1^1.

4-

ZJIte Mento^d SoJ.ourning.A in OltaUand

"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

Alan & Janet Bemo

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY

GPO BOX 2830

Yokefellow:
Linda Goerke
3106 Summit Ave.

Bangkok, 10501, Thailand

St. Joseph, MO 64506

(Tel. 66-02-585-2022)

(816) 279-7783

January 22, 1990

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!! What do you mean, "New Years is already past!" Chinese NewYear is on January
28th this year and you would be surprised how many people celebrate it here in the capitol ofThailand.
You get the impression that all of the merchants are Chinese as most of the stores and businesses

close down for a couple of days at this time. This is the year of the horse. We are reminded of what
the scriptures say about the horse: "The king must not acquire great numbers of horses for

himself."(Deu.l7:16) and "His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs
of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, whoput their hope in his unfailing love." (Ps.l47:10)
Today we often are tempted to trust in intellegence, money, technology, personalities, politics, peo
ple, and powerofall sorts to accomplish spiritual goals but we must never forget that "'Not bymight
nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." (Zech.4:6)

We have had a very eventful time this last month. Nathan was back from school in Malaysia from
December 15th to January 21st. Two days after he arrived we all went on a trip to the northeast
by bus to see the work Food (Food for the Hungry) is doingand where we will be working come June.
We were in the provinces of Surin and Buriram very close to the Cambodian border. We were in

about eight villages and saw projects with agriculture, aqua-culture, water improvement, and school
lunch programs. We were impressed with the contacts Food has in many villages and the access they
have even in politically sensitive areas. We heard artillary shooting everyday we were there and this
was a constant reminder of the terrible things which have gone on in Cambodia and their need for
the gospel.

We came back home and exchanged Christmas gifts the morning of the 23rd. That evening we left
on a night train for Chiangmai. While there we were able to visit four villages where either the Loves
or we used to live and work. I almost was talking constantly every waking hour I was there and main

lyabout the work of the Church. Numbers have grown and they have had to work out some problems
on their own. One ofthem had had to discipline a member for immorality. We were even able to stay
in Piang Luang. We had lived there for three years but were forced to leave and all foreigeners had
been kept out these last four years. In the village of Kaenoi, where Tom and Kathy Love lived. The
preacher there told us, "Things are so different than they used to be. Now the Church really loves

us. The Christians are always bringing us meat and vegetables and taking care
of us." The church is growing rapidly and bearing fruit. All of these churches
are supporting their own preachers either partially or completely, taking care
of their own problems, and being evangelistic. Their main need, as they express
ed it to me, was fellowship. Other needs were: Miphoa full-time Lisu preacher,
as most of the members are now Lisus, and printed materials; Maenaamkhuna

'

7.
.
?

P.A. system; Piang Luanga preacher, as the one they have is going back to
school, and a new Church building. I told them that Tom and I would continue
to do what we could to help them. We especially want to have a convention

of these churches once a year so they can receive the fellowship, teaching, and

encouragement they need. It was also good to see the water systems and the
agricultural projects going on. They have maintained and expanded the water

I
*

Rachel
systems, and I was told that the Mipho area is now number one in vegetable
production among the hill-tribes. When I think of what little we did there it really is proof to me

of

God's mighty power and love.

So our Christmas vacation was actually spent in the hills of northern Thailand with very dear friends.
What an encouragement it wasespecially as we are getting ready to venture out into a totally new
and unevangelised areato know that what is done in God's kingdom is something which is absolute
ly permanent. The gates of hell will not prevail against it!
We heard that our married kids and parents got together for Christmas, and oh, how we longed to

be with them all at this gathering. As the years go by our family gets bigger and more wide-spread
and harder to get together all at once.

Now we are back in Bangkok, studyingThai as hard as we can. Janet has to teach Sarah and Rachel
so is not able to study as much as I do. Rachel is also going to Thai kindergarten. We are going to
Thai Church services all the time, realizing that before long we may be leading Church services
ourselves.

