mar 1 8 '80

THE

MISSIONARIES

Doug & Geri Umbanhowar Box 15^ Chiangmai, Thailand

JANUARY, 1980
Dear Christian Friends:

It has been described as being

CffOUNO
'N S.E.

as bad as the Jewish Holocaust of World War II. Hundreds of thousands

are dying of starvation, lack of

adequate medical care and physical abuse by political tyrants. A conservative estimate has placed the number of those who have died in Cambodia over the period of the last four years at two million people. This leaves only a population of four million in that war-torn country. But still the fighting continues with Vietnamese backed forces march ing through the small country, burning and looting villages and fields. Khmer Rouge soldiers continue to murder and suppress the citizens which fail to meet their demands of treachery. And
the third group, the anti-communist army, continue to hold their own against overwhelming odds. The fighting has swept across Cairbodia like a brush fire
from i t ' s border with Vietnam until i t has reached the western

border with Thailand. Pushed along with the fighting are ap proximately one million people, now squeezed between the Thai border sind the advancing forces of the three rival groups. Within the last two months two hundred thousand refugees have crossed the border and now living in camps surrounded by barbed wire and armed Thai soldiers. Reliable sources say that within the next two months as many as five to seven hundred thousand more will cross to safety. If you've been watching the news and reading the newspapers you've seen the condition these people are in. Many are walk ing skeletons, if they can walk at all. Adults as well as children alike have no muscle; literally bones with a covering

of skin. Disease is the second big killer following starvation. Children have been left orphans, their parents either killed by war or beaten to death through the purge of the intellectuals the communist carried out. Others have died along the trail to
Thailand, the roads lined with bodies.

A SECTION OF THE PEDIATRIC WARD ;.>> '

' '

horrors of the communist regime that they have denied was taking place. A country and people which has openingly rejected the Lord is reaping the conse
. quence of their sin. Now it is our

world has finally seen the

responsiDility to help in whatever way we can to show these

His Son. Jesus, and Jesus alone is the only hope for these people of Cambodia. Thailand. S.E. Asia and the whole world. On November 22nd, I left with twelve Chiangmai Bible Insti tute students for the Thai-Cambodian border to help in whatever
way we could. We were invited to go by Bobby Worse, another
missionary of the Churches

unfortunate people the love of God which He has offered through

of Christ/Christian Churches
Bobby has been

. )
^

tc Thail^^.

working with World Vision

national'who helps in the work of the Chiangmai Bible

Institute, the C.B.I, students

. .-Vfr

and fourteen other young men

PART OF WORK PART OF WORK CREW CREW FROM FROM CHIANGMAI CHIANGMAI

who Bobby brought along from a tribal village in

"S

"

Northern Thailand, we traveled together to the

troubled area for a two

places are being used to

house the many doctors and
nurses who have come from

around the world to give of

themselves in treating the sick and dying.

We stayed approximate

ly four miles from the Cambodian border. The nearness of the war was made more apparent when the sound of heavy artillery would break the quiet of night. Although the male students were kept busy with carpentry and plumbing responsibilities, the four female students also had
little time to rest. To feed a work crew of thirty people takes

lots of food and much preparation.

shopped at the local open-air market

Each day three of the girls

iie-"

ii

iiiw

iiiiiimii

and cooked for the hungry group. The girls took turns doing this, as each

the nearby refugee camp in the clinics.

In this way each girl had the opportunity to help in treating the sick.

Karen Johnson, who is a registered

nurse, worked full-time in this very

demanding work and did a terrific job
camp to assist in the medical work. But i t soon became apparent to her that along with the medical work there needed to be a strong emphasis on

,4^

- jfijln

li

evangelism. While she was there she

M -rj

worked through a Cambodian Christian

who acted as her interpreter and to-

gether they taught the Word of God to

many. She was surprised to find how many people were hungering and thrist-

ing after the Good news.

