While much of the transition is still in process, there are a number of online activities that will be impacted by this restructure. First, many of our social media outlets, like Facebook, Twitter and this blog, will be discontinued within the week. While we have reach a number of new partners through these resources, the function of Wycliffe Foundation will no longer need a separate online identity apart from Wycliffe Bible Translators. Additionally, the Wycliffe Foundation Web site will eventually integrate more fully with Wycliffe.org.

As always, thank you for your prayers during this time. It is our pleasure serving with you in this ministry of Bible translation.

The Society is the namesake of Cameron Townsend, the founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Townsend’s
commitment to reaching the lost with Scripture in their own languages inspired a vibrant global translation
movement.

Membership in the William Cameron Townsend Legacy Society offers the chance to partner in fulfilling Uncle Cam’s dream of unlocking Scripture for those still waiting.

Legacy Society members receive invitations to Biblical stewardship seminars and exclusive events, discounts on
selected Wycliffe merchandise, and regular newsletter updates, among other benefits. Members may remain anonymous.

For more information on the benefits of membership in the William Cameron Townsend Legacy Society, call toll-free 877-493-3600 or visit http://wycliffefoundation.org.

Prince Bello is 78 years old, but he’s young as a Christian. Just nine years ago, he left the major religion of his Okphela forefathers to follow Christ.
The Nigerian prince held a variety of prestigious positions during his career and speaks fluent English.

Many would question whether this well-educated English speaker and his English-speaking church need a translation in their language. But Prince Bello has experienced its value for himself.

At the end of a service that included the reading of Romans 8:31–39 in his language, Prince Bello rose and declared, “Now, for the first time in my life, have I understood the meaning of these verses.”

The prince’s situation isn’t unique. Throughout Nigeria, churches among people groups that don’t have mother
tongue Scripture use English for their services. Those who don’t know English often rely on the quick translation of a
pastor from the pulpit. Today there are over 300 Nigerian language groups like the Okphela that still need God’s Word.

The Seed Company works with other Wycliffe organizations, Nigerian churches and local ministries to plan and implement creative projects throughout Nigeria like the Okphela project. To learn more, visit http://theseedcompany.org.

By Rachel Morgan, Rangi Project Translation Advisor, Wycliffe Bible Translators

Two very rewarding aspects of working on a translation project stand out in my mind. The first is seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they hear God’s Word in their language for the first time. The second is what I call the “light bulb” moments.

These moments occur when a translator is looking at the Bible trying to find an equivalent word for a concept in his language.

This recently happened when we were translating Genesis 13:10. The Swahili word for the Garden of Eden, or Garden of the Lord, is bustani. The Tanzanian translators were used to this word, but it does not conjure up anything particularly beautiful about a garden.

Tom, a Bible translator, was describing how beautiful the Garden of Eden was, with water, animals, trees, flowers, etc. During the discussion, Kijuu and Maingu, the Rangi translators, suddenly ‘saw’ for the first time how beautiful the Garden of Eden was. They then knew that the best Rangi word for a beautiful garden or piece of land is ntindika.

Kijuu described ntindika as a place which, though people need to tend and cultivate it, never fails to produce a great variety of delicious fruit , such as papaya, mangoes or sugar cane.

He said, “You can always find food there.”

It was exciting to see the joy in their faces as they made this discovery. Translating the Word of God into a person’s mother tongue makes it come alive for them.

Wycliffe is a Wycliffe Foundation affiliate organization.

Early in their marriage, Fred and Caroline Yocum made a decision that has shaped a 40-year legacy of generosity.

“We were challenged many years ago, in 1969, to tithe,”  Caroline recalled. “So we made a determined effort to tithe within that year. And then, as the Lord blessed us with any salary increases, we would increase our giving at a rate of 1 percent.”

As time passed, Fred advanced within the railroading industry, eventually becoming an executive. With each raise, the Yocums gave more to missionaries, often helping ones with young children so they could involve their own two daughters and son.

Today they support eight Wycliffe missionaries, including two nephews serving with Wycliffe. Much of their giving has supported Bible translation, a choice rooted in their belief that Scripture transforms lives.

The Yocums’ consistent giving has allowed them to see the fruit of their gifts—even through deep grief.

Caroline’s sister and brother-in-law, Cindi and Jim Farr, had served as translators with Wycliffe in Papua New Guinea for 37 years when Cindi died suddenly in January 2008 at age 61.

When the Yocums saw the video of Cindi’s funeral, they noticed how the country had changed since their visit three decades earlier.

Cindi’s funeral itself illustrated changes in the Korafe tribe, whose funerals were traditionally somber and full of wailing. As the Korafe read God’s Word in their own language, made available to them through the Farrs’ ministry, they re-examined their attitudes about death. Because they believed Cindi was in Heaven, the tribe buried her to the beat of drums and dancing.

“There’s no question that the reason they did it is their understanding that she was with Christ,” Fred said. “It indicated that God’s Word had made a real difference.”

The Yocums received an inheritance several months ago, just as their nephew, Dan Moury, began raising support to serve with Wycliffe as a videographer. They immediately knew how they wanted to use it.

“There’s always been a very good relationship between Dan and our family,” Fred explained. “We felt that since the Lord called him to do this, then we should try to help.”

As the Yocums explored the best way to support Dan and his family, they considered making a large one-time gift.

Then, Dan heard about the possibility that the Yocums could support them using a planned gift.

After meeting with Director of Gift Planning Steve Davis, the Yocums established a donoradvised

fund through Wycliffe Foundation.

The DAF allows them to direct funds during their lifetime toward Wycliffe Bible Translators for the benefit of the Mourys. They can adjust the funds distributed each year based on the Mourys’ needs. Upon the Yocums’ death, their DAF will be administered by a successor of their choice.

The donor-advised fund allows the Yocums to give at a measured pace despite the fact that retirement has changed their cash flow and serves as one more tool that helps them continue their legacy of supporting Bible translation.

“This is a way that we can give ongoing, year by year, and do it at the time that we had the opportunity to make the gift.” Fred explained.

You can continue your support of a Wycliffe member through a Wycliffe Foundation donor-advised fund. For more information, call toll-free (877) 493-3600 or visit http://wycliffefoundation.org/daf.

We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints — and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you. Now as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you — so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

(2 Corinthians 8:1-15, NRSV)

Greetings, fellow Macedonians!

Nothing speaks to our current times as well as Scripture.

Like the Macedonians, we are living in a difficult financial time, yet we continue to witness the generosity of donors. The Macedonians begged for the privilege of sharing; our partners seek to maximize their giving to Bible translation. The Macedonians gave first of themselves to the Lord.

I am continually humbled by the stories of faith and commitment to Kingdom work that come from our Legacy Society members. Paul’s task was to complete the work of gathering resources for the church. Ours is to complete the task of gathering resources needed to start translation for the last remaining language groups without God’s Word.

Nothing provides hope to the world better than Scripture does. Thanks for excelling in providing resources so that all might hear. We look forward to serving you in 2010.

“These stories have allowed me to share the gospel in ways I’ve never been able to share before,” Peter* answered, when I asked him how the oral chronological Bible storying project had affected his life and ministry. Peter is just one of 23 young men who made up a cluster of eight Bible storying projects in northern India.

Elizabeth worked on the OneStory project in 2009.

Over the past year, I had the distinct privilege of coordinating and consulting with six of these teams while I lived in Pan Town,* India. I lived in a girls’ orphanage with a lot of bugs, little electricity, the heartache of missing home and the daily frustration of communicating in a language not my own. My role was to meet daily with the story teams and advise them as they crafted stories in their own languages.

Two-thirds of the world functions as oral cultures; sharing the gospel through oral stories immediately connects with these cultures’ style of communication. In addition, oral stories can often pave the way for the written Word.

After hearing the story of Elijah praying for rain (taken from 1 Kings), a group of literacy teachers asked for a copy of the entire Bible in the national language, because it hasn’t been translated yet in their own mother tongue.

In short, the storying process looked like this: The team members, or “story-crafters,” crafted a story, then tested it with unbelieving neighbors in their villages. This testing involved asking the listener to retell the story after hearing it a few times, and also answering several “why”-type questions. The story-crafter then brought this testing data to me. After reviewing the information with other consultants, the story-crafter and I discussed ways to adjust the story so that the listener had a more accurate understanding of the story and would also be able to retell it more easily.

In the end, these eight languages reaching more than 65 million people now have access to God’s word in the form of 20 to 30 oral Bible stories. But more than that, national believers have a unique tool to share the gospel with the unbelievers around them.

