7-

CHIANGMAI

ZJke (^emo^3 Soj-ourning.d In ZJhalland

"By faith they sojourned in the land....
looking forward to a city which has foundations,
whose builder and maker is God."
HEB. 11:6-10

Forwarding Agent:
Linda Qoerke

R.R. 1.

King City, Missouri 64463

June 1986

Dear Co-Workers,

As usual I am late getting this newsletter out but this time it is because of a lot of indecisiveness lately. During the last
two months things have happened which have greatly altered things in our lives.
If you read our newsletter you will know that I had just gotten over a mental crisis in my own life during December
1985 and January 1986. February was a month of great renewal for me as I settled down to Thai language study here in
Chiangmai. Then, right at the end of February, we got letters from Taiwan concerning problems our children were having
there. We called the kids and a school official and decided I had to get there as quickly as possible. I arrived there within
48 hours and ended up staying with the kids for five weeks. I rented an apartment on campus where Jon, Becky and I lived
together while I was there. It is not necessary in a letter like this to give out all the details. It is enough to say that there
were problems concerning academics and conduct. It was wonderful to be with the kids for this period of time. I feel I was
able to help the kids a lot and make it possible for them to finish this year of school without too much problem.
Not many of you are aware that Beth, our oldest daughter, had problems finishing her last year of school in Taiwan.
She was having such serious problems with depression that she was receiving counciling and we did not think it advisable
for her to go to the United States to work or go on to school without us being there too. We encouraged her to come and
live with us for a year in Thailand. She did this but her problems have become increasingly worse. With this kind of
background, Becky's and Jon's problems were especially a burden. With much agonizing, praying, insomnia, praying,
debating, praying, pain, praying, council, searching, and praying we have decided that the only thing we can do is return to
the States.

It looks like we have to be in the States for at least three years. Beth will be entering college this year, Becky the next
and Jon the year after that. This will be a big adjustment to us all. We figure it will be the end of July before we can get

settled either in Muskogee, Oklahoma, or Joplin, Missouri. We will appreciate your continued support through the end of
the year. As soon as we get back to the States I will be looking for a job. I certainly do not expect our supporters to pay
for our living expenses for three years in the States, especially when we cannot make definite plans that far ahead of time.
We are leaving the work we have been doing here in the capable hands of two national workers and we will continue to
support them financially for two more years. We plan on contributing toward the building fund of the Chiangmai Chinese
Christian Church too. I am planning on not depending on mission funds for our personal needs after December 1986, but
plan on sending all contributions for the continuation of the work in Thailand. If and when we were to go back to
Thailand we would resume using mission funds again at that time. If you find others you want to support now, that is en
tirely your prerogative and we would understand.

As for the work here, things are going good. The Piang Luang Church waited to celebrate Easter till I got back fromTaiwan. They had put togehter a wonderful Easter program with 22 items including plays, preaching, and singing. There
was an Easter feast and 11 baptisms. All this was done without our being there for the four months prior to this time. The
program was so good I took twelve of the young people on a two week tour of five other villages to perform and
evangelize. It was a good experience for the youth as well as the villages we went to. I was up there again for a Church
meeting where partial support of their preacher was agreed upon. Fu Man, the young man who has been working there for
two years, is going back to Burma this month. Van Ping Mae, who has been there for about nine months, is staying on.
She will be in charge of the youth work and nightly Bible studies while the "lay" workers (three local brothers) will be in
charge of adult activities. These men can preach, administer communion, baptise, and handle weddings and funerals. For
sure, it is time we moved on from Piang Luang. Our continued presence stifle their growth and causes continuous suspicion
from the military in the area.

The Mipo congregation has undertaken erecting a Church building. I had promised I would buy the roofing if they
built the building. They have it almost finished now. the roofing cost about $300. They have been begging for a preacher
for months, so we are now paying most of the support for a worker.

Two of our Bible college students were back in Piang Luang for spring break and have returned now. At the end of
this month two more students are planning on starling their first semester at Bible College. One is 14 and the other 63.
The Chiangmai Church continues to grow slowly. They are now overcrowded in their rented meeting place. They have
a building fund which Mrs. Dittemore started last year and hope to be able to buy a piece of property some day. We are
hoping we can help with this if mission funds continue coming after this year.
Recently Tom and Kathy Love completed construction of a beautiful home in the village of Kaenoi and have moved
there. This village is just an hours drive over a new mountain road paid for by America. This is a very important area with
dangers and hardships. We need to pray often for the Loves in this new work.
We will be trying to set up a time for us to come visit you to give you a personal report concerning this term of three
years we have worked and in which you have faithfully supported us with prayers, letters, and offerings. "May the Lord

fill us all with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding". "Let us not be conformed any
longer to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we will be able to test and approve what
God's will is." These scriptures have meant much to us lately!

In His Service Always,

The Alan Bemo Family

Mlpo Church dedication June 4th - awesome view.

With 2 co-workers - will continue to support.

Ping Mei from BingLung and Preacher at Mipo.

Formosa Christian Mission

c/o Mrs. Linda Goerke

Non-Profit Organization

R.R. 1. Box 115

U.S. POSTAGE

King City, MO 64463

PAID

King City, MO 64463

PERMIT NO. 4

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

89

ri I SSI ON SERVICES HSSH.

