Diocese of Down & Dromore

Andrew and Maria Leake work in Salta, in our link diocese of Northern Argentina, where Andrew's father and grandfather were missionaries among the Indian peoples.

Andrew works part-time for ASOCIANA, the Anglican social programme serving these indigenous people, especially in issues of land rights and deforestation.

Here is their December update:

After what has seemed a long dry spell, we have finally had some light rain - a welcome respite after a long dry season and some very hot weather. We are very conscious of seasons here as we are surrounded by nature. One of the many clear indicators that hot weather is here to stay is the emergence from the ground of cicadas. After years of living underground, the nymphs emerge, moult, sing their little hearts out, mate and then die. On hot days their singing can be deafening.

The girls have finished their school year, and not a moment too soon, as they are pretty tired. They have both done very well and are now looking forward to nearly three months with no school. Right now though they are fully focused on their end-of-year dance show, which promises to be quite spectacular.

Andrew has completed two short trips to Ecuador (October) and Guatemala (November) with Compassion. These were both for ongoing research work. He should have also been to the Philippines and Kenya, but these visits have been postponed until early next year.  His trip to Manila will take him via the US, where he will be making a brief visit to Compassion´s head offices in Colorado Springs in February.

Tomas is sitting his final exams at the end of his first year at University. Having helped his friends learn and pass algebra he somehow managed not to get through himself, so needs to resit that in a couple of weeks, along with the remaining subjects. Other than that he is doing well, and thoroughly enjoying his flying lessons.

Andrews's parents headed back to the UK, paying a brief visit to Buenos Aires and Montevideo, where David (Andrews’s dad) preached at the remembrance service at the Cathedral in Montevideo. This was quite a poignant event, as this is where the German battleship Graf  Spee was scuttled following a long battle with the British navy (Battle of the River Plate) . We miss them but have happy memories of their visit.

Many of you have asked how the house is going. It is basically finished, though there are always little details (such as heating). Then there are those odd and sometimes tricky jobs like moving the electricity, gas and water meters (with no assistance from any of the service providers!). There are also those little events that make an average day suddenly very interesting, like when the voltage in our electric supply suddenly doubled. Getting any compensation out of the electricity company for damaged items has proved an interesting and as yet unsuccessful venture.

We will be at home for Christmas, which is typically celebrated with a BBQ. We are pretty sure there will be no snow here.

Prayer Pointers

•  Thank the Lord for good health

•  Pray for Tomas as he sits his University exams in Cordoba

•  Pray for rest during the holiday months

•  Pray for safety in our comings and goings