One story-crafter reported, “I told the story of Jonah, and the unbeliever who listened heard that God forgives those who do wrong—something missing in their cultural worldview. After the story, the listener asked, ‘Will God also forgive me?’ Before, I couldn’t find a way to explain these things in a conversation, but the stories make it very easy for me to share.”

Another team member reported, “My wife is illiterate, but through this story training, she has learned about 18 stories, and now whenever she sits and talks with someone, she can explain (the gospel) through the stories. There is a great change in her life.”

Telling Bible stories is certainly not a new idea. However, storying through the Bible chronologically through Biblically accurate, culturally relevant stories, is an approach that Wycliffe is beginning to use more effectively to reach more people in this generation with the truth of the gospel.

*Due to the sensitive nature of the work, actual names have not been used.

This Kodiak aircraft, the first of its kind to arrive overseas for mission service, reached Papua New Guinea in September 2009. Pilots began flying Bible translators, language surveyors and others around the island within a few weeks of the plane’s arrival.

But on November 19, work paused, and the Kodiak crew joined more than 100 guests at Jackson Airport in Port Moresby, the country’s capital, to dedicate the aircraft to God’s service.

The guest of honor at the ceremony was His Excellency, Grand Chief, Sir Paulias Matane, Governor-General of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, who spoke of SIL-Papua New Guinea’s (SIL-PNG) language work.

Following his comments, the Governor-General, along with Tim Lithgow, Director of SIL-PNG, and David Reeves, President and CEO of JAARS, cut the ceremonial ribbon.

“The occasion was most significant,” wrote one local who attended. “It was a program … with prayer and the Word spoken right throughout. … It is the way our spoken language ought to be.”

Papua New Guinea is one of the most rugged and linguistically diverse countries on Earth. It is home to more than 800 languages, approximately 300 of which do not have any Scriptures. The Kodiak and other appropriate, reliable transportation vehicles are crucial to reaching these diverse and isolated communities. To learn more about JAARS and the Kodiak aircraft, visit http://www.jaars.org.

JAARS is a Wycliffe Foundation affiliate organization.

By Steve Davis, Director of Gift Planning, Wycliffe Foundation

Is your stock still appreciating? What about that rental property that you own and manage for God? These are just two of the many assets under management that are worth more today than when they were purchased. And with the recent upturn in the market, these assets are probably worth more than you might think.

However, most people think that they have to hang on to these assets based on the belief that selling them they would incur cost-prohibitive capital gains taxes. As a result, God’s stewards do not consider these resources as sources for giving.

But there is an opportunity to increase your current impact on the work of Bible translation while blessing your children and grandchildren. By using an asset such as marketable securities, you can actually contribute more than you would by using cash. The concept is to use an asset that is worth more today than it was when you acquired it to establish a donor-advised fund (DAF).

What is a donor-advised fund? A donor-advised fund is a charitable giving vehicle administered by Wycliffe Foundation and created for the purpose of managing Kingdom-impact donations on behalf of you and your family.

Here’s how a DAF works:

• You or your private foundation make an irrevocable, taxdeductible
• contribution to Wycliffe Foundation
• Wycliffe Foundation liquidates the assets and invests the proceeds
• You advise the Foundation on what qualified organizations will
• receive grants
• The Foundation completes due diligence and disperses the funds
• You can name a successor representative to make grants after
• your death
• You maximize God’s assets and simplify your giving

Many assets can fund this powerful giving tool, including underused assets such as marketable securities, certificates of deposit, cash, real estate and business interests that have appreciated in value.

Partners who initiate a DAF enjoy tax-advantaged giving by receiving an immediate tax deduction and eliminating capital gains taxes on the assets contributed to the fund. DAFs essentially act like a family foundation without the annual tax reporting and paperwork while maximizing giving opportunities to Bible translation and the Wycliffe family of organizations.

So what assets do you have under management that God could use to fund such a giving vehicle? To learn more, visit http://wycliffefoundation.org/daf.

At a glance: Donor-advised funds

• Fund assets are invested so that growth and/or annual net income may be available for distribution
• Make grant recommendations at any time, including anonymous gifts
• Name a successor adviser to continue making recommendations for up to 20 years beyond the lifetime of the initial trust holder
• Maximize tax savings
• Benefit from the experience and expertise of the Wycliffe Foundation team

Giving Through a DAF: A family affair

Many families use DAFs as their family giving fund. Children and grandchildren are assigned a certain dollar amount to “manage” from the fund. After conducting their own research, the family gathers together and recommends where those dollars can make the most impact. By involving additional family members, supporters can pass along charitable and spiritual values to loved ones who are also actively involved in the giving process.

In 1999, Wycliffe adopted Vision 2025 to help speed the process of Bible translation, acknowledging that a large gap existed between known sources of funding and the cost of accomplishing Vision 2025. Where would these funds be found?

Among the many strategies that Wycliffe considered was the area of legacy giving. A few visionaries recognized that existing Wycliffe partners held valuable resources in their personal estates. How could Wycliffe help these donors recognize the opportunity to support Bible translation beyond their lifetimes?

In October 2002, the Wycliffe Foundation was officially chartered. By fall 2003, operations had begun and the process of helping donors establish estate plans was under way. Prior to that time, the process of planned giving did not exist inside Wycliffe. If someone asked how they could remember Wycliffe in their will, then a development representative stepped in to help accomplish that.

The creation of the Wycliffe Foundation established a professional, dedicated, full-time staff with the sole purpose of expanding legacy giving to Bible translation through Wycliffe affiliate organizations.

As of this writing, the Wycliffe Foundation has helped partners like you structure legacy gift plans that total more than $100 million. This has been possible in part because of a highly skilled and dedicated staff in the field and here in Orlando. They have assisted more than 1,500 people in the creation of a stewardship plan for their assets that meets their needs and desires and helps them honor God by contributing to the Kingdom work of Bible translation.

None of this would be possible if God were not leading and guiding the Wycliffe Foundation. From the beginning, we have characterized our organization as ministry. In the end, we are about helping fulfill the Great Commission.

Thank you for your partnership in that eternal work.

By Mary Tindall

ORLANDO, Fla.—As Marcia Millar looks across the landscape of Dodoma, Tanzania, she sees a dry, dusty land—in both the literal and spiritual senses.

Dodoma, the political capital of this East African country, is undergoing a population boom. Meanwhile, its churches are struggling, its pastors undertrained in the Bible.

Bible translators hope that when the people of Dodoma receive the Bible in their mother-tongue languages, the spiritual climate will improve. Yet as translators pursue this goal, high rent prices stemming from the population influx are setting back their efforts.

Marcia helps administer the translation efforts in three indigenous languages—Burunge, Rangi, and Sandawe—as the Dodoma office coordinator for the Uganda-Tanzania branch. Previously, she spent 17 years traveling across Kenya and Tanzania, teaching children of Wycliffe translators.

Every month, she hears anxiety in the voices of translators who worry about making their next rent payment. One office’s rent recently jumped from 1,400 U.S. dollars to $5,000 within one month. Residential rents have risen exponentially, too.

“It’s a distraction for our translators,” Marcia, 56, said. “Their need is to take care of their families. They get really discouraged about it.”

Soon a new crop of Wycliffe personnel will begin a four-month Swahili language-acquisition session, the first step in translating a related language that has defied two translation attempts before. 

This language is termed a “last language” by Wycliffe Bible Translators, because it is one of thousands of languages yet to receive the Bible. Because of the sensitive religious climate, this language will remain unnamed.

The project has been started, and halted, twice before. In the 1990s, a married couple leading the translation was forced to leave the mission field after the wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. The second attempt at translation never gained momentum.

Now, in the third pass of this translation, its success stands in question.

Even as the financial problems for this project look insurmountable, the audience for newly translated scriptures continues to widen.

Two universities—St. Johns University and the University of Dodoma—have opened in Dodoma within the last two years, bringing with them thousands of students, faculty and staff. This surge of people has transformed Dodoma into an intellectually vibrant city—and sent rent prices soaring.

Despite the financial and spiritual hardships, hope endures among the Tanzanian translation team.

Marcia recalled the story of a young Tanzanian translator named Paulo Kijuu who attended a family funeral two years ago, bringing with him the first three chapters of Mark in the Rangi language. All the funeral guests wanted to hear the chapters read aloud. 

After they heard the words in their own languages, every listener wanted to take Paulo’s only copy home with them. Finally, they agreed that each person would take one sheet from the three chapters to take home in the village.

It is because of stories like this—stories that demonstrate the thirst Tanzanians have for the Bible in their mother tongues—that Bible translators in Tanzania persevere.