We have heard from many of you and are so encouraged by your letters and your prayers. We believe

that your prayers accomplish tremendous things as we strive to depend on His power in all things.
Alan Bemo and Family

In Jesus,

Non-Pro'it Organization
U.S. POSTAGE

Linda Goerke

PAID

3106 Summit Ave.

King City. MO 64463

PERMIT NO. 4

St. Joseph, MO 64506

Address Correction Requested

Mission Services Assoc

Box

2427

Knoxville

Tn 37901-2427

Zjlte Memo^i So^ourning.3 in OhaiLand

"By faith they sojourned in the land....
looking forward to a city which has foundations,
whose builder and maker is God."
HE8. 11:8-10

Alan & Janet Bemo

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY
GPO BOX 2830

Yokefellow:
Linda Goerke
3106 Summit Ave.

Bangkok, 10501, Thailand

St. Joseph, MO 64506

Tel. 66-02-585-2022

February May, 1990

Drew and Janet

Well at Baan Don Wai

m
a'm

Rachel and Anna Lang

Rachel with Classmates

Page 2

Dear Friends,

DAIipr LIFE continues to be the same over the last four months with me almost doing nothing but
full-time language study and Janet having a very hectic schedule of teaching the girls, managing the
household, doing mission business, and studying Thai.

A FEW INFIRMITIES have come our way lately. Janet fell (I said Fd never put this in my newsletter)
while ice skating and broke her left wrist. Yes, even though it is in the tropics, this city of 6 million
has practically everything. Nathan stepped on a poison sea catfish on the beach near his school. He was
in a lot of pain and his foot swelled up for several days but he is okay. I had a little skin cancer removed
from my shoulder but the doctor said it is 100% cured with removal. Sarah has started getting some
orthodontic work and will probably be wearing braces for the rest of the year. In general we have been
in very good health.

A CONSTANT FLOW OF PEOPLE have been through our house during the last three months, which
has brought us great joy. Drew Fountain, a fellow FOOD worker, rents one room in our housa We have

had other FOOD members stay here off and on as they have been passingthrough. Former fellow workers,
Paul and Cathy Lang, Joel Lilly and his mother, and Rich Sheeley have stayed hera We have even had
some Chinese brethren from a village up north stay with us.
We have made A FEW TRIPS during school breaks to do a little work for FOOD. I delivered two walk
ing plows to typhoon victims in the south in February. In April I went to Prasat to survey a short irriga
tion canal and learned more than I taught. The first of May our whole family went on a four day trip
with our neighbors to see his home village, with the hope of being able to help them by drilling some
wells there. We were really touched by the need of Baan Don Wai, a village of 80 families. They only
have two wells from which drinking water can be drawn. People are lined up with little carts to get
water 24 hours of every day, waiting for their turn to get water. Food is planning on helping them by
drilling two more wells. There is a small Church there and it was my privilege to preach my first sermon
in Thai thera That God is growing the fruits of the spirit in their lives was evident in many ways, pa
tience not being the least of them, as they had to listen to this foreigner talk in poor Thai for thirty minutes.
COMING UP is a trip to Malaysia. Nathan has a leading part in the school play "My Fair Lady" (he
is Dr. Doolittle) at the end of this semester. We will arrive in time to see the play and then bring Nathan
she has been accepted to start school at Dalat too, beginning in August. Language study is coming to
a close for us and probably our next newsletter will be written from up-country.
This has been the driest year in a long time here in Thailand. On this recent trip to the Northeast we
saw dried up wells, reservoirs, and dry landscape Villagers and government officials begged us to come
help them. People are having to move from their homes to the city to try to find relief. We see their
desperation and know they also are in a spiritual drought. As we told the government official, "What
we are able to do would only be a drop in the bucket. We believe God can help this whole area of drought
and we will pray that He does." We are anxious to be out working in the Northeast full time and want
to share the message of God. It is the power of God unto salvation. Please pray for us as we begin to
work in this area of great physical and spiritual dryness.
Love in Jesus,

Alan & Janet Bemo

Central Christian Church

BULK RATE

P. 0. Box 8544, East Ridge Village

U.S. Postage

1501 N. Leonard Road

PAID

St. Joseph, MO

St. Joseph, MO 64508

Permit No. 2223

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Mission
Service ^ssn
Box 54S7

