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"By faith they sojourned in the land....

looking forward to a city which has foundations,

LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

whose builder and maker is God."

HEB. 11:8-10

Alan & Janet Bemo

Yokefellow:

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY

Box 108

3106 Summit Ave.

Nongkhai 43000
Thailand

St. Joseph, MO 64606

(816) 279-7783

Linda Goerke

February 28, 1992

Dear Friends,
nOVINCE CltL

IKIiaiKL KmDEa

What a difficult time we are having! On January 11th Tbm Love and I boarded
a small aircraft to go upcountry. We were carrying $13,000 and a half million
kip in cash to start up the 1992 projects. Within a week we had spent most of
the U.S. money on cement and rebar which was delivered to the project sites.
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We also bought three Soviet motorcycles. The price was right (only $350 apiece)
but it took two days of work to get two of them going, while using the third one
for spare parts. We got one of the irrigation dams under construction and then
on January 22nd we received a wireless telegram. I thought it was news of when
our newly purchased truck was going to arrive but it turned out to be a short message from Janet saying that my mother
was gravely ill and that 1 should come immediately. I tried to find a vehicle in the village I could hire to take me to the
provincial capital but there were none. The government would not allow me to drive the motorcycle, because of security
reasons. I spent a miserable night and caught a ride on a ten-wheeled truck which came through the next morning. Tom
was left with the tremendous responsibility of the seven water projects. It ended up taking me three days to get to Vien
tiane. Janet had made several plane reservations so I was only there for about three liours. I crossed the river into Thailand
and then got a plane for the States the next morning. I arrived in Tblsa the evening of the 26th and was met by my dad
nOVINCE SDKDEII
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11

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paoviNCESwnHCKuacHES

and my daughter. Becky

Due to reports we had received in Laos, 1 didn't know whether I would find my mother alive or dead. She was alive and
recognized me, though it was hard for me to recognize her. She had suffered a massive heart attack and, had she not

been airlifted to this very modern hospital, would have died. The next day her doctor said that he feared she had just three
days to live at the most. She had been through a lot. She has had to have her right leg amputated above the knee, right
after her he^irt stopped beating again due to loss of blood. After battling for over a month she passed away on February
21st. Her funeral was held at her home church on the 24th.

How am 1 doing through all of this? I am so emotionally exhausted I don't even want to try to tell you about it. Certainly
God has sustained me and friends and family have been very supportive. I thank God for that. Each time I didn't think
1 could go on any further a friend has just been there or said the right thing. People have been generous so that I have
not had to be burdened by financial needs. This time of separation from Janet has been extremely stressful for both of us.

Having gotten Mom's affairs back in order, I am returning to Laos tomorrow. I will be able to help Tbm put to use the
120 tons of cement and other materials which have been donated to do the projects, thousands of hungry people will be
able to grow food for years to come, and hopefully hundreds will be witnessed to concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Life has seemed like being in a small sinking boat on a big stormy sea. Sometimes I haven't known which way was up
and have just quit rowing and bailing. "I'll just stop, sit back and let it happen. Let the waves roll in and the boat fill up."
It is then that Jesus came over the storm and I stood up and walked. The problems were still there, raging out of control,
but it wasn't destroying me. I could ride out the storm in safety What about my mom, though? Yeah! She is doing it too!
She has walked with the Lord longer than I have. Of course Christ has approached her boat too and has called her to walk
on water, triumphant over even death.

Thank you for your love. Let us know if we can speak at some special event at your Church between July and December.
If you don't have a special time we will try to schedule to see you during this time.
Love, Alan

j'^Li
'By faith they sojourned In the land....
looking forward to a city which has foundations,

LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

whose builder and maker is God."

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Alan & Janet Bemo

Yokefellow:

FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY

Linda Goerke

Box 108

3106 Summit Ave

Nongkhai 43000

St. Joseph, MO 64506

(816) 279-7783

Thailand

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April 13, 1992

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Dear Friends,

Greetings from Northern Laos.

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Janet, Rachel and I arrived in

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HEB. 11:8-10

XiengKho on March 11. We found

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that the Loves had been doing a ter-

rific jobwhile wewere gone Tbm had

kept the water projects going while

I was gone and they had moved into

the house the government had given

to us. We got right to work and in no
time felt as if we hadn't been gone at all. A little over a month later we are
praising God at the way things are going. Of the 10 projects we are involved
in, 6 are finished and the others should be done within a month and a half when

Six water projects done,

(weir at Sop San)

it is time for us to leave

The nice president of the province visited the Haeoysen weir and told us it is the biggest irrigation dam in the whole
province It took two years to complete and 100 tons of cement had to be hand-carried by people three kilometers from
the nearest car road.

And four to go. (half finished Jyau-fai weir)

Villagers love the gospel cassettes!

We have started sharing the gospel with villagers with gospel cassettes with good results. People like to listen to them
over and over and have asked for copies. Pray for us as we move into other areas of evangelizing.