By Steve Davis, Director of Gift Planning, Wycliffe Foundation

Many people today are struggling. They are struggling with the decline in value of some of their assets, such as certificates of deposit earning 1 to 2% interest, or a decline in the market value of their portfolio and decreasing dividends.

Additionally, many individuals face uncertainty about what their future needs will be. They may hesitate to use some of their assets to make a gift that will impact the work of Bible translation, for fear that additional income may be needed at some future point. So they wait.

Someone once said that “waiting will cost you,” and that is often true. If you wait to buy a car, it may cost you more. However, in exchange for some flexibility and a willingness to wait, a flexible deferred  charitable gift annuity can actually provide you with more income for the future.

The concept

A charitable gift annuity (CGA) is one of the most popular gift-planning tools people use to support Bible translation and serves as an agreement between Wycliffe Foundation and a financial partner.

With a CGA, you can make a gift of cash or marketable securities and receive fixed payments for life at attractive rates by transferring some type of asset to Wycliffe. In return, you receive an income stream for the rest of your life, or two lives in some cases. At the end of those lives, the remainder of the gift will support the work of Bible translation.

A deferred gift annuity defers the income stream until some point in the future. The value in waiting results in a larger payment—one that is fixed and won’t be influenced by market conditions.

The flexible deferred charitable gift annuity simply adds one more component: In exchange for a degree of flexibility, you can select the payment to start at one rate and increase that to higher fixed rate at a later date. In essence, you can defer your payment twice, providing a larger annuity payment and more income over a lifetime than if it was established now.

 The benefits

• Gift and tax deduction
• Tax-free income
• Value grows tax-free till payout
• Flexibility
• Gift to Wycliffe now
• Secure source of future income

 The impact

• Peace of mind
• Impact future of Bible translation
• Replace your giving upon death
• Taxes reduced or eliminated

Here’s an illustration of the concept:

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, ages 65 and 64, would like to have the option of establishing a future retirement income. They are uncertain about when they will need this. They would like to begin to lock in a fixed rate now, just in case the value of their assets declines.

 The Smiths decide to transfer $100,000 cash to Wycliffe Foundation to establish a flexible deferred charitable gift annuity. They select the target date as John’s 70^th birthday. The deferred rate is 6.4%, and their payment will be $6,400 per year.

 As a result, the Smiths will receive a charitable income tax deduction of $28,972.16. Their annuity contract allows them the flexibility of starting to receive their payments anytime between ages 70 and 80. If they decide to wait until John is 80, their rate will be 11.4% and their annual payment will be $11,400. If they select the latter option, their tax-free income may increase as well.

Upon their receipt, these gifts will be used to support the work of the Wycliffe family of organizations in the U.S. that serve the recruiting, training, and logistical operations for approximately 3,800 missionaries, translators, aviators, literacy workers, and administrators around the world.

“We are humbled by the resources God has entrusted to Wycliffe Foundation over the past seven years,” said Don Erickson, president and CEO of Wycliffe Foundation. “We praise God for the work He has done so far through our organization and look forward to our continued service to the overall task of Bible translation.”

In recognition of this milestone, the Foundation will host Celebrating legacies…changing lives on November 18, 2009, in Orlando, Fla. The morning event will feature stories from partners across the country, along with discussions and presentations from Foundation staff and leadership. The celebration will conclude with refreshments and a Biblical stewardship seminar in the afternoon. 

For information on the celebration on November 18, visit http://WycliffeFoundation.org/events.

Many of you are supporting aging parents, dependent children, or Wycliffe missionaries. There is a tax-efficient way to continue to meet financial obligations to those and others so important to you, and impact the work of Bible translation.

A charitable gift annuity (CGA) is a simple contract; in exchange for a contribution of cash or an appreciated asset, Wycliffe Foundation commits to making fixed payments for life to one or two named beneficiaries. The amount of those fixed payments is based on the age of the annuitants—the older the annuitant is, the higher the payments will be.

You can establish a CGA for the benefit of a relative, friend or Wycliffe missionary. If you establish a gift annuity and name any of these as a beneficiary, their payments will be partially tax-free.

Wycliffe Foundation invests and manages the contribution, and when the last annuitant has died, the remainder of the contribution is used to advance the mission of Bible translation, linguistics training, and literacy efforts. A gift annuity is safe and secure legal contract backed by the full resources of Wycliffe.

As the donor, you are entitled to a charitable deduction for the gift portion of the contribution. Payments to the annuitant are partially tax-free, and if long-term appreciated securities are used to fund the annuity, tax on any capital gain is reduced. You may also be able to avoid any gift tax consequences.

Editor’s note: Jeff Lydenberg serves as vice president of consulting for PG Calc, and works with nonprofit organizations on gift-planning needs. He is a frequent speaker at local, regional and national planned-giving events and is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council.

It was almost straight out of the recently translated stories of Jesus. One Sunday an elderly, blind woman, one of the Tharaka people of Kenya, made her way to church to give her offering: a small bag of corn.

 It would hardly seem amazing—except that the Tharaka people were in the midst of a serious drought. Few people had much to spare. Clearly, Tharaka believers highly value God’s work.

The generosity and diligence displayed by these believers is not an exception. Ever since the Tharaka New Testament was published in 2001, local Christians have been doing all they can to make further translation possible.

In 2006, they beganwork on the Tharaka Old Testament, which they hope to complete in just three more years, bringing God’s Word to about 112,000 Tharaka speakers. Learn more about the Tharaka people at www.theseedcompany.org/project/tharaka-ot.

The Seed Company is a Wycliffe Foundation affiliate organization.

Thirty years ago, Robert Bugenhagen set off on an adventure. As a trained linguist, Robert planned to help translate Scripture in Papua New Guinea, a nation where more than 700 languages are spoken.

At the time, Robert’s parents, Roger and Shirley, of Annapolis, Md., were skeptical of their son’s plans. They thought he would probably return to the U.S. in a few years, perhaps disillusioned by the enormous task he had undertaken.

Robert stayed in Papua New Guinea much longer than his parents anticipated. It was where he met his wife, a Finnish nurse named Salme. The couple, based on Umboi Island, has since helped translate the Bible into two minority languages and is now working on a third.

"It was really quite moving to hear how the people really appreciated having the Bible."

His son’s lifelong devotion to Bible translation has shaped Roger’s financial goals.

The senior Bugenhagen wants to support his son’s work—mostly because Robert is his son, but also because Roger has seen the effect that a new Bible translation has in the hearts of those receiving it for the first time.

Roger first realized the impact of his son’s work when his son’s team hosted a ceremony in their village to celebrate the completion of a Scripture translation.

“They had a video tape at the time that I saw, and it was really quite moving to see how the people really appreciated having the Bible,” Roger shared.

Roger, who became a widower when Shirley died in 2000, began to think about how to incorporate Wycliffe into his estate.

During his career at the U.S. Census Bureau, from where he retired as assistant director of economic programs, Roger had learned the importance of sound investments. As he began looking at his assets, he decided to make some changes.

“I was trying to lessen my exposure to the stock market, I was looking for some alternatives, and I had read something about charitable gift annuities, and I decided to explore that directly with Wycliffe,” Roger said.

Roger eventually established two charitable gift annuities through Wycliffe Foundation. With these charitable gift annuities, he made a gift of cash and now receives fixed payments for life.

“It worked out very well for me in several aspects because I donated appreciated stock, which is transferred,” Roger said. “By not selling it, I save myself a lot of capital gains taxes.”

“The income from my annuity was far greater than I was receiving in dividends from the stock,” Roger explained.

Upon Roger’s passing, the remainder of the CGA will benefit his son and daughter-in-law. This decision was an easy one for Robert.

“As they get older, a lot of their support that they’ve gained over the years has dissipated,” Roger said. “People die off, so it’s not an easy situation. So I felt really good that this would probably help them in their later years. I’ve seen the work, I’ve seen the results of the work, and I’m able to support them.”

 A charitable lead trust (CLT) is a vehicle by which a donor irrevocably transfers assets to a trust; the trust then makes income payments no less than annually from those transferred assets to a charity for a set term.

The trust may be structured two ways: as a charitable lead annuity trust (CLAT), where the charity receives a fixed dollar amount or a percentage each year of the fair market value of the initial trust assets, or a charitable lead unitrust (CLUT), where the charity receives a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the assets, determined annually. In either case, at the end of the trust term, the remaining trust assets pass to beneficiaries, typically the grantor’s children or grandchildren.

 Benefits to partner:

• Provides assets for use by a favorite charity or ministry,
• Estate- or gift-tax deduction equal to the charitable income interest and possibly an immediate income tax deduction, and
• Ability to pass assets to descendants free of estate and possibly gift tax.

