Wycliffe Foundation announces restructure
After seven years and more than $100 million in production, Wycliffe Foundation is currently undergoing some organizational realignment and restructure. To learn more, view the announcement here.
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.
William Cameron Townsend Legacy Society honors faithful givers
When you make a planned gift through Wycliffe Foundation, you join the William Cameron Townsend Legacy Society, a
community of people who share your vision for advancing 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.
Words fit for a prince
By Jenny Evans, The Seed Company
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.
Translation treasure
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.
Family ties inspire a legacy
By Mary Tindall
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.
A note from the Wycliffe Foundation president
By Don Erickson, President and CEO, Wycliffe Foundation
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.
Crafting Bible stories in an oral culture
By Elizabeth Wilson, Storying Consultant, Wycliffe Bible Translators
“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.
Accelerating Bible translation: The Kodiak aircraft deploys to the field
Blue sky stretched over the sundrenched tarmac of the airport grounds. The red stones, wrought-iron fence, palm trees and patches of grass created a wonderful backdrop for the stage and canopy where the dignitaries were gathering for this important moment. It was time to celebrate God’s provision.
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.
Using assets under management for Bible translation
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.
