasojoc I. To get there, my siblings and I usually walk for 30 minutes. We are a humble family and most of our needs are groceries. This is all for now, but I hope to hear from you soon.

Kind regards,

Melinda Marcela Tzoy Ruiz

Translated by: Hillary Popol, A-A-C Secretary / Guatemala