BOX 2427

KHQXVILLE TN 372101

CHIANGMAI

TJhe (^emo^d Sojjourning^A in T)ltailana

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

Forwarding Agent:
Linda Goerke

R.R. 1,

King City, Missouri 64463

July - October, 1986

Dear Friends:

We have been back in the States for four months now. During this time we have sold our home in Muskogee and
bought a house in Joplin. We were able to almost trade them for even money. The house in Joplin has the disadvantage of
being smaller and in disrepair. An advantage is that it is at the edge of town with seven acres of land and close to Janet's
mom and Beth's college. Now we are busy building on to the house and repairing it. . . We will be opening a little oriental
gift shop from our garage, which is what I am adding on along with two bedrooms. The things we imported from Thailand
have arrived and we have them in storage. We have bought two greenhouses but due to the record breaking rains in Sep
tember we have not been able to get them erected yet. We finally got the land leveled where they are going to sit during a
two weeks lull in the rain. This weather has slowed the building project too but we do have floors and walls. It is raining
today (thus the letter) but as soon as this stops we hope to get the roof on. Then we can turn to greenhouses for awhile.
The land here seems very good. Hopefully the ground will dry out enough to do some fall plowing soon so the soil will be
ready for some truck gardening in the spring.
It is possible that some of you would read the above paragraph, not being up on our situation, and wonder "What is
going on?" What happened to the mission work?" So, in case you've missed a newsletter, we are back in the states on an
extended furlough. All our supporters are continuing to help us till the end of this year at which time we will be selfemployed. We are trying to use this time to get set up. Starting in January we hope people will continue to support the
mission work in Thailand by sending offerings to our forwarding agent in the same way as before. She will send all of
ferings on to Thailand to be used for preachers' salaries, Bible college students, and a Church building in Chiangmai.

Speaking of Thailand: We have been receiving letters from there. Ping Mae, the "youth minister" in Piang Luang,
just heard that her parents, who live in Burma, have separated. This is always upsetting but especially so in a society where
it almost never happens. It makes it difficult for her to concentrate on her work so we have been praying for her often.
We received a letter from Yan Fa Jwo, the preacher in Mipho. He told us of growth in the Church and the almost
daily activities such as singing and Bible studies. There is still some unrepentent sin in the congregation which need to be
prayed about. They asked us for money to complete their little Church building but I believe they will have to complete it
themselves.

Another letter is from Yin Jong, one of our Timothy's who went back to Burma a year and a half ago. He and his wife
are self-supporting and preach at a little church on the Mae Kong River. We like! them being self-supporting but plan on
sending them a Christmas love offering to encourage them.
We just got a long distance phone call from Tom Love in Thailand. He told us he has had the best two months of

ministry in his entire missions career. The church in Cingnoi has had weekly decisions and he has been able to do some
Leadership teaching. He also told us that FuMan, who worked with us in Piang Luang for two years and returned to Bur
ma, has now come back to Thailand. He has married a Piang Luang girl and they have set up housekeeping in Mipho
where they will be supporting themselves by farming vegetables and fruits.
The Chiangmai Church is very excited about the prospects of being able to have a church building. They know that
starting in January there should be a sizable check coming in every month for them to start saving for a down-payment on
a building of their own. I will let you know as soon as they find what they are looking for.

How about the Bemo family? For some of us the past four months have been some of the most frustrating in our lives.
There have been joys though, and I believe In it all, growth much growth. Almost each of us have been working on per
sonal and interpersonal problems. We have battled frustration and homesickness. We have been adjusting to our different
worlds. Beth, Becky, and Jonathan have gotten driver's licenses. Beth has bought a '76 Datsun pickup and Becky a '79
Ford Fiesta. There is band, soccer, ball games, PTO meetings (I used to think that was something tractors had), youth
meetings, and music. Lets not forget phone calls and dates! We have been going to church at College Heights Christian
Church. Janet teaches a ladies Bible study every Tuesday morning and 1, a study on Matthew on Wednesday nights. I do
some fill-in preaching at a country church near hefe Hornet. Beth is taking 19'/2 hours at Missouri Southern and Ozark
Christian College. We have found new friends and renewed old acquaintances and in our adjusting have found good coun
cil.

We are traveling and speaking in churches upon request, in September we spoke at the Overlake Christian Church in

Kirkland, WA and in Wichita, KS and Okmulgee, OK. We would be glad to come visit you if time permits, especially our
supporting churches.

God has been teaching us many things. We could quote several scriptures, but one thought which continues to return
to me is a scripture and commentary by Watchman Nee, submitted by our friend, Ted Skiles: "Our spirit is released according-to the degree of our brokenness. The one who has acccepted the most discipline is-the one who can best serve. The
more broken one is, the more sensitive he is. The more loss one has suffered the more he has to give. Whenever we desire
to save ourselves, in that very thing we become spiritually useless. Whenever we preserve and excuse ourselves, at that point
we are deprived of spiritual sensitivity and supply. Let no one imagine he can be effective and disregard this basic prin
ciple."

Sincerely,
Alan and Janet Bemo

Rt. 3, Box 94

Joplin, MO 64801
Tel: (417) 782-7426

Formosa Christian Mission

c/o Mrs. Linda Goerke

Non-profit Organization

R.R. 1, Box 115

U.S. POSTAGE
PAID

King City, MO 64463

King City, MO 64463

PERMIT NO. 4

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

f'UBbiOH SERVICES 8SSH,

KhuaviLlE iH