CHfANGMAI

TJIte Memoes Soj.ounting.3 in TJItaiLand

"By faith they sojourned in the land....
looking forward to a city which has foundations,
whose builder and maker is God."
HEB. 11:8-10

Forwarding Agent:
Linda Goerke

Alan and Janet Bemo

Rt. 3, Box 94
Joplin, MO 64801
Tel: (417) 782-7426

R.R. 1,
King City, Missouri 64463

Dear Fellow Sojourners,

Janet has been after me for months (has it really been that long?) to write this letter. I thank God for the
busy work He's given me to do, but I realize It shouldn't be the neglect of our dear friends In the Lord and I
apologize. Much has happened since I last wrote.
I need to start back with November of 1987. Many of you know that the Overlake Christian Church In

Seattle gave me the privilege of visiting the Chinese churches In northern Thailand again at that time.
Many of you, too, helped with Janet and the family's expenses while I was gone and we so appreciated
that.

During the month that I was there I spent most of my time with Tom Love, our dear friend and co-worker,
visiting the churches and individuals we have worked with. The churches of Ping Luang, Mlpho, Mae
Naam Khong and Kae Noi (the latter two being mainly Tom's work), seem to be thriving and strong. I was
so glad to be able to be back around Christmas because this Is convention time for the mountain chur
ches. This year the churches decided to celebrate Christmas in turn so that one could attend the

festivities in all the villages If they so desired (and had the energy). These occasions last three days with
meetings, dramas, singing, praying, eating and not much sleep. I was able to participate In the whole of

Mlpho's and Mae Naam Khong's. What a blessing!! Just a few years ago these meetings were organized,
funded, and carried out by missionaries. Now they are done completely by the local Christians and we
were invited to attend and speak. Our spiritual children are growing up! Praise God!

I was not permitted by the Thai government to enter the village of Ping Luang where our whole family
had lived and worked for the last three years we were there. It Is now considered a militaryzone. Iwas per
mitted to go just outside to the checkpoint, though, and I sent word ahead that I would be there at 1 p.m.,
Sunday. When we got there there were about one hundred of the brethren waiting. Iwas overwhelmed and
thrilled as they all gathered around, reaching out to shake hands in greeting. The children sang us a few
songs, then one brother gave a speech and I was allowed to speak for a few minutes. Later we all sat
down on the ground and visited to catch up with each other's "lessons we've learned from the Lord."

What a blessing it was! The Christians are holding fast in spite of much political turmoil there and have
even purchased the adjacent piece of land to the present church area to build a bigger meeting place.
There were many new Christian faces there. What fun Heaven wiil be. If this is just a taste of it.
The only Church which is not doing too well is the Chiangmai CityChurch which really NEEDS to be the
strongest. It seems that greed and power have caused a lot of problems and it looks like all we can do Is

admonish and let them to their own devises and let God direct. That was a really sad note to the trip.
Tom and I also spent a lot of time surveying the whole Chinese situation and seeing where we should
go from here. In visiting two areas we had thought were as yet unevangelized we found that Chinese

Christians were going in there now and evangelizing. What a joy! Pioneer Evangelism in Chiangmai Pro
vince among the Chinese seems to be at an end for us. There is stili a lot of shepherding to be done, but
the Chinese are evangelizing their own. It is evident, then, that if God indeed leads us back to Thailand it

will only be in an advisory capacity to the Chinese and the pioneer evangelism will need to be with the
Thai. There are still literally hundreds of Thai viilages which do not have a single Christian witness. That
would mean really learning the Thai language. Also, since Thailand may be closing to missionaries, Tom
and I have really felt a need to develop skills and schooling in other areas so that we could perhaps return
in another capacity such as agriculture or water development. This seems to be the trend in a lot of mis

sionary thinking nowdays and perhaps God has us back in the States for this time to prepare toward this
I've been encouraging our children who are thinking of college and perhaps
the mission field to build up skills that can be used to enter various mission

fields in this way. Beth is just finishing her second year at Missouri Southern

State College as a Secondary Math teacher. Becky Is finishing her freshman

year at Missouri State University as a Secondary English Major, also taking
Chinese, leaving that door open for the future. Our son Jon, graduating from
High School in a few days. Lord willing, is making plans for Bible at Ozark
Christian College and Technical skills at the Christian Tech school across the

road. Now, ole' dad needs to get back in there and get a useful degree in hor-

ticulture so countries will be open to him, too. Oh me!