Knoxville In 37901-S4E7

ZJIte ^^emo^3 Soj^ourning.3 in Onailana

"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

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY

Yokefellow:
Linda Goerke

GPO BOX 2830

3106 Summit Ave

Bangkok, 10501, Thailand

St. Joseph, MO 64506

(816) 279-7783

Alan & Janet Bemo

Tfel. 66-02-585-2022

June - July, 1990

Dear Co-Workers,

Since we wrote last, Nathan has come home for the summer, Sarah has finished her seventh grade
schooling, Janet and I are taking our last month of Thai studies, Nathan and Sarah have started

studying Chinese for the summer, a final decision has^beei^jnad^^bou^wher^^v|^^/U]^^vo^mg,

and most important of all, Rachel was baptised.

I was privileged to baptise Rachel on June 10th.
Her baptism, along with seven others, was held
at an English service with about 200 people at
tending. When she was asked if there was
anything she would like to tell the congregation,
she got up, and with tears in her eyes, said, "I
want to be baptised because I just want to do
what Jesus tells me to do. I believe that Jesus is
God's son and I want him to be my Savior. I

want to have my sins washed away and want to

go to heaven." Mommy and Daddy were tearyeyed too. We were really surprised. She was by far

the voungest to be baptised but did not have the shortest testimony. Praise God for her bright lit
tle light.

Yes, we are now certain we will be working in Surin Province for the rest of our time here We
have not had a chance to look for a house yet but hope to find one is a small town near Prasat,
where FOOD'S Surin office is located. This province is located in Eastern Thailand, right next to

Cambodia. The people there are Thai, of course, but of Khmer and Lao background and those

languages are still the mother tongue of many of them. We will be doing mostly water projects ^
and some agricultura.1 projects in that province Our main reason for being there is to share God's
love and message There are many villages with no Christians and no one telling them about
Christ. We will not be actually moving up there until the last of August so we will still be receiv

ing mail at the Bangkok address for a couple of months. Our address up-country will be Food for

the Hungry, P.O. Box 16, Prasat Dist^urin 32140. Thailand, as of September.

Working in the Surin is exactly what we were hoping for. There is a little Church in Prasat led by
a gmduate of Chiangmai Bible Institute. Also, one of the Thai Food staff workers in Prasat and
his wife are graduated of C.B.I, and they were my students when I taught there one semester

years ago. Could God have had things planned years ago? What a question! We also share the same

goals and ideals with the director in Surin Province, Jenny Bellamy.

A real exciting thing for me in June was to study the Bible in Thai some more I had two
teachers, one of them not even a Christian. As a matter of fact she is the teacher of Buddism at
the language school. I got much more out of the study with her because she really got excited
about studying God's word. We studied Matt. 5,6, &7. She said, "I'll teach you what the Thai says,
and you teach me what the passage means." She agreed with everything we studied but said,
"There are two things which we have studied that Buddism does not have - God, and a Saviour."
On July 1st I had an opportunity to preach my third sermon in Thai at a little Church near our
house in Bangkok. It was simple with a lot of mistakes but it was God's Word, not mine It is a
beginning. I am looking forward to teaching the Word of God privately and publicly in our little
village up-country.

The plan for July is this: I am going to Buriam Province to do a fish pond project there which will
take 5 weeks. During this time two teams of ten Japanese each will be coming to work with the
local villagers. This two-acre pond has already been dug but we will be putting in inlet and spillway
structures. During that time I will be working with about 20 different members of the village a
day. Janet and the kids will be there for part of the time so she should be able to use her
"Japanes^languag^skills & find a~houser

"

I proably won't get to write again until September with all that is going on is August. Janet will
have to come back to Bangkok to meet the Loves who are arriving on the 3rd, pack, then Nathan
and Sarah have to go off to boarding school on August 12th. I will get back on the 17th and then
we will move up-country. With all this going on we certainly need your prayers for God's strength
and direction.

Your's in Jesus,
Alan & Janet Bemo

Central Christian Church

BULK RATE

1501 N. Leonard Road

U.S. Postage

St. Joseph, MO 64508

PAID

St. Joseph, MO

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Permit No. 2223

Mission

Service Assn
Box 2427

Knoxville Tn 37901-2427

Zjke ^emo^i Soiourninai in OkaiUind

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

Alan & Janet Bemo

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY
P. 0. BOX 16
Prasat Dist.

