tHI

Tjke Memo^A So/ournin0A in 'Ukailand

"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

Linda Goerke

Rt. 3, Box 94
JopUn, MO 64801
New Telephone: (417) 781-2366

R.R. 1,

King City, Missouri 64463

THE BEMO'S SOJOURNS

March 10, 1989

Dear Friends,

"A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." (Prov. 16:9) This scripture has become of great importance at
this point in our lives. We are doing a lot of thinking and planning about the future but at the same time doing a lot of praying
and having faith that the Lord is directing our steps. We are writing this letter mainly to tell you about this planning. It is our
desire that as you read you will think and pray with us.
Janet and I are both going to school. Janet is taking 17 hours this semester at Ozark Christian College and Missouri
Southern. She is working on two degree programs. I am taking 19 hours this semester at Crowder College and working on a
certificate program in water and wastewater management. I will graduate the first of August, the Lord willing, with an A. A.
degree and should be certified by the Missouri EPA to operate water and wastewater plants. The reason I was interested in this
field was because of the experience we had in Thailand in putting in village water systems. Another reason has been a desire I
have had for years to be able to have credentials to go to a country which is restricted to missionaries and do the Lord's work as
Paul did. I would like to be able to go as a development worker, technician, or teacher.
When I look at a map of Asia today I see that the vast majority of land and population is inaccessible to people applying for
visas as a missionary. Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, and Hong Kong (only till 1997) are completely open to missionaries.
Taiwan and Thailand are on the "emerging restricted" list. That is, it is getting harder and harder to enter these countries. Just
this last summer of 1988 the formerly restricted countries of Indonesia and Malaysia closed completely. At the same time
almost all the countries of Asia are open to businessmen, teachers, technicians, and development workers. The extreme excep
tions are the totally restricted countries of Mongolia and North Korea. Vietnam, Laos, and Kampuchea are still extremely
restricted but foreigners from some countries are working even in these places.
Because of our experience of 20 years of working with Mandarin speaking Chinese we are mainly interested in Northeast
Burma, China, and Northern Thailand. We are especially interested in the southern province of Yunnan in China because we
worked with the Yunnanese in Northern Thailand who had fled China during the communist revolution.

We are not wanting to change the thrust of our livesthat of the sharing of Christ as the most meaningful purpose of ex
istence. When we were in Thailand the reason we were there was to preach the gospel. As a natural result of being a Christian
and having the resources we helped people in the area of agriculture, water improvement, and even medicine. While doing
these things we were able to be an example, teach with actions and words, and in the evenings were able to teach in homes and
meeting places. Our foremost plan is to gain access into Northeastern Burma and do the very same thing. Because of the pre
sent changes going on in Burma right now we are preparing to present a development proposal to that government. If this does
not work out now it may in the near future. In this case we hope to keep an application for entry before the Lord and the
government and in the meantime work on plan number two: Seek entry into China. This appears very feasible from several
angles and we have already sent two resumes for possible work there. Evangelistic work there would have to be much more low

keyed but would be never-the-less effective. A third plan would be to go back to Thailand as developers and continue with
work which we were doing. The government of Thailand has communicated with all missionaries in Thailand that they are go
ing to be getting rid of all missionaries. The Ministry of Religious Affairs has told the missionaries that if any are qualified they
should try to seek entry as development organizations.

We believe God has given us a ministry among the Chinese and has put these things upon our hearts. It is easy to see how
God has led in the past but sometimes hard to have faith that He is working the future out in such a way that we will be amazed
at the way it comes together. Please pray with us in all these things. We are hoping some miraculous leading will come in the
next few months.

In the meantime some wonderful things are happen-

ing right around here. Our family has two weddings j

planned for this summer. Becky is marrying Brian

"

Hamlin, a fine Christian young man from a family here

in Joplin who is very close to ours. They have set the ^

date of the wedding for August 1st. Jon is engaged to be
married to Michelle Bouvier, a girl he met last year at
the church our family attends in Joplin. They have set a

JBL^

Moo and Beth left for the Orient on February 28th. They went to Hong Kong first to get visas and then on to Thailand to be
there on the first anniversary of Moo's fathers death. He is hoping to be able to affectively witness to his sisters and mother.

They have made plans to go to mainland China to look up some of Moo's relatives there. They don't know exactly how long
they will be overseas. They have applied for the job of dorm parents at Morrison Academy in Taiwan where Beth went to high
On January 3rd, we celebrated Mom Dittemore's 80th birthday. Twenty
of the Maxey clan came for the second, third and fourth for a great celebration and family union. Sixty-three friends from Joplin dropped in at her
bouse at an open house held January 3rd. I know many of you would have
liked to attend. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and singing. Boy, can

the Maxeys sing (and talk)!! Mom's health is very good but she tires quick- H|||||
We have been speaking on weekends at supporting churches and church missions meetings. We still have a few Sundays

open from now till August and would be glad to speak to your group. If that doesn't work out and you would like to use our
slide presentation please let us know.
We continue to be convicted of the world's need for a Savior and His commission to "Go into all the world." We continue

to be encouraged by the Holy Spirit and by your interest in God's work. Please continue to pray fervently for us and the work
that God has for us to do in the remaining few days of our sojourn here on earth.