Through her
3

ONE OF OF THE THE C.B.I. STUDENTS ONE C.B.I. STUDENT

contacts while she was there, a wide

WORKING IN A CLINIC CLINIC WORKING IN A

Sji ^ I ^
^ > ,

door has opened to evan-

,
I

gelize. Now through the many gifts that have been

sent to International

,1

m Disaster Emergency Service

"^
^

^concentrated effort
"''"' -"*' * dent in the Chiangmai Institute and brother Bible Poyon

rhitipoom with the help of Christians who have given to IDES in the states and through the Lord's blessing, thousands may now have the opportunity to hear and respond to God's love. The

faculty of the Bible Institute is seriously considering closing

school for one month and all go back to the border in a major

evangelism effort. Please pray with us that we may work effec tively in this great task.

in each of the ten clinic hospitals in a second camp fifty miles

ing center for approximately thirty-five I thousand Khmer Rouge soldiers and their Bu
families, whereas the first week was spent close to a camp being maintained

The second week of work was taken up with putting toilets

This camp is the hold

from the border.

for the anti-communist group. ^ Bobby

needed better sanitation facilities, so he contacted proper authorities to i*
' .

relieve themselves and the stench was terrible. In fact, often they did not

see what could be done. Prior to this the sick had to use open trenches to

H ' hV'

T. -

\ ^|Bi^

even reach the trenches, and one had to

watch where one stepped for fear of walking in human excrement., I have never been so affected in all my life..

I have previously visited other refugee

camps along the Laotian border for the

Meo tribal people who have fled communism, but those camps were several times better than the conditions I was
k

B ^

^eeted with here. How anyone can live in such conditions is beyond my

DOUG DOUG DIGGING DIGGING HOLES HOLES FOR SEPTIC FOR SEPTIC TANKS TANKS

7= -^ v\'^'-'

dig the holes for the septic

I walked into the thatch

tanks in the pediatric clinic

roofed-bamboo walled building unprepared for the sight that met me. About one hundred beds were crowded together, barely leaving walking space between them. In many beds were mothers with their children. Other beds were taken up with two, three or four children, attached to bottles of blood for transfusion and intravenous feedings. Most of the children were too weak to move and layed quietly, crying only when the nurses came to give them another shot. Seeing emaciated children whose age was
difficult to determine because of the condition of their l i t t l e

bodies was too much for me to bear.

I felt an emotion rising

out of the depths of my soul that I never knew was there and as

I sit here typing to you I find it difficult to hold back by feelings. Why, Why, Why does this have to be? Has God closed His eyes to these who are suffering so? Or are His eyes filled with tears as He watches the suffering of these who He loves, waiting for the day when Satan and his demons will be cast intO' that everlasting fire? God help us that we may preach His love message so that "...none should perish, but have eternal life."
To this I am committed.

'

'

It has been very in-

frequent that I have appealed

increase your sup-

feel hesitant to ask now when

iP

E^fhave done so much please, won't^you reconsider

strength to uphold in all

the work that needs to be done. Please consider

sending your gifts to IDES,

not only to support the work that is underway to reach the Cambodians, but in their greater far-reaching minis

try to alleviate suffering around the world. Can you

help us to continue to

train leadership in the

^^^

' ^^5^/ " Chiangmai Bible Institute

with excitement to the open doors and new possibilities to present the Gospel in the 1980's. IVluch depends on you. Can

with increased prayers and gifts? I am looking ahead

you help us to help facilitate the Church in Asia to stand on

it*s own feet, to become a thriving, pulsating force through literature production and sound Bible teaching? vtfon't you please remember the students and village evangelists as they
share the precious Word with their own?

Lastly, I would like

to ask you to give the most you can for the work of the Lord.

Can you give your life to full-time Christian service, to come

to Thailand and work together with all the missionaries and

nationals?

I implore you to seriously consider being here with

Your life will never

us to help with your physical presence.

be the same and neither will those who hear the message of grace because of your willingness to come and share of yourself. Be a missionary to a field "white unto harvest." Pray about it
and ask God's leading in the matter. waiting to hear from you. Write us--we will be
May God richly bless you and your family in this
new decade.

CONTRIBUTIONS CAN BE SENT TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING

International Disaster Emergency Service, Inc. fo Richard Spratue

Box 87

Kempton, IND k60k9

Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Johnson
Route 1

Clarks Hill, IND ^17930

Mr. & Mrs. Doug Umbanhowar

Box 15^ Chiangmai, Thailand