Surin 32140, Thailand

Yokefellow:
Linda Goerke
3106 Summit Ava

St. Joseph, MO 64506

(816) 279-7783

August October, 1990

Dear Friends,

In our last letter I mentioned that I would probably not have time to write till September, and now
I am finding it hard to make myself sit down and writer even though September has come and gona
We have been so busy during this tima
,

During the end of July and the beginning of August a total of about 60 Japanese volunteers and almost
every man in the village took their turns working over a period of 6 weeks to put in an inlet and spillway
structure^ and 800 feet of berm for a 25,000 square feet reservoir. Several of the Japanese and myself
came down with dengue fever during this time but all recovered.
What a hectic time August was! Ibm and Kathy Love arrived in Thailand in August and moved into
the house in which we had been living in Bangkok while Janet was in the process of moving out and
I was finishing up the Japanese project. Nathan and Sarah left for boarding school in Malaysia on the
16th, Janet and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary on the 17th, and we moved to Prasat on
the 18th. Then, on the 18th, we rode along in the truck we hired to move us to Prasat. The overnight
trip took us 14 hours. Five days later we attended the annual Thailand F. H. I. three day retreat.

Our little house rents for $20 a month and has electricity. We depend on rain water which is collected
from the roof and stored in a large tank in the house When it does not rain for a few days we can pump
water into the tank from a nearby well whenever necessary. Prasat is from 20 minutes to an hours drive
to the villages Food is working in. We plan on living in these villages for short times whenever we are
doing projects in them but use this house as a basa
During the first month we were in Prasat I visited all the villages and got acquainted with the situation.
I wrote up several project proposals to do with water; rain water storage at a school, a well and pump
at another school, two village culvert projects, and an irrigation project. I also worked with villagers
to do a few projects like install two pumps, fix two pumps, repair some school water storage tanks, and
install a rain gutter/storage at another school. We are coming to an end of the rainy season and will
be starting a six to eight month long dry season. Wherever possible rainwater is stored for drinking.
Wells are dug during the dry season. All the while, I have been able to get to know people and witness
to them.

The first week of October was spent on an assignment back to our old stomping grounds the Chinese
village of Kae Noi in Northern Thailand. We had gotten word that they had collected money to pipe
water into their village from a stream but need some technical assistance for the size and elevation of
storage tanks and size of pipes. We took surveying equipment up and spent three days hiking
and surveying in the jungle and around the village. Just one week prior to this the Thai government
had destroyed a heroin factory near this village

EThemost ignficantpartofthistriptoKaeNoiwasthespirtual
part of it. As soon as I arrived, the Chinese preacher immediately
took me aside and told me that I could not have come at a more

needed time his sister had just been raped and kidnapped from his

house while he was out. They did not know where she was and the

whole Church was distraught. Over a period of four days, when not
doing survey work, we were involved in intense spiritual warfare
We prayed together and I had many opportunities to instruct and
encourage We finally got word that she had been dumped off to

live in a rice storage shed in a neighboringvillage so I drove a group

of deacons and her sister in law to go get her. We were afraid of
a confrontation with her abductor who is a gambler, an alcoholic,
15 years her senior, and has a gun. Thank God, he was not around
when we arrived. They started procedures to prosecute this man.

It is very clear that satan is doing everything he can to destroy the Church and the preacher in this
village but through all of this the Christians grew stronger and stronger as they leaned upon the Lord.
-Thejnght_olthe_rescue,^a,demon .entered a 14 year old girl who lived close to the Church. She started
screaming and cursing in a voice that was not her own. The non-Christian parents took her to one of
the deacon's house and ask him to pray for her. He,prayed and when he touched her she fell overbackward
and became still and normal. Every one was greatly impressed by the reality of demon possession and
the demonstration of the authority of Jesus Christ. It seemed that when the devil failed to destroy the
Church he lashed out at the most helpless victim close by. Even so he was defeated. The next night

the whole family confessed their faith in and desire to follow Jesus Christ. All their spirit worship parapher
nalia was burned.