Benefits to ministry:

• Commitment by donor of an immediate income stream for a set term,
• Depending on how the CLT is structured, trust income can be taxed to donor and not CLT, thereby preserving principal.

 CLTs are useful tools that not only benefit the ministry but also the supporter, making it an ideal vehicle for the charitably-minded who are also looking for a way to benefit family.

 Emanuel J. Kallina II is an attorney in Townson, Md., specializing in estate planning and tax law.

A prescription for life

By Jenny Evans, The Seed Company

When someone comes to faith in Christ, everything looks different: fresh somehow. You experience new purpose, abundant grace and full forgiveness. A new believer may display an exuberant passion and a deep thirst for God’s Word.

In south Asia, a pharmacist recently came to faith in Christ. The ongoing translation of Scripture into his mother tongue is helping fuel his fervor. He witnesses to everyone: Patients, neighbors and strangers have heard his story. Twenty-one of those people have also accepted our Savior!

The pharmacist’s enthusiasm for Jesus earned him the nickname “Madman” from skeptical neighbors. But this hasn’t slowed him down. He’s also put several Scripture passages from Genesis and the Gospels into song. Local believers are singing them, and he’s eager to share the Gospel with many more.

Praise God that investments in Bible translation empower others to know God and to share their faith. People who never realized God could speak their language now have growing, personal relationships with the Master, thanks in part to the efforts of Bible translators.

Equipping the workers

By Dustin Moody

New missionaries arrive on the field eager to be a part of bringing God’s Word to all language groups. Experienced missionaries transition to the new role of leading “cluster translations,” using native-language speakers to work on several translations at one time. Veteran missionaries finish their translations and become valued consultants and mentors to younger workers.

All of them need the best training and education available to excel in their role in Bible translation.

And soon, thanks to a recent grant the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics (GIAL) received from The Tyndale House Foundation, it will be much more convenient for missionaries to receive this critical education.

“Distance Education will allow translation specialists to continue to develop and hone the necessary skills without taking them off the field,” said Doug Tiffin, director of development for GIAL.

Missionaries serving in Bible translation are often unable to take time away from field assignments due to finances, time commitments and the urgency of the task, Doug explained. This new program should make it easier to continue developing translation and linguistic skills from almost anywhere in the world.

Eventually, students could receive up to 50 percent of the education needed for a degree through distance learning using tools like the Internet and social networking platforms. GIAL faculty are currently writing curriculum and developing materials that will become GIAL’s Distance Education program. 

Bible translation booms in central Africa

By Mary Beth Johnson, JAARS

Translators are actively working in 80 language projects spanning seven countries in central Africa. And at least 200 more people groups wait for Bible translation work to begin in their heart languages. JAARS-supported aviation services for central Africa are headquartered in Cameroon, and the increase in Bible translation work makes the demand for aviation services greater than ever before.

But there’s a problem: There’s no reliable source in Cameroon from which pilots can buy fuel for their avgas-burning aircraft. Yet, ironically, pilots have access to about 15 central African airports that sell jet fuel.

So, to keep the avgas-reliant aircraft fueled, a 20-foot container full of 55-gallon fuel drums filled with avgas from the pump in Waxhaw, N.C., is sent by cargo ship to Cameroon about every four months.

Airplanes serving both Cameroon and surrounding countries have more than 10,000 hours of flight time and burn avgas. JAARS is working to replace these aging, pistonengine aircraft with turbine aircraft that burn readily available jet fuel.

The replacement aircraft chosen is the Soloy Cessna 207, which will use locally available jet fuel. And the Soloy’s faster speed and lower maintenance will be more efficient for moving people and resources quickly and safely in the task of Bible translation.

Editor’s note: To learn more about the Soloy Cessna 207 and the needs in central Africa, visit http://wycliffefoundation.org/JAARS.

Steve Davis

 Looking for a way to make a greater Kingdom impact, especially through the work of Bible translation? You may not think you can, because: 

• You have non-cash assets,

• You desire to pass these assets to family and/or

• You would pay capital gains and gift tax.

What if you could use these assets, transfer more to your children tax-free and still impact the Kingdom? A charitable lead trust (CLT) can do this, and it’s the right tool for this time.

Your opportunity to effectively transfer assets to the next generation has never been better. Rates that predict how much assets will grow in the trust are at an all-time low, making this a timely and wise decision. Many assets, such as securities and businesses, are severely depressed, and it’s likely that they’ll appreciate at a rate well beyond this in the coming years. The combination of low rates and depressed asset values provides a rare opportunity to maximize the use of a CLT.

How does a CLT work?

You transfer assets such as cash, real estate, stocks or business interests to a trust for a set number of years. Each year, payments are made as a fixed percentage from the trust to the ministries of your choice. For even more flexibility, you can set up a Wycliffe Donor Advised Fund, and the trust payments can be made to your DAF. From here, you recommend grants to your favorite Kingdom causes, such as Bible translation.

When the trust expires, the remainder passes to your family. Once the assets are contributed to the CLT, they are immediately removed from your taxable estate, and all assets—including future appreciation—pass to your children and bypass the estate tax.

Who can utilize this? CLTs are the perfect tool for stewards who desire to exercise wise Biblical stewardship, produce greater Kingdom impact and give resources tax-free to family and loved ones.

What are the benefits of a CLT ?

• Trust receives annual charitable deduction for amounts paid to charity,

• Appreciation in value is not included in your estate,

• Assets required during lifetime can be committed to ministry at death,

• Additional Kingdom impact, and

• Assets passed to family with reduced or zero tax.

You see, there is a solution to the desire to impact the work of Bible translation and provide for your family. Consider a CLT and lead the way to finishing the task of Bible translation in this generation.  

Neither the author, the publisher, nor this organization is engaged in rendering legal or tax advisory service. For advice or assistance in specific cases, the services of an attorney or other professional adviser should be obtained. The purpose of this publication is to provide general gift planning information. Watch for tax revisions. State laws govern wills, trusts, and charitable gifts made in a contractual agreement. Advice from legal counsel should be sought when considering these types of gifts. © Copyright Wycliffe Foundation

Remember the late ‘50s TV game show? The object of the game was to choose someone on your team to answer a question for a cash prize. At its core, the game asked, “Do I trust myself more than I trust my team member?”

The question of trust has taken on a highly important meaning these days. Trust has eroded in our society over the past few decades. Beginning with the Vietnam War and Watergate, we lost trust in our government. In the 1980s, we began to lose trust in our financial system as the junk bond and savings and loan scandals broke. Sadly, new chapters have been written in that realm in the past year.

The church is not immune from trust erosion, either, as we have painfully seen. Especially tough to witness are scandals within charitable institutions where we entrust our contributions. Faith-based charities have also experienced problems, and you may know many other examples of loss of trust.

Trust—a precious word based on relationships. As Christians, our trust is rooted in our faith in the Lord:

• Whoever trusts in his riches will fall. —Proverbs 11:28, NIV
• Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light. —John 12:36, NIV
• In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. —Psalm 56:4, NIV

 At Wycliffe Foundation, our most prized asset is the trust you place in us to help you fulfill your stewardship desire. Our ministry is all about trust, and we thank you for placing yours in us. We will safeguard that trust at all costs.

Thank you for your support of Bible translation, and may God continue to richly bless you.

Grace and peace,

Don Erickson

President/CEO

Wycliffe Foundation

By Scott Toncray

BUNDIBUGYO, Uganda—We landed on the grass airstrip near the Democratic Republic of Congo border. Several hundred Africans and a few missionaries greeted us, helping to load our gear into four-wheel drive Land

Rovers.

We arrived at a modest church in the Bundi village after a short, bumpy ride on a red clay road that carved through a tropical forest. There, Bishop Hannington Bahemukae of the Charismatic Episcopal Church introduced us to approximately 50 Bwisi speakers.

Our hosts wanted to make an impression. They had an important story to tell. They told it through

testimonial, song, skit and worship.

Today is graduation day. But this group isn’t graduating from high school or college, although you’d be hard pressed to tell judging by the way everyone is dressed. They’re wearing dresses that were probably once owned by reluctant bridesmaids. But the ladies here today aren’t reluctant; they’re confident in their presentation.

The men are also dressed smart—they, too, have a message to communicate to their visitors. It is a message of love and hope despite the fact that every single one of these men and women is infected with a terminal disease that orphans children and destroys families. They are all HIV-positive.

Robin Rempel, literacy and scripture use coordinator and consultant in Uganda and Tanzania, says, “All Africans are either infected or have been affected by AIDS–maybe not in their immediate core family, but certainly in their extended family and friends that they have known. It has touched everybody here, directly or indirectly.”