Yours in Jesus,

Alan and Janet Bemo

Formosa Christian Mission

c/o Mrs. Linda Goerke

Non-profit Organization

R.R. 1, Box 115

King City, MO 64463

U.S. POSTAGE
PAID

King City, MO 64463

PERMIT NO. 4

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

11ISSIDH SERVlCtiS BSSHi

BlJX

KHPXVILLE TN 3790V

TJke Semo'i Soiourninffi In Okailand

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

Alan

& Janet Bemo

FOOD FOR

THE

HUNGRY

7729 E. Greenway Rd.

Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Yokefellow;
Linda Goerke
3106 Summit Ave.

St.Joseph, MO 64506

The new team:

Alan and Janet,

Sarah-12, Nathan-IA,
and Rachel-5.

August 25, 1989

Dear Friends,

What a rellefl! Weddings are over, I have finished my education, we have

sent Nathan on to Malaysia, we're moved out of our house, and we have just
finished ten days of training with Food for the Hungry. With the

accomplishmnent of each of these items we have felt a ton of load come off
our shoulders.

As this happens we are feeling more and more excited about

getting to Thailand.

We were planning on leaving on August 30th but have

now delayed our departure till September 20th to be able to do a few more
things and get sufficient support raised.

Probably the biggest relief Is finalizing plans to join Food for the
Hungry. If you received our March prayer letter you may remember us
talking about trying to find some way which would allow us to get into
Thailand or certain other Asian countries that are closing or are now

closed to "missionaries."

After investigating several possibilities and

after much prayer we have joined Food for the Hungry. This is a non-profit
development organization which is concerned with addressing the two hungers
of man spiritual and physical. We are happy to have this opportunity to
continue to serve God within the framework of F.H.

(Food for the Hungry),

an organization made up of skilled Christian workers.

We will be leaving

for Thailand very soon where I will do development work as a water

technician.

We will be able to use the knowledge we have been acquiring

and our past experience to do water projects in north-eastern Thailand and

be a witness for Christ as we are doing so.

This will give us the

credentials we need to stay In the country and the credibility to be an

effective witness while we are there.
I have believed for many years that
this would be a very effective way to serve God in Thailand.
We have

mailed a detailed description of this Important change to most of our

supporters. If you have any questions, Linda will be glad to send you a
copy upon request. We continue to be directly supported and responsible to
churches and individuals who have faithfully supported us for many years.

We praise God that we have almost 100% of the monthly support we need but
we are still lacking quite a bit of the outgoing expenses. All
contributions should be written to "Food for the Hungry" with a notation
"for Alan & Janet Bemo."

I am writing to you from Scottsdale, Arizona. We have just finished two

weeks of intensive training with F.H. which I heartily recommend for

anyone.
It really opened our eyes to the whole world's needs, (did you
know 35 to 40 thousand people die every day due to hunger?!) and how
important it is to help the whole man. Without critical physical needs met
in love it is hard for a person to respond to his spiritual needs.
The
humility and servant's attitude of the whole F.H. staff and overseas
volunteers really impressed us. We are happy to be part of their new phase
in development work.

A lot of changes have taken place lately.

Please notice in the letter-head

above that Linda Goerke has moved and we are calling her our "yokefellow"

instead of forwarding agent. She will still take care of prayer letters,
displays, and any personal matters. Also, please notice our change of
address. Until we get settled in a house in Thailand, F.H. will forward
all

mail

to

us.

Becky & Brian Hamlin - Married Aug. 5

Jon & Michelle Bemo- Married May 12

I want to back up and talk about some events which were only mentioned in

the first paragraph. Weddings: I don't know what the deal is with my
kids. They like outdoor weddings and getting married young. Maybe it has
something to do with the fact that Janet and I were married outdoors and at

19.

Jon and Michelle were married on May 12th by a beautiful stream at a

friend's house.

The only problem is that it rained and the ceremony was

moved into the house.

It was a beautiful wedding in spite of the rain.

Becky and Brian's wedding was on August 5,th, a gorgeous day, by another
stream at another friend's
house. About 200 people attended this event
-TTtricti r-drm't beTTeve could have been more perfect.

Yes, Nathan is in Malaysia.

Because the Dalat boarding school's semester

started on August 14, we had to send Nathan on ahead. It was hard to see
him off at the Tulsa airport on the 9th but he called us from San Francisco

airport, and again after he got to Singapore,

Nathan is really happy to be

there as he has been looking forward to going to school at Dalat for five
years. Those interested in writing him can write to: DALAT SCHOOL,
SANDYCROFT, Bungah Rd, 11200, Penang, Malaysia.