Finally, just as I was getting ready to leave the village the preacher asked me to take him and his family
out of the village as he had started prosecution proceedures and feared the man would try to get revenge.
It was a fearful and stressful time but it felt so good to be back in the battle like this. I said, "Lord,
we want to be able to be close to Thais like this to be involved in spiritual warfare in the battle for

their souls." Please pray for us as we are just beginning to get involved in people's lives in the Northeast.

Now, please pray for another thing . . . Just recently the director of Food here in S. E. Asia, George
Fune, told me that I am to go to Laos for one month in November. This is something we have been
dreaming about and prayingfor for three years. Alsoplease pray for Janet during this time as she plans
to be in the States during this same time, when we are due to have our first grandchild.
Love in Jesus,

Alan & Janet Bemo

BULK RATE

Central Christian Church

1501 N. Leonard Road

St. Joseph, MO 64508

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

U.S. Postage
PAID

St. Joseph, MO
Permit Na 2223

uhe J^emo 'j SoJourninffJ in Oliailand

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

Alan & Janet Bemo

JNGRY
FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY
P. 0. BOX 16

Yokefellow:

Prasat Dist.

St. Joseph, MO 64506

(816) 279-7783

Surin 32140, Thailandd

Linda Goerke
3106 Summit Ave

October November, 1990

Dear Co-Workers,

This is one time I am writing a newsletter sooner than I expected. This must be a first. I was not planning
on writing until around Christmas sometime but some really big news made me want to write earlier.
Just three weeks ago George Fune, the director of F. H. L, Southeast Asia, called me to say he wanted
me to make a month-long trip to Laos. So, now I am leaving Thailand on November the 4th to do an
irrigation project there It is a communist country and has been closed for years. I am taking some Bibles
in and am praying for some fertile hearts to share God's word with. I am very excited about this
opportunity. George said that we would probably be spending most of our remaining two years in Laos.
I will be making this first trip by myself but I hope the family will be able to go with me there for
the rest of the time

Even before this trip to Laos came up Janet and Rachel were already planning a trip to America for
the month of November. Janet wants to be there for the birth of our first grandchild. Sakchai and Beth
are due to have a son or daughter around November 11th. Besides this main event Janet and Rachel
are hoping to see the rest of our family while there
For the last three weeks I have been doing a project in the village of Baan Yisaan. It is an excellent
opportunity to get to know people there Then Janet, Rachel, and I stayed in the only Christian's home
in the village for two nights during this time
We were able to teach people who were
interested in hearing about Jesus. The
following Sunday we had the first Sunday
morning Bible study ever held in that village
five villagers in attendance Three adults
accepted Christ at this time The following
Sunday there were six villagers attending. Now

|j '

that we are going to be spending most of our

time in Laos, a Thai man, who works with

FOOD, will be going out to this village on

Sundays. There are many villages like this one
around here

"First Church service at Baan Isaan"

We had just gotten settled in good here and

were really into the work. We have a large
garden. The tomatoes, cucumbers, and

pumpkins are blooming, the corn is knee high, and the greens and beans are growing good. I guess
others will enjoy the fruits of our labors but we are really happy to be going. We believe that in a short

time God has used us here to not only start a work but to show others how to be a witness and start
a Church. Now that that is done He wants us to move on to another place. And this is the whole reason

we joined FOOD to be able to go into closed countries. Our preparation, your support, and our joint
prayers have worked together to make this dream come true Let's keep praying, dreaming, and stepping
out in faith.

Please continue to pray for Nathan and Sarah who are going to school in Malaysia. We called them the
other night. They both said, "Mom, please try to stop by here and see us on the way to the States,"
and "Dad, I wish I could be going with you to Laos."
Love in Jesus,

Alan Bemo

P. S. Janet & Rachel arrived in Joplin November 2 to find out that little Praise Charis Adkins had
arrived early on October 31. She weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces and is doing great.
Since_Alan will be in Laos Janet will be here until December 4.

. _

"iliiida""

BULK RATE

Central Christian Church

1501 N. Leonard Road

U.S. Postage
PAID

St. Joseph, MO

St. Joseph, MO 64508

Permit Na 2223

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Mission Services Assn

P. 0. Box 2427
Knoxviilei TN
37901--2427

liillilitiliiiiiiiHiinlltiltiiliiliiiiiinilitilil