Lydia Teera, the very first African I met, is affected. Her father died of the disease when Lydia was 17. A year later, the disease took the life of her stepmother, orphaning Lydia and her brothers and sisters, who were soon split up. They now live in different parts of the world.

Lydia is the first person I have known affected by the disease; I have never met, known or even known of anyone who is HIV-positive. Today, I meet 50 people infected with a disease that will ultimately end their lives here on Earth.

Wycliffe is ministering to those infected with HIV by providing literature and information that explains how to live with the disease and how to prevent spreading it.

More than that, Wycliffe is providing access to the message of hope and love through God’s Holy Word in a language they understand best.

Kabasakay Spice, a local Bwisi woman, said through an interpreter, “When you get this disease, you lose all hope, and you think that the only thing remaining is dying … but when we read this book, we were taught that you can prepare for your children, and that gives us a lot of encouragement to live … I have even written my will.”

During the workshop, one of the attendees came to Christ.

Paul Butler, a reporter with Moody Radio, made this observation: “After spending much of the day with them, I was surprised to see how much joy these people had. One attendee told me, ‘This workshop taught us that even if we are sick, God still loves us.’”

Wycliffe has translated 18 books of the Bible into the Bwisi language group.

Bob Creson, president of Wycliffe USA, said, “It all starts with Bible translation, but it goes way beyond that. We create a better environment for people to live in today, and, of course, the Scriptures provide better environment for people to live eternally.”

Bible translation and language development bring both spiritual and physical health information to people around the world.

By Scott Toncray

 

ENTEBBE, Uganda—In teaching indigenous people how to read and write in their own language, Wycliffe and its partners often use shell books, standardized booklets with text that can easily be translated into the local language.

With graphics and formatting already inserted, shell books cover subject matter related to health, community development, stories and Bible portions.

Take, for example, a shell book called Kande’s Story.

Kande, a young girl just 13 or 14, survived the turmoil inflicted on her family after her father, who was unfaithful, contracted HIV. Because he didn’t know he had it, he didn’t take any precautions to protect his wife from contracting the disease as well. Sadly, Kande’s mother learned about her husband’s disease while she was pregnant with another child; a health worker encouraged her to be tested, warning her that, if she tested positive, the disease could be passed onto her baby.

Soon after, Kande’s father died of AIDS …and her mother died during childbirth.

Though tragic, Kande’s Story is a platform used by Wycliffe personnel to educate and give hope to those infected and affected by HIV.

Kande’s Story is an easily translatable AIDS curriculum currently used in AIDS awareness workshops in 11 countries and 80 language communities in Africa—providing local-language AIDS education for the first time in most of these communities.

After Wycliffe develops a written language, the shell books are translated into a community’s mother-tongue language—the language the local community understands best. While most other AIDS education materials are available in a community’s second language, Wycliffe’s mother-tongue version is often more fully understood, providing better education and increased prevention.

“I call it an avocation,” Dan said of his years spent buying, managing and selling small rental properties across the country. A civil engineer by trade who spent his career working on the California freeway system, Dan and his wife, Cindy, have used their interest in housing to benefit Bible translation in a number of ways.

“Cindy worked for a dentist, and we were good friends with him and his wife, so we all started buying apartments in the 1970s,” Dan said. “It’s amazing over the years the way the Lord has brought properties to us from time to time. People who know you invest will get in touch with you no matter where you are or what you’re doing.”

Some of those same people eventually encouraged Dan to serve on the Wycliffe housing board, overseeing properties owned by Wycliffe and partner organizations. The couple had known about Wycliffe for years through personal friends serving in Bible translation, and Dan was thrilled to use one of his “hobbies” for an organization they loved.

But the excitement of real estate eventually wore off, and Dan and Cindy recognized that it would be easier for them to divide the remaining properties with their friends rather than leave it for their children to do. Now in retirement with grown children and growing grandchildren, they began looking for ways to unload their investments and shed the responsibilities and headaches of property management.

As they began selling, Dan and Cindy set up a trust in their home state, consolidating their estate plans and using some of the proceeds for ministry—as well as their grandchildren’s education. With only a few properties left, their oldest son challenged Dan and Cindy on whether they had considered tithing on the equity that had built up in the trust and the properties.

“He really wasn’t suggesting it; he just said ‘Have you thought about it?’” Dan explained. “We had never thought about tithing on our estate that we are leaving for the kids.”

As the primary trustee on his parents’ estate, Dan’s son was looking ahead to where his parents would want their resources used for the greatest impact.

Dan and Cindy began looking into a part gift/part sale through a charitable lead trust, using the proceeds from the sale of their final properties for both their personal trust and to support Wycliffe and the ministry of Bible translation. They met with Karen Anderson, a gift planning associate with Wycliffe Foundation, about the mechanics of the process.

“It just kind of came together, and it so happened that the equity we had in that last apartment was just about 10 percent of our estate,” Dan shared.

“People think ‘I give it away and that’s it,’” Karen said, “but the return you get back is an added blessing, along with the ability it gives you to provide more to ministry.”

With the sale complete, Dan and Cindy now receive a return from the trust as well as tax deductions for their support of Bible translation.

“I would encourage people to do it,” Dan said. “We feel blessed of the Lord, and it’s a great way to provide and givesome back. We’re only managers of God’s property while we’re here anyway. And I think the Lord brings all kinds of circumstances in your lives that cause you to consider things and then go ahead and do them … when you think about it and start praying about it, then it’s pretty easy.”

To learn more about a charitable trust and “giving it twice,” visit http://wycliffefoundation.org

Between May 13 and 19, the team will visit projects focused on the Mara Cluster and Bwisi language group. Members of the media will interview national and ex-patriot translators, observe AIDS awareness seminars, and will learn how Wycliffe and its primary partner, SIL, are working to accelerate the pace of translation through cluster projects and new technology, such as Adapt-It software.

The information below will enable you to follow this journey on a variety of platforms. We ask for your prayers for the health and safety of the team, for the technology to work, for our field colleagues for whom hosting media is a new venture, and for the people who will be touched by this visit. We also ask that you would pray that the messages received by people in America will touch their hearts and motivate them to connect with us.

Social media sites to check out:

Wycliffe’s Google profile is the place to go if you want to find links to ALL forms of social media that Wycliffe is now using and will be updating from Africa.

Wycliffe’s blog will be the location to find written updates from team members. It also includes links to other social media sites.

Whenever the team is able, they will upload raw and unpackaged videos of the trip to Wycliffe’s page on YouTube.

Twitter is generally referred to as a microblog and uses 140 characters or less to answer the question “What are you doing?” This can be updated via text message, so team members should be “tweeting” frequently throughout the trip about the events of their travels.

As often as possible, new photos will be uploaded to the Wycliffe Flickr page.

The technology of UStream.tv should provide a relatively high quality live video transmission back to the States. If any of these broadcasts are scheduled, Twitter, Facebook and the Wycliffe blog will be updated to reflect that information.

Most (if not all) of the various forms of social media used on the trip will be aggregated on the Wycliffe fan page on Facebook. It will be home to status updates from Twitter, photos from Flickr, videos from YouTube, blogs from WordPress and live streaming videos straight from UStream.tv.

Recently there have been ads on TV with the headline “Life comes at you fast.” While these ads show humorous situations, they make a valid point: life does come at us fast. We have no idea what God has in store for us, but we can be good stewards and turn our earthly treasures into eternal treasure.

Unfortunately, we don’t always keep up with the important details that should accompany significant changes in our lives, like updating wills and estate plans. Your plan should always be tailored to your current life situation—not the one you faced twenty years ago, or even just last year.

Here are some life events that should prompt you to review your will:

• Death of a spouse–the last thing you want to think about is changing your will at a time like this. As things return to normal, think of your family and charities.
• Marriages—make certain that your new spouse is provided for as you wish.
• Divorce—each state treats the impact of divorce differently. No matter where you live, you should make a new will after a divorce.
• Birth of grandchildren—if you want to leave them something, you’ll need to make a new will.
• Change in asset values—if you leave all your property to one person or organization there’s no need to change your will as your earthly treasures change in value. However, if you’ve designated specific gifts of property that you no longer own, you need to change your will to avoid leaving the intended beneficiaries, including charities, nothing. If you obtain new property and want to leave it to someone, update your will to make your wishes clear.

Jonathan Frank serves as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law near Charlotte, North Carolina. Jonathan focuses his practice on advanced issues in estate planning, probate and elder law.

