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.

Cusuimi Receives Water

Cusuimi is a community way down south by the Peruvian border and is our first jungle project that is accessible by road and canoe. Despite the grueling 10 hours drive on dirt tracks from Shell and a 3 hour canoe ride each way, the benefit of not needing an airplane has been felt as there was no aviation gas for 6 weeks and we were unable to enter our other projects.

As I (Alex) have had to reduce my travelling because of the pregnancy, Alfredo has been travelling with a variety of different people. Bruce Rydbeck (Director of water projects), Richard Blair (accounting director) and his brother Dan, Tannia Lascano (hygiene coordinator in water projects) and Tai Gilbert (public health student working in the WP office) and Alfredo’s youngest brother Eduardo have all helped with the Cusuimi project.

On the 5 trips to Cusuimi, we helped the community protect a spring, build a collector tank, install two solar panels and a solar water pump, construct a 6m high wooden water tower with 4 plastic tanks to provide storage, lay over 1.5km of distribution pipe, install 27 house connections and build 27 latrines.

The teaching that accompanies the projects is as important as the ‘hard ware’ installed. Alfredo uses his meal times to talk with community members about various religious and development issues and we have taught classes on hygiene and system maintenance and good water use, held bible studies and encouraged the few Christian in the community. Richard even took in some of the solar-powered pre-tuned radios so they can now pick up the HCJB radio!

ahora un poco en espanol (now little in spanish)

hola amigos

gracias por sus oraciones y soporte desde tan lejos... es una bendicion tener gente que te cuida y te protege como angeles de la guarda...

las ultimas semanas han sido muy estresantes, con lo del bebe, los proyectos en la mitad, cambio de casa, etc. ha hecho que nos sintamos un poco afligidos y cansados... pero gracias a ustedes y principalmente DIOS seguimos adelante...

gracias y que dios les bendiga
alfredo

praise and prayer august

hi there,
we appreciate all our friends and family who keep us in their thoughts and prayers over the month, we know it helps!
While I write this in Shell, Alfredo is with his brother Eduardo, Tannia and Tai down in Cusuimi teaching a hygiene course and finishing the water project. it is 10 drive and 3 hour canoe ride to get into the community... it makes flying easy!

praise: that Alfredo didn't have malaria last month, but laryngitis and was still able to go into the jungle on his planned trip. praise that Richard (HCJB accounting director) and Dan Blair were able to accompany him to get a taste for jungle life

praise: that the water pump ordered from USA arrived in Ecuador... the company shipped before the payment had cleared so we would get it in time... they only allowed this because the know the name HCJB and therefore trusted we would pay!

praise: that everything in our house is now working. we have a lovely new kitchen floor and the hot and cold water work. maintenance plan to do some alterations in the near future to improve to water systems, but at least we can bath until that happens!

prayers: there is still no aviation gas so we cannot fly into the jungle. the deadline for the Santa Rosa project is the 14th and we cannot get into finish it and the Municipio (who are funding the project) did not accept our request for an extension. pray that gas will arrive so we can don't get further delayed and that there will be a change of heart in the Municipio when Alfredo goes to talk to them next week.

The pregnancy is still going well and baby is due at the end of September. keep praying for good health, no complications and that Alfredo will be in town when baby comes!

Pray that the applications for Scott and Glad will be approved. they would like to come and work in Shell September-December, and this will be a big burden off our shoulders because they can take over the Mutints project. I worked with Scott in 2002 when I was here as an intern and he as a working visitor!

our future... our term is up the end of 2009 and we need to think about what we'll do... stay with the mission , return to England to work, study somewhere, stay in Ecuador ... there are so many options, please pray for the right doors to open and that the rest will close.

sorry to those who tried our blog address in the last email... the correct address is http://www.alexandalfredoleon.blogspot.com/
also, I missed out a number in our new phone number! if you want to phone us... 00593 3 2795 172 and ask for familia leon

thank you and keep in touch,
Alex and Alfredo

baby picture

this eco was taken in may, the other ones don't scan very well. its a boy!

July Prayers and Praise

hi there,
Here are our praises and prayers for the month of July.


we love to hear news from back home... so keep writing! We got to watch a little Wimbledon and British grand prix while in Quito...luxury! Although we have changed house, we haven't changed address... our mail still goes to the hospital mail room.
Alex and Alfredo Leon, Hospital Vozandes del Oriente, Shell, Pastaza, Ecuador.
our telephone number is now 00593 2795 171 and ask for 'familia leon' or 'extencion setenta dos sesenta (7260)'
How about sending us your name suggestions for baby (its a boy!)... something that goes with Leon, works in english and spanish and isn't already in use in Alfredo's family... its hard!

thank you for keeping us in your prayers,


praise:
we were up in Quito last weekend for Alfredo's sister's 'incorporation'... the equivalent to our big graduation ceremony. It was fun to be able to celebrate with her.

we have moved into our new house and we now have a new kitchen floor, water (hot and cold) and the kitchen and new lights... everything is working! when we moved in a week ago we weren't quite so lucky and had to live with the maintenance guys working around us for a few days.

the Santa Rosa and Kusuimi projects are progressing well and Alfredo will go in with his brother this month to install the solar water pumps and finish off.

pregnancy is going smoothly and baby is kicking a lot now!

Alfredo's football team 'Liga Universitario de Quito' won the the copa libertadores (the equivalent to champions league) and seems their next match is against Manchester United in the Japan championship!

Prayers:
that the Municipio recognize the price increase on the solar panels (they come from Europe and the exchange with the Euro isn't good so prices drastically increased) so we don't loose too much money on the projects

that Alfredo will have productive trips this month to finish the projects before the August deadline

pray for someone to work/travel with Alfredo now that I cannot travel in the jungle- I have one more trip to Makuma then I am staying in Shell until the baby is born.

Alex and Alfredo and bump