26th April,
Owen and Avalon Brown,
Yantzaza, Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador. 
 
A very warm greeting to you,
We can imagine the autumn colours now in abundance in NZ, while here in the ''endless summer '' of the Oriente (jungle),  we see  subtle changes in the environment. Now is the season for the orchids and they adorn the sides of the roads with their lovely colours of mauves and whites.
 
The past months have been busy for us. Mark and Owen are busy organising and helping in the building of the guinea pig sheds and cages. There are 7 to be built in 5 different communities. Two concrete floors are poured, with another 3 nearly ready to go.   The concrete is mixed by hand, no mixers; the cement, sand and stones and all the building material in some cases brought in by mules. The timber is cut locally with chainsaws to the sizes required. Although  it is taking longer than expected and there are many trials along the way, we are very pleased with the enthusiasm and  great Christian witness of each of the members.
 
The sheds will hold up to nearly 900 guinea pigs (cuyes) and they will be sold to the local and export markets, for the table, not as pets!!! This part of the building project requires a lot of travelling for Owen. He had a collision with another car on the wrong side of the road, and although he was unhurt, the car needs some TLC, but it is on the road again. The other man involved and his 'police friend ' tried unsuccessfully to put all the blame and costs onto him. What a day!
 
Avalon has been visiting Doctors and specialists to find an answer to her problem with pain and numbness in the  left side of her body. After an MRI scan , Ultrasounds and blood tests, nothing serious was found, praise our Lord. A Neurologist in Quito has diagnosed a nerve in the neck being the problem, and she is taking a medication for this and will visit him again in a month.
 
EASTER: A 3 day event ("vajilla") was held over Easter, with teaching, fasting (one day), praying and fellowship amongst the Saraguro believers. This was a great time for all. Avalon, got to attend an Easter service in Quito in ENGLISH, with a lovely choir and wonderful preaching. She was very blessed. The Pastor decided to do something very different at communion time, and he placed the wine and bread out in front but he did not hand it out and no one partook of it. The point was to make us think how much we take Christ for granted and how much more of Him do we really want? I, Avalon knew how I desperately wanted to have communion there among fellow Christians at a time when I needed His refreshing in my life, but it left me with a hunger for the Lord, which is not a bad thing.
 
The next few days;
28th April - 2nd May: Owen and Mark take a carload each of Saraguro leaders to Guayaquil to see a successful discipling and church planting programme in action.
4th and 5th May: Owen to supervise the laying of the concrete floor at  Nuevo Porvenir.
6th May:  Avalon will lead a ladies retreat day in Yacuambi.
8th and 9th May: Owen working in  Guayzimi and laying another floor.
 
The week beginning the 15th: Another floor will be ready to go and then a training day for all the members to learn how to build the cages to house the guinea pigs. Around  that time the construction of the trusses for the roofs will be taught to the men. The floors are a little complicated with the drain design, but they have never heard of trusses .
As they embrace new ideas , so also are they able to embrace new Biblical ideas. It is so great. to be a part of a first generation church forming and seeing how the leaders can become bi-vocational. Also we are both pleased to see that evangelism precedes the social gospel.
 
May events:
May 20th; Ladies retreat.
May 21st; Sunday celebration in San Ramon.
May 24th; NZ work team arrive for 2 weeks.
May 28th: Sunday celebration in Yacuambi.
 
Prayer needs:
Avalon for healing and regaining strength, and for spiritual refreshing as well as physical rest.
Owen for protection on the roads and physical stamina during this busy time until he can get a break.
 
Thank you for upholding us in this busy time. You are to us like the people who held up Moses' arms in the battle.
Bless you.
 
Owen and Avalon Brown.