"By faith they sojourned in the iand,..

looking forward to a city which has foundations,

whose builder and maker is God"
HEB. 11.8-10

December,

1994

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

A theme for our lives in 1994 has been, "But one thing I do:
what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on
goal to
Jesus."

win the prize for

(Phil. 3:7-14)
I

which God had called me

want this to be the theme

forgetting
toward the
heavenward in Christ
for

the

rest

of

our

1i ves.

Just a year ago we were under tremendous stress,

trying to decide whether

we should go back to Laos right away.

We weren't physically, spiritually,
or emotionally ready to go back.
We stayed and concentrated on getting
closer to Christ. As a result we have found peace with God, ourselves, and
with each other.
I am doing well physically now.
I have been off
medications for 2 months, sleep well, and feel good.
I feel stronger
spiritually than I have for years.
We are now starting to put out feelers
for going back overseas.
We would like for you to be praying with us in
this matter.

This has been a year of growing in many ways.

We are really missing Mom

Dittemore who died on Memorial Day. I am so glad we were with her she
was glad too.
I suppose there will be many moments of "wishing she was
here" in the years to come, but more, we wish we were There with her.
It
makesxnae r^alize how temporal our physical life is.

Our son, Nathan, and his Katy were married in July.

It's hard to imagine
our "little boy" married. They met at Ozark Christian College and we think
he made a fine choice. They are living in Joplin and Nathan is a full time
student at OCC.

They are now expecting our fifth grandchild!

This is Sarah's senior year in high school. She's working also, so keeps a
very busy schedule.
She's got many gifts and it's tough making decisions
about "after graduation."

Rachel is our sweet bundle of 5th

everything.... really misses Laos...

grade energy.
and her plan

She's interested in
now is to become a

missionary doctor.

Janet is a school girl again this year, too. She checked with OCC and found

she only needed 24 hours to get her Bachelor of Christian Education Degree,
so she just finished 12 of them this semester, and is signed up to do the
other 12 next semester.
Janet is making straight "A"s, of course, just
like before, when I and our first child interrupted her education. So next
May we should have two graduates around our house.

When we first

got back to the States in 1993 we really needed to .b^

ministered to. We thank so many of you who did just that and even cdntinife
doing so. Early this year we started feeling a deep need to minister.
In
September we started going to another church. Fir Road Christian .Church,
that had asked me to teach an adult Sunday School class. It has really been
a b.!essiug to be involved there as it has been another step in recovc^ry for

me to see God using me where I am. My prayer is that they,too,are being

ministered to.
I'm- finding many opportunities at my work, Wilhite Si^n
Company,

too, as I get to know the men and their needs.

It's exciting

being the Lord's Servant, isn't it?

I am really thankful to have been able to spend some time with my dad this
year. We're none of us getting any younger. I've gone to Muskogee several
times to help him work on an old house of his. He bought it for $800 when
he was a young man. We've done just about everything to it you could
possibly do. Janet, Sarah, Rachel, and I, plus our daughter Becky and her

husband, Brian, went to Dad and Dot's for Thanksgiving and spent three days
working on it together.

It was more fun that going hunting.

COLLEGE HEIGHTS CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage

RT. 7, BOX 947

JOPLIN, MO 64801

PAID
Joplin, MO 64801
Permit No. 26

Mission Services Assn

P.

0.

Box 2427

Knoxville, TN

37901-2427

We have just finished all the Church and school Christmas programs.
have some last minute shopping to do and cards to send.
After
Christmas day here at home with Becky and Nathan's families, our

Now

we

having
family

plans to drive down to Texas to spend a few days with Moo, Beth and our
grand-children. During Spring break, if the Lord tarries that long, Beth's
family and Jon's family from Florida hope to drive up here to see brother
Nate and Kate's new baby. Fun!
We hope this has been a year of
growing in Christ
for you too.
Let us
press
toward the goal
to win the prize for which God has
called us
heavenward

in Christ

Jesus,"

We'll

keep you posted on future plans.

Yours

Alan &

In Christ,

Janet

Bemo

Praise, Beth, Noble, Word & Sakchal Adkins

Michelle, Jon & Aissa