prayer and praise December

dear friends,
sorry for not sending out a group email last month, my email lists have gone crazy and didn't get chance to sort them out. I also apologize for the big address list in this email... I need to have all the addresses visible so I can save them into the other email system!

The last few months have been a bit of a learning curve in parenting, but fun! Benjamin is doing really well and is now smiling, laughing and cooing (in English and Spanish!).
We have had a busy time with lots of visitors... numerous members of Alfredo´s family, my Mum and a group of university friends.

praise:
Santa Rosa and Cusuimi projets were finished and the Municipio are paying the extra spent on the solar panels, so we'll not lose money on the projects.

My Mum came out to Ecuador to visit her first grandson. we had a great time together.

Stephanie, Mike, Esme and Lizzie came to visit and we went to all the touristy places around Shell.

Scott and Glad Griebling have been working with us since the end of September, allowing us a little more family time as they took over the Amazonas project.

Alex and Benjamin went into the jungle town of Makuma to celebrate Thanksgiving with Alfredo, Scott, Glad and the Hedlunds (our jungle parents). Benjamin did well, he didn't get any insect bites and enjoyed the flying.

HCJB Global has a new president. Wayne Pederson has been serving on the board of director
before taking on the new role.

prayers:
the tank is still not in Amazonas. we have been given an extension (now finish 15th December, thanks for praying) but we have been refused the helicopter. The current plan is to take the tank in by carrying it/floating it down the river this weekend. PLEASE PRAY! the tank is big, the river has rapids and the trail takes 5 hours to walk it normally (without a 2m high tank to carry!)

our future...our term finishes end of 2009 and we are trying to work out what to do next!
Top of our list is to go and study a masters in inter cultural studies in Wheaton College, USA and then return with HCJB Global (though not necessarily in Shell). We are praying for the right doors to open as we investigate possibilities.

next year... pray that we choose the right projects and that we don't spread ourselves too thinly. We plan to focus on follow-up on the past projects and evaluation work rather than lots of construction work.

for finances... just as the baby comes and our expenses go up, the pound drops and we now get about $1.55 to the pound, rather than the $2 we've been lucky to get over the past two years. Please consider a Christmas gift, setting up a regular standing order to support our work in Ecuador, or increasing your regular donation.

I'm working on a Christmas letter to send out later in the month. Thank you for all your prayers,

Alex, Alfredo and Benjamin Leon

prayer and praise november

praise...Scott and Glad are working with us in the jungle water projects and they have been a real blessing as they are spending their time supervising the project in amazonas so alfredo can be at home more with me

praise... my mum was here for 2 weeks, getting to know her first grandson and helping me out in the house while alfredo went into the jungle for a week

praise... Benjamin is putting on weight and is healthy. he is still waking lots during the night, but sleeps well during the day!

praise... Ecorae gave us an extension to the amazonas project.
praise ecorae are organizing the helicopter for the tank flight for the end of the month
... prayer... however our extension is only have till 15th dec and the tank won't arrive till the end of the month (providing it happens this time) so we will be hard pressed to finish in time.

prayer... for our future and the future of the water project office in shell. our term finishes end of 2009 and we are unsure what to do after as we need to complete our bible requirement before returning. while we are away we need someone to continue the work in shell or close up the office.

prayer... for the projects for the coming year. we have more requests than we can take on and we don't want to over stretch ourselves. we need wisdom to know which projects will be the most beneficial for the Kingdom.

happy family

is amazing my life. Is totality diferent, now i have a motivation to live. thank you god.
Alfredo

october prayer and praise

praise: the benjamin was born without complications and that we have good doctor friends who noticed he had jaundice and losing weight before the baby checkup so we could get it solved before it got to bad.

praise: that Scott and Glad have come to help us in the office until december. Scott is a civil engineer and Glad a nurse practitioner so they can take over our work on the amazonas project for a while

prayers: that we can get an extension on the amazonas project, and get a helicopter to take the tank in. we are supposed to be finished at the beginning of november and we still don't have the tower, tank or pumps installed or the well finished.

pray for next years projects. we have ots of options and the local government want us to expand the project but we don't have enough people. we need wisdom to choose the best projects for kingdom impact.

pray for rest! Alfredo is stressed out with all the project work and I now have night duty! pray for strength as we still have lots of visitors coming with a work group next week, my mother and friends from the Uk... in addition to Alfredo's family who keep turning up.


we appreciate all your prayers

hugs alex

now we are three

Benjamin Philip Leon Griffin was born at 5.47pm monday 22nd september 2008 in hospital vozandes del oriente, shell, ecuador. Labour was quick (or at least the bit in the hospital was... 4 hrs). Mum and baby are back at home and doing well and we are entertaining the Leon clan who have come to visit the new lion cub.

latest newsletter

the next three messages are the stories and info from our latest newsletter. contact us if you want to receive our news direct to our email either every month(prayers and praise) or every three months (newsletter)

thanks for your interest!

alex

Praises:

· That we have moved into a bigger house

· That the ‘Municipio’ gave a month extension on the Santa Rosa project as we were delayed by the lack of aviation gas

· That MAF now have aviation gas and Alfredo and Eduardo can work on Santa Rosa and Amazonas before baby is born

· Scott and Glad Griebling are coming Sep-Dec to work in the jungle with us. I first met Scott in 2002 when he worked as an intern in water projects the same time as me!

Prayers:

· For the final 5 weeks of pregnancy, for an ’easy’ birth and that Alfredo is in Shell for the birth!

· That we adjust to life with a ‘little one’ and we can balance work and family time.

· That Alex can finish her Moody distance learning course before the baby arrives

· That we can get the helicopter contract we need to take our big tank into Amazonas

· Wisdom in deciding which projects to take on next year

Family News

We managed to get a short break to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary and went up to the mountains to visit lake Quilatoa and stay at the Black Sheep Inn. While Alfredo went horse-riding to the cloud forest, Alex drove around and visited the cheese factory and the furniture workshop and enjoyed the view from the compost toilets! (see the Inn’s website if want to know more!)

The missionaries in Shell and the missions team at Inaquito Church held baby showers to help stock up our nursery.

Alex is helping Dr. Becky Brice teach puppets to the orphanage girls.