After a discouraging day showing the JESUS film in northern Ghana, the film crew decided to pack up their gear. Only two percent of the people in the region were believers, and not one person out of the hundreds watching had responded to the invitation of salvation given after the film.
Suddenly a man named Mbugri approached the team and asked for prayer. He prayed with them to accept Jesus into his life. The other villagers were astounded. Because the man was deaf, they didn’t understand how he had even understood the film or the message given afterwards.
Mbugri explained that halfway through the film showing, he could suddenly hear for the first time in his life! He knew it was Jesus who had healed him. Seeing this wonderful miracle, many of the villagers—including Mbugri’s entire family of eight—accepted Jesus into their lives.

Teams in Kenya prepare to show the JESUS film

The JESUS film has been translated into more languages and watched by more audiences than any other film in

Editor’s note: This story was adapted by Borghy Holm from an article entitled “And the deaf can hear,” a report from The JESUS Film Project.

Wycliffe Bible Translators USA is a Wycliffe Foundation affiliate organization.

The Board of Trustees for the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics recently met to discuss and recommend a number of new plans for the school that will continue to enable GIAL to educate and train students for a future in linguistics, Bible translation, Scripture use and literacy around the world.

At the meeting in January, the Board moved to approve the Graduate Certificate in Multicultural Teamwork, with courses beginning in Fall 2009. Additionally, the board adopted the vision for a greatly expanded GIAL to provide significantly more trained graduates. This vision incorporates four components, including a greatly-expanded student body, an emphasis on distance education, the establishment of a Language Research Park and programs to provide many more colleagues trained to function at consultant levels by expanding the educational programs being offered by GIAL.

Please join the faculty, staff and the board of trustees as they prayerfully consider the next steps in these exciting endeavors.

GIAL is a Wycliffe Foundation affiliate organization.

Ketning young people face difficult choices. Their home area is deep in the jungle mountains of Southeast Asia, and the promise of greater wealth and vices in coastal cities is tempting.

When Daniel, a national translator for the Ketning project, saw his son, John, travel to the coast, he was concerned. John found work quickly, but as time went on, the vices of the city captivated him. Only part of the Bible is available in his language.

John and Daniel

Daniel has known for some time that having the full Bible in Ketning would be a help to youth like his son, but their remote location has often been a challenge. As part of the Ketning Old Testament project, Seed Company personnel trained Daniel in communication technologies. Using email, Skype, satellite and radio communication, Daniel is working directly with consultants halfway across the world!

John has recently returned home to help construct a building for the project and to the positive influence of his family. One day, Daniel hopes the fully-translated Bible will bring many more Ketning youth “home” to the transforming power of God’s truth in their language.

The Seed Company is a Wycliffe Foundation affiliate organization.

It may seem like Wycliffe lost a great partner when Bob MacDicken passed away just over a year ago, but Gail, his wife, would argue that his legacy lives on.

Bob and Gail met at church, having both been widowed. Bob and his first wife, Nancy, faithfully supported three couples serving with Wycliffe for years. The MacDickens knew Mel and Nory Grant as well as Don and Helen Johnson from church in Washington. They began supporting both couples shortly after each joined Wycliffe. The Grants have served in Columbia, Texas, Senegal and Washington, performing a variety of tasks for the organization. The Johnsons have held roles in operations and international relations in Ecuador, Washington D.C., and Texas. Bob connected with Jim and Nancy Agnor when they were briefly on emergency support provided by the missionary-in-need fund that Bob supported. His “brief emergency support” continued with the Agnors for more than 20 years.

Through Bob's estate, missionaries can continue to bring God's Word to millions still waiting around the world.

“To know them is to love them,” Gail said as she described their decision to continue their support once she and Bob were married. “They really wanted to serve God wherever He wanted them in ministry. Missions was Bob’s heart. To support that desire in his heart when he knew he couldn’t go…he had such a burden for the lost.”

Bob owned his own business, but never saw it simply as a way to gain wealth. Instead, it was a means to an end – an income that allowed him the freedom to give generously to his church and Wycliffe Bible Translators, among other ministries. He understood the importance of being a good steward of all the Lord’s blessings.

That faithful discipline and generosity continued throughout his life and led him to research further ways to continue supporting these Wycliffe missionaries after his lifetime. He discovered that through Wycliffe Foundation, he could set up a bequest to fund Missionary Support Plans for each couple. Upon his death, these MSPs would continue supporting each couple at the same level that he had been until the funds were exhausted. His first wife included the same provisions in her will prior to her death.

“He didn’t want to see these three missionaries suffer because of finances,” Gail said. “To know that all of his money didn’t have to be for [his own] family…that’s just a blessing.”

It hasn’t just blessed the MacDicken family. After hearing of the combination of Nancy and Bob’s gifts into one MSP, along with Gail’s continued current support, Nory Grant shared, “Through the years you lose supporters. Someone passes away or there are medical or family issues that come up. This is amazing to me how when one would drop off for some reason, it just gets picked up. This has been a real encouragement to us to keep pressing on.”

Similarly, Helen Johnson shared, “It is a mind-boggling gift. As we grow older, it is so great to know how God provides. It’s just such a blessing! God will not fail us, even in times that seem difficult.”

While Bob may not be physically on this earth anymore, Gail explained that “His life is still going on in the lives of these missionaries that are serving the Lord. I think that’s a great way to go. It’s a part of Bob going on in their lives.”

Editor’s note: To read more stories like this or to find out how you can leave a legacy for Bible translation, visit our Web site at WycliffeFoundation.org, or complete the enclosed card and return it to the Wycliffe Foundation for further information.

It was no ordinary family reunion. It was a journey that began long ago, and I was just blessed to be a part of the exciting ending…an ending that will hopefully be the beginning of a life-changing Spiritual journey for many.

In 1953, Ray Elliott and his wife, Helen, left their Kansas home and settled in Nebaj, Guatemala. They were sent by Wycliffe Bible Translators, knowing the scope of their long-term commitment. Steve Elliott, one of Ray and Helen’s children, shared “At the time that they joined, it was fairly well expected that it would be a life’s work for someone to do a translation, given the technology of the time, the hard living conditions, and also the distractions.”

While in Guatemala in August of 2008, I attended a dinner honoring Ray and his work on the Ixil Nebaj New Testament. He shared fascinating stories of the difficult days of translation. My favorite was when he reminisced about translating 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Ray said that his Ixil friend repeatedly told Ray that he was translating it incorrectly because the people would think that God cared for them as individuals.

“I finally said, ‘This is precisely what this verse is saying!’” Ray recounted as he explained his conversation with his Ixil friend. “He laughed and said, ‘Imagine that the God who created the universe is interested in me, individually!’ He never got over it. It revolutionalized his life.”

This story of a changed life almost brought me to tears. Knowing that a whole people group had no idea that God cared for them individually until the Word came to their language reminded me of the importance of the work of Bible translation.

After working on the Ixil translation for more than 40 years, Ray faced health issues that forced the family to leave Guatemala. God then provided Dwight Jewett and his wife, Sue, to continue the work on the Ixil Bible. They began in 2000, but Dwight unexpectedly died just six short years later, leaving the project unfinished for a second time.

That same year, Juana, one of the Ixil women helping with the translation, passed away. When I heard this, I was reminded of John 16:33 which promises, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” These setbacks were not obstacles for God as He sent David Henne to finish the translation and ready it for publication—a task that took an additional two years.

Ray Elliott reads through the translated Ixil New Testament for the first time

God’s faithfulness to the completion of the Ixil translation was the reason that 34 members of the Elliott family joined Ray in Guatemala last August to attend the dedication of the completed New Testament, an event I was also able to attend. Not only did I see the Ixil people receive the Word of God in their language for the first time, I was encouraged by the faithfulness of people like Ray, Helen, Dwight, Sue and David—people who risked it all and gave their lives to ensure that more would know of the God who cares for us individually.

“It’s amazing what the Spirit of God can do with the Word…The Holy Spirit can use the scripture in any language for people who are interested in hearing it and obeying it,” Ray explained at a dinner held in his honor.

When the Elliotts arrived in Nebaj in 1953, there were no known believers, and now there are more than 300 Ixil-led churches with more than 25,000 confessing believers. I can only imagine what will happen now with the completed New Testament. It truly is only the beginning.

Editor’s note: Rachel Tidwell traveled to Guatemala in January 2009. To read more stories like this, visit WycliffeFoundation.org/ITF.

We are here to serve each of you in discovering and implementing God’s plan of stewardship for what He has entrusted to you. As a result, we don’t ask people to make current gifts. However, one of the things that we frequently hear from God’s stewards is “I wish I could give more to the work of Bible translation,” or “I wish my gift were larger.” I’d venture to say that most of you would be interested in finding a way that you could do that today and in the future as well.