M
Wv . . Mm
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Jon, our graduating senior.
We made It!

Getting back to the States, I was greeted by my wife on crutches. She had broken her ankle In a car

mishap. I was glad she was alive when I heard what had happened. It was good to be back home. Moo,
Beth's financee, had been a real help and blessing In my absence. He had taken most of the kids down to

Corpus ChrlstI, Texas during Thanksgiving to meet his family and surf in the ocean. I don't think they
missed me at all.

im

And now the BIG day Is almost upon us. The

wedding is set for May 30 at 9 a.m. for any of you
who would like to join us for this happy occasion
(or Is It sad? My heart says we're sure going to
miss our wise, understanding eldest daughter.)
The Lord has put her through a lot In these last
few years and she has grown to be a blessing to
so many people who need a caring, understan
ding ear.

oar

Bar-raai

Beth and Moo, our newlyweds as of May 30.

Moo, too, has been through a lot, especially during these past few months. He and Beth had planned to
go to Thailand for their honeymoon and see his parents and tell them about the Lord. Then, two months
ago he got a phone call from Thailand that his father had passed away. He and his sister left right away to
attend the funeral and be with his mother for a month. He left heart broken that he had not had a chance

to talk to his dad about eternal life in Jesus and since none of his family are Christian the whole funeral

and mourning was a trying experience for him. The Lord raised up Christian friends for him there, though,
and the seed of Life has now been planted by Moo In the lives of his family and many friends there. Pray
for them. Now, probably Moo and Beth will not be going to Thailand to visit, but I know they would deeply
appreciate your prayers as they start out their new life together. He will be working In Corpus ChrlstI and
Beth will be finishing up her college work at the University there. The other children are excited about be
ing bridesmaids, flower girls and ushers at big sister's wedding. American-style weddings are new to us
and Beth and Moo are going to go ahead and wear traditional Thai wedding clothes so this should be
quite a conglomerate wedding.

I know many of you feel very close to the Goerke's, our forwarding agents, and they, too, are really in
need of your prayers at this time. We just got a phone call that their married son, Mark, Is in the hospital in
a coma and the doctor has little hope for him. He was driving a delivery truck and did not see a train and It
struck his truck knocking him out. He has a wife, Ruth, and three small children. Let's all lift this whole
family up to the Lord during these hard days of waiting. Mlllard, too, has been out of work, and could use
our encouragement. (Mark died April 28.)

We want to close with a deep thanks, once again, for all your loving support in so many ways. Thailand
Is still very much In our thoughts and prayers. We are trying to be faithful In our lives here and waiting
upon the Lord's leading. Right now, our hopes are to return next summer. Lord willing. Meanwhile, the
landscaping business and nursery are slowly building up and I love the work. It's been a real joy to serve
people In this capacity for awhile and we thank God for all the lessons we're learning through this experlence. Please keep c.orrespondlng.ajidJet .us know how_God is dealing In your lives also, and If we can
help In any way, we are here to SERVE.

In Jesus,

The Alan Bemo Family

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

illSSIOH SERVIGSS HSSNl.,;T.iUXVlL.i.E TH

CHfANGMAI

TJhe (Hemo^A SoJ.ourning.3 in T)ltaUand

"By faith they sojourned In the land....
looking forward to a city which has foundations,
whose builder and maker Is God."
HEB. 11:8-10

Forwarding Agent:

Alan Bemo

Rt,

3,

Linda Goerke

Box 94

R^R. 1,

Joplin, Mo. 54801

Tel: (417) 782-7426

King City, Missouri 64463

August 27,1988
Dear Fellow So-journers,

In our last newsletter our son Jon was graduating and our eldest, tdaughter, Beth, was getting married on May 30th. It is now August 27th
and the summer is fast over. The population in our household is fast

'

decreasing. Beth and Moo have alovely trailer home in Rockport, Texas.

