Some new family photos

Thanks Fraenzi for the great photos.

Benjamin's 2nd birthday

Benjamin talking to Granny in England

opening presents

cake with his friends from nursery

helping Mummy make birthday cake

cake number one in Quito with family last sunday

Yesterday Benjamin celebrated his 2nd birthday. The day involved lots of phonecalls and cake and a house full of people, all things that make him very happy.

September Praise and Prayers

Dear friends,

After a month back in country we are now getting back in to a routine. Benjamin is going to a local Spanish-speaking nursery every morning so he has some social interaction and so I (Alex) can help do office administration. Alfredo is working on his taxes and a report for Taisha so they'll pay us for a project we finished in December.

We were invited to be part of the Shuar bible dedication in Makuma last Saturday. The full story with photos is below.

We have had another echo and the doctor is sure the baby is a girl, due mid November. Alfredo's family are getting excited as boys dominate the Leon family.

Praise:
That Benjamin was able to get a space in the local government-run nursery and enjoys going.
That we were able to participate in the Shuar Bible dedication in Makuma.
That the pregnancy is going smoothly and the baby appears health

Pray:
That the new bible may impact the Shuar people
For the community development planning meetings in Quito this month
For Steph (working visitor) as she works on finishing the water projects in Pastaza and for Fraenzi as she finishes language school and moves to Shell mid September.
For Alfredo as he goes to Taisha to get payment for finished projects and discuss future projects with the local government
For the medical team currently in Haiti.

Thank you for your interest and prayers for the work we do in Clean Water Projects with HCJB Global in Ecuador.

Hugs and Blessings
Alex, Alfredo and Benjamin Leon.

Shuar Bible Dedication

Umberto and the Drowns

Genesis in Shuar

Jim and Norma Hedlund being presented a bible

The Cashindu girls were trying to look after Benjamin most of the day (Photo Chad Irwin)

Alfredo receiving a Shuar bible (photo Chad Irwin)

Last Saturday we joined a number of Shell missionaries on a flight to Makuma for the dedication of the newly printed Shuar bible. Our good friends Jim and Norma Hedlund have been working on this project with the Shuar church association for many years to get a partial translation of the Old testament and a revision of the New Testament ready for print.

The dedication was all planned and presented by the church association and they did a beautiful job. For me, the most touching part was the reciting of Nehemiah 12.27+ (dedication of the wall) by all the tranlators who had worked on the bible.

Bibles were given to all the translators, to people who had supplied food faithfully over many years for when the translators came to makuma and to the different missionaries and Missions who have been involved over the years. Even Alfredo was given a bible on behalf of the work of HCJB water projects with the Shuar. This brought a tear to my eye as Daniel Chu, the president of the church association presented the bible to 'mi amigo Alfredo' (my friend Alfredo)- it highlighted the good relationships we have with these people and that the local church view as partners in their work.

It was a joy to see Umberto present at the event. He lost the use of his legs when a tree fell on him many years ago and he has been the longest-serving translator, working 30 years on both the original new testament and the revision and Old Testament publication. It is very unusual for someone to survive so long in the jungle in a wheelchair and he recognises that God has protected him all this time so he could work on this project. Many times I was working in Makuma on water projects and would pop into the translation room to find Norma Hedlund and Umberto working together on Old testament passages. Umberto lives in a community down in the southern jungle and would come for a fortnight each month. Lately he has been unable to come to mauma because his community airstrip was in bad repair and was closed down. It was a real blessing for the strip to be opened in the last week so he could come to this celebration. They will have another dedication in his community later in the year.

Marie and Frank Drown returned to Ecuador for the dedication. They worked many years with the Shuar and we often hear about 'Don Pancho' because in addition to all his bible and transtaion work he had a vision of community development and has left long-lasting influence in the areas we work. It was an honour to meet them both. Their story can be read in 'Mission to the headhunters' and great book about the people we work with.


May many eyes and hearts be opened amongst the Shuar as they receive the bible in their own language. To God be all the Glory.

Some Photos of the past two weeks

August Praise and Prayers

written 9th August

Dear Friends and Family,

Benjamin and I have been back in Ecuador nearly two weeks now and we are all back in our house in Shell, but bags are still not unpacked and boxes still in storage! As always, we hit the ground running, with friends from Redcliffe College arriving in Ecuador two days before I did so they could see our work. We spent part of last week in the jungle, seeing Jim and Norma in Makuma and showing Wim and Nienke a few projects. Alfredo and Wim then went to Cangaime to repair the system while we returned to Shell for the weekend. Tonight we are all together again in Shell and tomorrow we head up to mountain to see the projects in Chimborazo.

