My Story

Zacualpa is a small but busy village in a mountain valley. The village is inhabited by both Quiche 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.

Special regards from Guatemala! This is Jonhy Alexander Chingo Mendez and it is a blessing to share my information with you. I was born on February 2, 2020. I am a healthy boy and I am in pre-kinder. My favorite color is red and I love cats. My favorite pastime is playing freeze tag and what I love eating the most is scrambled eggs with sausages. I live with my parents and siblings; I have one brother and one sister. My father’s name is Antolin Rigoberto Chingo Chingo. He works hard in a hardware store to support our family. However, he has problems with alcohol. Therefore, I kindly ask you to pray for him so that God changes his life. My mother is dedicated to taking care of our family as a housewife. Her name is Santos Elizabeth Mendez Barrera and she is grateful to God because we receive some groceries at school, which has helped us when we need it most.

We do not own a house, so we live with my paternal grandparents at their house. One of my aunts also lives with us. The house is made of adobe with a tin sheet roof and concrete floor. It has two rooms and an improvised kitchen made of tin sheets and wood beams. There is running water, but no electricity at home. Fortunately, one of our relatives shares the service with us and my father pays him monthly. We raise turkeys and geese at home. The feeding program is near where I live because my siblings and I usually walk for fifteen minutes to get there. It is time to say goodbye, but I want you to know that my family and I are members of the Catholic Church. See you later!

Huge hugs,

Jonhy Alexander Chingo Mendez

Translated by: Hillary Popol, AAC Secretary / Guatemala