Moo commutes to Corpus Christi in his welding work and she will beB'
finishing off her college studies at the University there. Jon has decided

to wait out ayear before college and found ajob in Florida. Becky just

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returned yesterday to the University of Missouri to start her Sophmore

year as an English major (by the way this is where the Tom Loves will be

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studying this year also). So it leaves us with only three at home, Nathan

will be in ninth grade and soccer, Sarah in sixth grade and band and little

I am overdue in writing a letter, but the main reason is to tell you how | s

the plans are developing for our return to the mission field next summer,

Originally, when we returned to the States two years ago we were hoping not only to get the older children
through High School and settled, but to add to our own education and thereby increase our abilities to help people.
Also we wanted to have credentials in some field of development to be able to enter countries where 'missionaries'
normally are not permitted to go. Malaysia has been closed to missionaries for years. Just this year, Indonesia has

started implementing a ten year plan to get rid of all foreign missionaries. Thailand has announced its intention to do
the same thing for many years. The first foreigners to be permitted to enter Burma, China, Laos, Cambodia and Viet
nam will proably be business men and development personell. We, Tom and I, feel we need to get ready for a new era
in missionary work.

Originally, I had wanted to increase my education in agriculture, but found that it would take more time and
money than I could afford. Now, I have found an excellent opportunity to get an education and certification in 12 mon

ths in Water-Waste Water Management at Crowder College - 40 minutes drive from home. Actually, Tom Love and I
have done quite a bit of work in water management as we installled water systems in two villages and I find the books
familiar. After one year of study (3 semesters - Fall, Spring and Summer including 4 weeks of internship), we will be
tested and certified by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to be operators. This course has had students
from 70 different countries with countries all over the world offering operator jobs. I am very excited as you can see,
and am finding the studies extremely interesting and stimulating. I am hoping to get this skill and certification while
Janet gets her secretarial certification with the goal of continuing in the Lord's work overseas with the Chinese in
China, Burma orThailand.

We hope this agreeable with you, our supporters. This past year, we have supported ourselves with the Land
scaping business and we hope to continue to do so as much as possible. However, taking this comprehensive course we
feel we must return on misssionary salary to some extent. This is five months earlier than originally planned. What
has been sent to Formosa Christian Mission in the past two years has been and will continue to be forwarded to two
churches in Northern Thailand along with helping several Bible College students over there, but there is still some
left over from that.

Tom Love recently returned on Furlough and has brought first hand reports of God's work among the villages
where we have worked. The Ping-Luang Church has purchased an adjoining piece of property and are getting ready
to build a large sanctuary since they have outgrown the first. They are asking for help to hire another preacher. The
Mipo church also, is tearing down their present meeting place to build a bigger one. Praise the Lord, that He is giving
the increase. Actually, according to the plan, we will be sending these churches less and less mission support as they
increase more and more in their own giving. Pray for these Sister Churches. The Chinese are doing great work now
in Northern Thailand and going out and evangalizing their own villages. It looks like we might be out of a job as far as
Northern Thailand Chinese work goes. We can only rejoice in that. But there are many fields white unto harvest and
as time draws closer to return, our heartbeat quickens to say "Here are we, Lord, send us!"
We feel like we are continuing to grow in Christ with less self-confidence and more God-confidence. We continue
to be more and more thankful to God for your continued Faith and Love.
We will be sending reciepts out in January and June for every six months giving since postage is now so high.

Financial Reports will be sent to all our supporters in February or March. If you did not recieve one for this year,
please let us know and we'll send you one. Thanks again for being patient with us these last two years. If you would
like for us to speak with you about the work before our return next year, please contact us in Joplin at the above ad
dress or call 417-782-7426.

In Him.
Alan and Janet

Formosa Christian Mission

c/o Mrs. Linda Goerke

Non-Profit Organization

R.R.I, Box 115

U.S. POSTAGE

King City, MO 64463

PAID

King City, MO 64463

PERMIT NO. 4

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

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