Additionally, one of the other concerns of the missionaries that you support is “Who will replace the resources provided by my supporters when they go home to be with the Lord?” These two issues are at the heart of the principle of laying up treasure in heaven. Let me show you a way that you can solve both of these problems by funding the future using a gift that keeps on giving. This concept will also enable you to make your largest gift ever to impact the future of Bible translation.

This gift is called a “bequest endowment,” and here’s how it works: As part of your planning, you include a Wycliffe organization or missionaries serving in Bible translation in your will or trust in the form of a bequest. A bequest can be completed several ways. For example, you can name one of the Wycliffe affiliates to receive a certain percentage of your estate. You can also gift a specific property, or you can designate that all or a portion of “what’s left” go to impact the work of Bible translation. Any of these will allow you to use these assets while you’re alive, provide for your family and impact the work of Bible translation in a significant way. In essence, it allows you to make the largest gift you’ve ever made.

In making this decision, the question then becomes “How much should I leave?” This is where the “bequest endowment” comes into the picture. This will enable you to continue supporting your favorite missionary or project after you’ve gone home to be with the Lord. To determine the amount of your “funding the future” gift, simply take the amount of your annual gift and multiply it by 25.

For example, if your monthly gift is $500 then your annual gift would be $6000. Multiplied by 25, this yields a total of $150,000. This would be the amount of your “bequest endowment.” You would designate the appropriate percentage of your estate that would produce this type of gift, or simply designate “what’s left” as the funding of your endowment. This gift of $150,000 with a 4% yearly distribution would then produce an annual gift of $6000, enabling you to continue supporting your favorite missionary or project. In this way, you’ve funded the future by making a gift that keeps on giving to the work that you are so passionate about—the work of Bible translation.

For more information on supporting the work of Bible translation through a will or bequest, contact us by phone at (877) 379-7131 or visit us online at WycliffeFoundation.org/wills.

Creating your Bequest Endowment

• Step-by-step:
  • Calculate your annual gift
  • Multiply this amount by 25
  • Designate a bequest in your will or trust equal to this amount. This designation can be
    • A percentage of your estate
    • Specific property
    • The remainder or residue (what’s left after other wishes are met)
• Here’s an example of how it works:
  • Annual Gift = $6,000 Current impact
  • X 25           = $150,000
  • X 4%          = $6,000 Future impact
• The result:
  • The largest gift you’ve ever made
  • Joy of laying up treasure in heaven
  • Continued impact
  • Encouragement for the missionary or ministry

The clouds clear and below the Pilatus Porter nose, an airstrip emerges from the steamy, tropical mist. Nestled on the elbow of two rivers is the isolated village of Noiadi. “63 knots, 500 feet per minute,” pilot Mark Hoving says as he expertly approaches the touchdown zone. Whoosh. The big three-blade propeller goes into reverse and the heavily-laden aircraft slows before reaching the end of the slippery airstrip.

This particular aircraft is the latest addition to the YAJASI fleet. Originally designed to land on Swiss alpine glaciers, the hardiness of this remarkable machine has been proven over and over on the muddy airstrips of Papua. Realizing the critical need for reaching people in the remotest regions, a generous partner donated his personal aircraft to this task.

A hundred pairs of eyes eagerly anticipate the load contained in the blue and white aircraft. The cabin could contain Dave and Joyce Briley, the Wycliffe Translators serving the Bauzi people, or perhaps medical supplies, literacy materials, humanitarian aid or gasoline to run the generator. But today is no ordinary day; this load is the most valuable cargo of all. The door slides back to reveal cartons of freshly-printed New Testaments from floor to ceiling. Not just New Testaments of the main trade language, but God’s Word in the Bauzi’s own heart language.

Praise God for the gift of this aircraft. Without this plane and the remaining YAJASI fleet, people like the Bauzis remain in darkness. Pray for the urgent provision of two more Pilatus Porter aircraft—tools to reach some of the world’s most remote people still waiting for that same eternal load to come and change the hearts of their generation and the generations to come.

Editor’s note: YAJASI is a Wycliffe and JAARS partner organization in Indonesia.

You can take unused or underused assets like CDs and savings accounts that are yielding low returns to fund a charitable gift annuity. The income from these assets is currently being taxed. However, establishing a Wycliffe charitable gift annuity allows a portion of the income to be tax free. The payout rate will also be considerably higher than what CDs or savings accounts currently yield.

Here’s how CGAs work:

For instance, a 90 year-old partner would receive a 9.5% rate (as of February 1, 2009). On a gift of $10,000, that would provide an annual income of $950, of which $799.90 would be tax free.

You can also use other assets such as appreciated stock or mutual funds. Using these would reduce your capital gains tax and provide you with tax-free income for life.

Interest rates were in a dramatic decline during 2008. With the Congressional Budget Office predicting a challenging year for 2009, it is quite possible that CD rates and bond yields could fall again.

During 2008, the stock markets set two records—neither of which is comforting for seniors. First, the general market declined about 40% for the year, primarily during the last four months of 2008. Second, the markets also set volatility records, having more days with changes in total market value of 4%, 5% and even 6% than have occurred in many decades.

With dramatic stock market changes during the past year, many individuals have sought the safety of short-term government notes and FDIC-insured savings accounts. While the government 90-day Treasury bills were popular because of safety, they have declined to nearly zero return for the first time in history.

Certificate of Deposit (CD) rates are still somewhat higher, with a one year CD currently at 2.6%. But with the soft economy, it is quite possible that the CD rates in 2009 could decline even farther. So the question many seniors are asking is, “How can I have good security and higher payouts?”

An excellent solution is a charitable gift annuity (CGA). CGAs are a commitment of the charity and backed by an annuity reserve fund. Fixed payments are a great benefit of CGAs. The rate may be 6%, 7% or 8% or even higher—maybe two or three times as much as Treasury bills or CDs.

With quarterly or monthly payouts, you will be receiving substantial and secure income for your lifetime or the lifetime of your spouse. To find out more about CGAs, visit http://www.WycliffeFoundation.org/cga.

Charles Schultz is a California attorney who specializes in charitable giving and estate planning. He is principal author of the Crescendo Planned Giving software and the GiftLegacy Pro eMarketing system and writes, speaks and publishes extensively.

In 1776 during a very difficult time in our country’s history, Thomas Paine uttered the famous phrase “These are the times that try men’s souls.” In light of all that is happening today, we could surely echo these same sentiments.

These are indeed “taxing and trying times.” Many of you are living on fixed incomes and watching some of your assets decrease in value, making it more difficult to stretch those resources and support your favorite ministries.

Here are some charitable gift annuity (CGA) ideas that will help you accomplish your goals and support the work of Bible translation at the same time, even in light of today’s uncertain times.

• Turn your income into support
  If you’ve already turned your assets into tax-free income through a CGA, you may not need all of the income the annuity generates. There are two ways these funds can support Bible translation.
  • First, you can simply take the income you receive from your CGA and send it back to the ministry, like The Seed Company, JAARS, GIAL, or Wycliffe Bible Translators. This gift could then be designated for a particular missionary or project.
  • Or you can assign your income payment to the named beneficiary of your annuity. The income from your CGA would go directly to the organization or missionary that will receive the remainder of your annuity upon your death.
• Turn your existing CGA into a current gift
  This final idea allows you to take your existing CGA(s) and put them to work now.
  • Through a signed and dated agreement, you may transfer the contract back to Wycliffe Foundation. Some annuitants no longer need annuity payments and desire a charitable deduction. For example, you may be receiving progressively larger distributions from your IRA. Consequently, the annuity income is less important than a charitable deduction that could offset taxable distributions from the IRA. After the annuitant irrevocably assigns the annuity contract to the charity, the charity has no further obligation to make annuity payments. You receive a charitable deduction and Wycliffe uses the remainder of the contract for the work of Bible translation right now. Now you have a tool that can provide for your needs and provide for the work of Bible translation at the same time. And you can do this with certainty even in these uncertain times.

Click here to see a diagrammed real-life example of how a CGA works.

For more information on charitable gift annuities, contact us by phone at (877) 379-7131 or visit us online at WycliffeFoundation.org/cga.

“Today’s world increasingly calls for leadership that is able to function effectively in multi-cultural contexts,” said David Ross, GIAL President. “More and more church-related organizations, nongovernmental organizations and mission agencies are becoming international in make-up and orientation, making multicultural leadership skills mandatory.”

Offered by the GIAL Language Development Department, the certificate program is already sparking interest among advisors, coordinators and administrators of multicultural teams working both in the United States and abroad in various linguistic capacities. The certificate will encompass 12 hours of graduate coursework during a four-month period. GIAL hopes to begin offering the new program in fall 2009.