One thing I haven't mentioned yet is that Mom Dlttemore is moving into the
Spring River Christian Retirement Village in Joplin as of September 1st.
We are happy she made this arrangement because we know she'll be happy
there among friends and will be well cared for. We had been worried about
leaving her alone.

Our older children: Moo and Beth are back home after a trip to Thailand.
They had a good visit and Moo's sister accepted Christ while they were
there.

Moo's mother came back to the U.S. to live with them and has

accepted Christ since then. Brian and Becky are living in Columbia,
Missouri where he is working and she is finishing her education. We split
our home into two apartments so Jon & Michelle could live in one of them
while they continue with their education.
We rented the other half to a

couple who are students at Ozark Christian College.

Again, we are so excited about serving the Lord in Thailand. If you have
any questions please write or call. Until September 16th you can reach us
at 417-782-2225. If you need more information concerning F.H. call 1-800-2Hunger.

Yours in Jesus,

Alan and Janet Bemo

Linda Goerke
3106 Summit Ave.

Non-Profit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE

St.Joseph, MO 64506

PAID

King City, MO 64463

PERMIT NO. 4

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

NiS&IQH StiRViUtls' H3SH.

KNDKVILLE TH
V.

IHI'

ZJfte ^emo J Soiournin^d in Ohailand

"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:

Bangkok, 10501, Thailand

St. Joseph, MO 64506

(Tel. 66-02-585-2022)

(816) 279-7783

Linda Goerke

3106 Summit Ave.

December, 1989

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year From Thailand!!!

Yes we are in Bangkok, having arrived at midnight on November 17th. We were met by three Food
For The Hungry people Director George Fune, Nancy Sayers, and Pai San. We stayed in a Hotel
for four days and then with friends, Tom & Debbie Morse, for about another week as we looked for
a house. We have found one which is partially furnished and quite reasonable. Besides bedrooms, we
also have a school-room for the kids. We are in Thai language study already and are enjoying being

back in the Thai society. Sarah & Rachel are studying Thai too and are making new friends. Sarah
had her 13th birthday on December 6th oh Boy, another teen-ager.
We had a great trip from Joplin to Seattle, Washington. It took us almost exactly two weeks with
speaking at Churches in Sublett and Dodge City, Kansas, and Anaheim, California. We also took in
the National Missionary Convention in Anaheim and did some sight seeing. The only car trouble we
had on the way was a wheel that almost came off in Tuscon (that took IV2 hours to fix) and a fuel
pump which went out in a little town in the middle of the prairie. It went out right in front of a yard
sale with tools for sale and close to a parts store (that took 1 hour to fix). God certainly was looking
out for us both times. We saw some of the aftermath of the earth-quake in Oakland when we delivered

our two small crates to be shipped over here. We had a great time at the Overlake Christian Church
in Seattle and then had a pleasant plane trip to Bangkok.
About a week before we left the States we had a disturbing message on the answering machine one
morning in Anaheim when we woke up. It said that Nathan was not in serious condition but that
he had been in an accident. We called the boarding school in Malaysia right away and found out that

he had taken a bad spill on his skate board and had broken his collarbone. He also got skinned up
pretty bad. We just got a letter from the school nurse telling us they had taken the figure 8 brace
off. We sure are anxiuos to see him when he arrives next week.

A few days before we left the States we got a call from Moo and Beth to tell us that we are going
to become grandparents next year. We were really happy to hear about this and I can tell you for
sure it is going to be hard to keep grandma Janet home when this big event takes place.

New Friends 1st Day

1st Meal in Thailand

The saddest news we got was the day before we left from my dad telling us that Dot, his wife, had

just gotten acall from her family in Dallas saying the her son was not expected to live very long.
They left immediately for Dallas and sure enough he passed away shortly after they arrived.
I need to straighten out a misconception I had of where we are going to be working. We will be in

Northeast Thailand, in an area in and around the towns of Buriram, and Sunn. I will be working
with a man named David Sobeck.

After Nathan's arrival of the 14th we are planning on going on a trip on the 16th for a week to the
Northeast to see where we will be working. After that we are planning on being up around Chiangmai
for a week so we can encourage the Churches where we used to work. I anticipate having some in
teresting things to tell you in January after these trips.

We have been going to Thai Church ever since we arrived and are attending aThai Bible study three

doors down from our house on Tuesday nights. We are so excited about being here. The most exciting

thing is to be able to share God's message, hear it, and praise Him in Thai. That is the mam thing
we will be concentrating on in the next few months. Pray for us that we might have His power to

learn quickly and well. Then, pray that He will fill us with His message and His spirit so that we
will be sharing Almighty God Himself.
Yours In Jesus,

Linda Goerke
3106 Summit Ave.

St. Joseph, MO 64506

Alan Bemo

Non-Profit Orpanization
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID

King City, MO 64463

PERMIT NO, 4