By the middle of May we will be finished with work here in XiengKho district. Then we will be attending Nathan's
graduation activities in Penang, Maylasia the first of June We should be arriving at Rt. 3, Box 94, Joplin, Mo. 64801 by
the first of July. We are still awaiting news of the birth of another grandchild which should have been born by now. Jon
and Michelle are having their first child. Moo and Beth are expecting their second in June So you know that come July
seeing these grandchildren is going to be a top priority. We do plan on being in the states for six months. Please get in
touch with us to see if we can work it out to see you while we are there
In Jesus

Alan & Janet

P. SWe have a new granddaughter, Alissa Haley, born to our son Jon and wife Michelle on April 20. Praise the Lord!!
All three are fine

*7^ Semo- '^-

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LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

"By faith they sojourned in the land....

looking forward to a city which has foundations,
whose builder and maker is God."

0^-1

HEB. 11:8-10

Alan & Janet Bemo

R. R. 3, Box 94

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Yokefellow:
Linda Goerke

Joplin, MO 64801

3106 Summit Ava

Tfel. (417) 782-0787

St. Joseph, MO 64506

(816) 279-7783

September 1992

psovurci lOKoe*

Dear Friends,

nOVINCISWIIH CHURCHES

UUPUCdU

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The last time we wrote we were wrapping things up in Laos, getting ready
for a furlough. Since then we have attended Nathan's high school gradua-

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tion in Malaysia, (a proud day for us all); had a good time together as a
family through Jordan, Israel, and a little of Europe; visited our stateside

kids and met precious little Aissa Haley (Jon and Michelle's baby girl), and Word Truth, a grandson of many
dimples, child of Beth and Moo, and his beautiful sister. Praise We're not at all prejudiced, but surely they
must be three of the most beautiful of God's creation. We've been blessed to speak at several of the area

Proud family at Nathan Warren Bemo's graduation.

Praise God, all the ten irrigation projects were finished in Laos before the rains started in May, and we were

able to leave These projects are making it possible for people to increase their rice production by 184 tons
per year. This year we worked with three unreached people groups in thirteen villages. None of these people
had ever heard the gospel before, so we are asking that you especially be in prayer for them. They are the
Black Thai, Hmong, and Lowland Lau. We feel confident that the 5,645 people of these villages have now
at least had the opportunity to see our light shine and that the seed of the gospel has been planted. Most
know now that "this Jesus Way is not bad". In this Communist country we have carefully tried to teach some,
and some have come to the place where they are saying, "This teaching is wise and good, we want to hear

mor&" So far there has been no harvest of souls, but we believe there will be someday. We have heard many
good comments about the F.H.I, team from the people They know we are there because we are believers
in the All-powerful God, and it is because of Him that we care They know He is a good God and One with
many wise teachings. They love to hear Christian music in their language and have asked for copies of our
tapes. We often hear them say, "This Jesus religion is good. You are good. You are differentfrom other develop
ment workers. You really care." Pray for these precious souls in Laos.

We are planning on returning to Laos in January, 1993, God willing. There are six irrigation projects lined
up for next year that I surveyed last May. It looks like the Tom Loves, Walter Ridgleys, Joel Lilly and we
will all be working together again. We used to dream and pray together about working as a team in a closed
country. Now it looks like it is going to happen. We are calling ourselves THE DREAM TEAM. Please pray
for us all as we are traveling, speaking and preparing to return to Laos. The government is Up and then
Down on the granting of working visas there, so this too needs to be a matter of prayer.

Below is our schedule Lord willing we will get a chance to see you all. There are still a few open dates, so
please don't hesitate to give us a call.
Sept. 8-16
Sept. 19-20
Sept. 20PM
Sept. 23PM
Sept. 27AM
Sept. 27PM
Oct. 2-4
Oct. 5-9

FHI Tbaching/speaking, Scottsdale, AZ

Church of Christ at Treaty, Wabash, IN
Church of Christ, Etna Green, IN
S. Louisville Christian, Louisville, KY
First Christian Church, Th^ay, KS
Campus Ministry, Lawrence, KS
First Christian Church, Lamar, MO
Missions Emphasis Week, O.C.C., Joplin, MO

Oct. 11
Oct. 18

First Christian Church, Stronghurst, IL

First Christian Church, Dewey, OK

Oct. 25

Crocker Christian Church, Crocker, MO

Nov. 5-8
Nov. 10
Nov. 12-15
Nov. 22

Christian Missionary Convention, Wichita, KS

Westside Christian Church, Wichita, KS
Grinnell Christian Church, Grinnell, lA
Central Christian, St. Joseph, MO

Yours in Jesus,

Alan and Janet Bemo

Word Truth Adkins

Praise Charts Adkins

Central Christian Church

1501 N. Leonard Road

Aissa Haley Bemo

NON-PROFIT

U.S. Postage

St. Joseph, MO 64506

PAID

St. Joseph, MO

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Permit No. 2223

Knoxville, TN

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