GIAL is a Wycliffe Foundation affiliate organization.

David Reeves succeeded Jim Akovenko as JAARS president on October 1, 2008.

“I am courageously confident that the Lord is using Bible translation to change the face of His Church and His Kingdom,” David said when asked about filling his role as JAARS leader. “We need to expand our comfort zones and to open our minds to new perspectives.”

Wycliffe members for 24 years, David and his wife, Jane, initially served from 1984-1988 at JAARS in Waxhaw, N.C. where David worked in the radio department and avionics shop. They called Indonesia home for more than 18 years, as David helped provide communication and aviation services for Bible translators and literacy specialists. It was there he learned first-hand of the invaluable impact JAARS has on the lives of people impacted by Bible translation.

David’s experiences propelled him into multiple management and supervisory capacities while in Indonesia with SIL—JAARS linguistic, literacy and translation partner. There he chaired the SIL Indonesia Executive Committee and served as general manager of JAARS national partner organization, YAJASI, which provides aviation and communications.

JAARS speeds the Bible translation process by providing quality technical support services and resources.

JAARS is a Wycliffe Foundation affiliate organization.

This November, The Seed Company entered its 500th national-led language project with the Majang people of Ethiopia with the partnership of SIL International. The goal is to translate the New Testament and parts of Genesis for a community of 40,000 people in southwestern Ethiopia.

The translation project, celebrated at the November launch of the Last Languages Campaign, will bring Wycliffe U.S. and its affiliates one step closer to the goal of Vision 2025—to see a Bible translation program in progress in every language still needing one by the year 2025.

“We are seeing a vision crystallize here,” says Seed Company President Roy Peterson. “There’s a sense of excitement, of urgency, of possibility that the resources are available. We just need to bring together the partnerships and the components that will be needed.”

Roy Peterson celebrates The Seed Company’s 500th translation project at the Last Languages Celebration in Orlando, November 2008.

The coming years are promising. By the end of 2010, The Seed Company plans to partner in 225 more languages and in the completion of 100 projects. In our lifetime, countless evangelists, pastors and believers from these communities will have new opportunities to share the gospel clearly, deepen their faith and boldly proclaim the hope Jesus Christ brings.

The Seed Company is a Wycliffe Foundation affiliate organization.

“We started with nothing and we never had any hopes of retiring,” Loretta said as she described the outlook that she and her husband, Don, have had together. All they ever expected was to live a simple life, and in some ways they have done just that. But what they consider to be an ordinary life has had quite an extraordinary impact on the lives of people around the world.

After serving time in the Navy, Don began working with the U.S. Postal Service, delivering mail on a rural Michigan driving route for more than 20 years. His route finished in the afternoon, so Don would work on other odd jobs like finishing attics and basements.

When he met Loretta at a roller skating rink, she was dating a man in the Army, but as Don jokes, “Her mother liked me better.” They married in December of 1948, just over 60 years ago. With no children of their own, they served as parents to three godchildren, who have blessed Don and Loretta with seven grandchildren that they consider their own.

Once Don retired from the Postal service, he and Loretta made Venice, Fla. their home, where they’ve lived for more than 20 years. After moving, they faced some trying days as Loretta was diagnosed with progressive cancer and had to undergo numerous surgeries and procedures. Even now, having lived through those hard times, she deals with extreme allergies, limiting her ability to go many places.

In spite of these challenges, their passion to serve the Lord was undiminished. Generosity always came naturally for them; opening their home or their wallets to those in need was a common occurrence throughout their lives. When health issues restricted them from volunteering at a Spanish ministry, they simply pursued other opportunities. “We have to give to the Lord’s work,” shared Loretta.

Shortly after their move to Florida, friends of Don and Loretta invited the couple to a Wycliffe dinner presentation. They were so intrigued that they wanted to get involved as soon as possible, and so they began financially supporting Wycliffe. “Then we heard of JAARS and of course we were interested, and we wanted to see,” Loretta said, explaining their visit to JAARS shortly thereafter.

Out of the blessings the Lord has given them, the couple wanted to continue supporting Bible translation. Though they realize the importance of planning for family, they ultimately have asked themselves the question, “What are you going to give to the ministry?” Their answer has always been, “We want to help the Lord’s work and the translation.” As they progressed in retirement, they looked into options to support the ministry and maintain some income. They discovered that annuities with the Wycliffe Foundation met their needs. “We give and it benefits them and us,” Loretta said. She isn’t concerned with the current economic climate, sharing that “When you get involved in gift annuities, you think it over. It’s not impulse. You plan it year upon year for the tax benefits…You have to continue giving where there is income because you need those additional funds.” The couple has been pleased with their experience with annuities through Wycliffe Foundation, having just finalized their sixth gift.

Many times, people who have lived what they view as normal lives assume they have minimal ability to make an impact on God’s Kingdom. Don shared these sentiments regarding his most recent charitable gift annuity, feeling that it was too small to make an impact. “Normal” people giving faithfully are often the exact individuals that God uses to carry out his plans. He uses every gift, every heart and every person.

Unfortunately, Don and Loretta didn’t get that simple, ordinary life they wanted. While it may look simple from the outside, by giving to the ministry of Bible translation, their impact has extended far beyond the boundaries of their Venice home. And you see, that is simply extraordinary.

Walking around the campus of the University of Shalom in Bunia, it’s easy to see the impact that Dr. Katho has had on the students and faculty of the school. Located on the eastern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the university has seen significant changes over the past several years, and will soon witness arguably the most exciting development yet. Under the direction and leadership of Dr. Katho, USB will start the first Bible translation degree program anywhere in Congo. Dr. Katho has always been passionate about Scripture. He attended USB—formerly a seminary—as a student before moving to Nairobi for his doctorate degree. After taking over from the previous president, Dr. Katho quickly gained the respect of the students and faculty.

He understands that the university is an extension of the local church, serving the local church—a community of Christians all working toward the goal of having the Bible in a language they understand. That community has joined together to help promote a Bible translation degree program in Congo.

Dr. Katho’s passion for God’s Word, and his own formal education, fit well with that goal. Pastors have been praying for such a program for years. Without a school to train national translators, students were left with the choice of moving to Nairobi to attend classes (already an expensive proposition) or work on their own with no education.

“When I became principal here in 2003, I found documents and discussions going on about starting a Bible translation program here because of the need of the local church,” Dr. Katho explained. While some Congolese Christians may know parts of popular trade languages like French or Swahili, Dr. Katho believes that they may not understand it well—certainly not well enough to grasp the meaning of God’s Word.

“People meet around a chief or an elder. They discuss proverbs in their culture. I want them to study using the Bible like that,” Dr. Katho explains. But a foreign language Bible does little good in teaching others about God. “When they hear you reading the Scripture in their mother tongue, then they stop and listen.”

In an effort to bring more mother-tongue Scriptures to Congo, Wycliffe is working with USB to create Bible translation curriculum that will enable students to work on projects while attending classes, significantly reducing the cost and duration of future Scripture projects.

“I remember last year when the Wycliffe team was here and telling us we would have to wait one more year. We were grieving, not only because of the team here or the university wanting to start, but because of the pressure from outside. Some have been waiting for ten years to get trained and go back and start the program.”

That wait is almost over. In the fall of 2008, USB began the first Bible translation degree program in Congo in partnership with Wycliffe and SIL colleagues. National Congolese translators will now have a program in their home country, accelerating the Bible translation process and bringing God’s Word to many still waiting.

In 1999, when Wycliffe Bible Translators USA first committed to the vision of seeing a Bible translation project in progress for every language that needs it by the year 2025, we knew we faced a difficult challenge with tremendous potential. The urgency of Vision 2025 was sure to take us places we’d never before thought possible.

Bob Creson speaks at the launch of Wycliffes’ Last Languages Campaign in Orlando, November 2008.

As we move closer to 2025, it has become increasingly apparent that we face an unprecedented need for resources, not only to sustain our present translation commitments, but also to continue to accelerate our pace.

In response to these growing needs, Wycliffe USA recently launched the Last Languages Campaign—a strategic plan to raise the resources needed to reach the last languages with God’s Word.

Logic would say that fundraising in the middle of a recession would be nearly impossible, but one anonymous donor has already given a $50 million donation to the campaign—the largest donation Wycliffe has ever received.

On November 21 and 22, nearly 1,000 people gathered at the Wycliffe USA office in Orlando to officially launch the campaign with a celebration. Near the end of the event, as I walked to the platform to speak, a young boy reached out and gave me a high-five. I will treasure that image for a very long time. To me it was a picture of God’s enthusiasm for reaching the least, the last and the lost. It reassured me that although our task is great, this is God’s work and He will bless it.