Thank you for all the prayers for flying with Benjamin. It was a very long day but Benjamin did sleep a little on the planes and he walked the whole way in Miami airport, pulling his Trunki suitcase behind him so although it was slow it meant I didn’t have to carry him the whole way! We were able to get the little airport car for part of the distance. Benjamin got the babycot on the first flight and his own seat on the second flight. When we arrived in Quito I went straight to bed while Benjamin showed all his toys off to the family! He has quickly recovered to Ecuadorian time and is sleeping till 7am now we are back in Shell.

We had another echo when I got to Shell to again try and see the sex of the baby and this time the legs were tight together and not showing much… however the doctor said he thought it might be a boy… whereas the UK guess was a girl… so we are still not sure! However the baby is healthy and growing fine, so that is the important thing! It is due mid November.

Praise:
The family is all back together in Shell

For a good jungle trip and Benjamin loved walking in the mud and rain!

That Wim and Nienke were able to include us in their mission tour of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador and get a taste of what we do. They want to be missionaries to Latin America when they finish at Redcliffe and don’t know where to go yet (maybe in the jungle with us!)

Prayers:
Next week life will settle down a little more and we can start planning for the coming months. Pray with us as we decide how to use our time in Shell, which jungle projects to take on and what involvement we accept in the Hospital maintenance department.

Steph Smithers arrives next week for 6 months with us and Fraenzi is now in language school in Quito before she joins us in Shell for a year. Pray for our water projects team!

Pray for our finances. We have been blessed with many new people joining our support team in the past few months, and for that we are grateful. With an increase in HCJB admin costs, a bad exchange rate and increase in the reserve with need to maintain in the UK account (for flights home etc) our monthly allowance has actually decreased from last year, despite the new donors! We had hoped it would increase in anticipation of the baby! So for those of you who have standing order forms that you keep intending to fill in, please go find it now and send it off, and for those interested in joining the support team write to me agriffin@hcjb.org.ec or print of the form at the HCJB-Uk website (http://www.hcjbglobal.org.uk/get-involved-mainmenu-125/give-mainmenu-131.html) . Remember to say it is for the Leon family.

Thank you for giving us a wonderful time in the UK. It was a blessing seeing so many of you and sharing some fun times. Let us know if you want a holiday in the Ecuadorian jungle (we won’t make you work too hard!)

Big hugs and blessings
Alex, Alfredo, Benjamin and Bump.

July praise and prayers

Dear friends,
We are on the Isle of Wight and Alfredo is preparing to return to Ecuador on Sunday (and is not happy that he'll be in the air for the world cup final!)
We have had a good month. It was sad to leave all our friends at Redcliffe College but the last week of 'cleaning' was fun and graduation was lovely. We visited friends in Bradford, Newcastle and Reading and have presented at Park Fellowship, East Cowes Methodist, Sunbridge Road Mission, Church on the Green, St Albans and two schools.

We had the 20 week scan and all is well with the baby and it's likely to be a girl (now accepting name suggestions).

Praises
For fun and safe travelling around the country and for old and new friends we have met.
For the new supporters who have joined our team this month
That Alfredo's English has greatly improved while in England

Prayers
For the time we are apart. Alfredo returns Sunday and I return with Benjamin 27th July.
For our finances. We are still below the recommended support level. Please pray for new regular supporters to join our team.
For work in Ecuador. August is already busy with two working visitors and two friends from Redcliffe coming and Alfredo might go to Haiti at the end of August. Pray we can settle back into Shell life quickly.
For planning. We have numerous requests from communities to help their water systems or build new ones. Pray with us for clear guidance on which communities to work with.

Our diary for July:
Fri 9th Holy Cross School
Sun 11th Alfredo leaves the UK.
Wed 14th Womens Union, St James Church Hall, East Cowes, 2.30pm
Sun 18th St James, East Cowes, 9.30am
Sat 24th Lawrence and Jen?s wedding
Sun 25th Bethany Evangelical Church, Newport 11am
Tue 27th Alex and Benjamin leave the UK.

Thank you for all the love, care and support we have received while in the UK. I hope to see a few more of you in the coming month.

Hugs and blessings

Alex, Alfredo, Benjamin and Bump.