From the Memo Board: December 2021

Dates to Know

December 1 – October Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

December 1 – November Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

December 7 – If you use our processing services to send out your prayer letter via prayerletters.com or MailChimp alone or prayerletters.com and MailChimp together, please submit your letters anytime before 4:00 PM EST, December 7th. This enables us to process and send to prayerletters.com and recipients to receive it by Christmas. Letters received after this date will not be mailed until after Christmas.

December 15 – Please contact us by this date via Signal if you will need funds in your account before Christmas or the end of the year.

December 20-24 – The office will be closed in celebration of Christmas.

January 1 – November Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

January 1 – December Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

January 10 – Missionaries will receive their statements of December Support Received.

January 12 – All missionaries will receive their final December support on this day, regardless of the day they normally receive support.

January 15 – December Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries, along with any remaining receipts or financial paperwork for 2021. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

February 1 – 1099 Forms and other tax documentation for the 2021 tax year will be available.

April 11-14 – Family Fellowship Week in Asheboro, NC

February 1 – 1099 Forms and other tax documentation for the 2021 tax year will be available.

December Support

Please contact us via Signal by December 15 if you would like funds in your account before Christmas. Final December support distributions will be made on January 12 for all missionaries, regardless of their regular pay date. Contacting us by December 15 will enable us to schedule your funds around bank closings and holiday hours. Should you have an emergency need after December 17, you may contact Naomi Torberson at 704-692-7237.

January Income Totals

During a typical month, we close the books on the 25th, and any checks received after that date are posted to the following month. Due to receipting requirements, we cannot do this in the month of December. As a result, please be aware that your December support total may be higher than normal, while your January support total may be lower than normal. Please be sure to plan ahead for this!

Upcoming Financial Reports for US Missionaries

Please prepare now to ensure that your year-end financial reports are submitted on time. October reports are due December 1, November reports are due January 1, and December reports are due January 15. If it is possible for you to submit reports before the due dates, that would greatly assistant our staff. Please note, it is fine to submit a report without waiting for the Line 1 income figure. We can add that for you as needed. Reports should be submitted to [email protected]. Please be sure to include all receipts for expenses $75 and over at the same time you submit your report so there are no delays in processing. Thank you for your help in these areas.

New Meal Allowance Rates

The US Government issued updated Meal Allowance rates effective October, 2021-September 2022. The standard daily rate within the Continental US has increased from $55 to $59. Please note that if you would like to take advantage of this on your October, November, and December financial reports you should follow instructions on the Mileage tab. You can adjust the report by following the steps listed for utilizing international meal allowance rates. If you have a question, please contact us at [email protected]. These new rates will be included as part of the 2022 Financial Report template, which will be available in mid-February 2022.

 

New Baby

Sophia Bonikowsky was born on December 2. Sophia weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces. Sophia is the second daughter of David and Raquel Bonikowsky. She joins her sister Leire, who is 17 months. The Bonikowskys are missionaries in Spain. Sophia is also the granddaughter of our missionaries Andy and Mimi Bonikowsky, and the great-granddaughter of Al and Helga Bonikowsky.

Uplift Podcast

The following recordings were recently published on uplift.wwntbm.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. We hope they will encourage your heart.

Being Like Christ While Serving The Lord by Pastor David Landers

Psalm 23 by David Landers, Gene Krachenfels, Jeremy Lockhart, and John O’Malley

Psalm 2 by Jeremy Lockhart

Stewardship Principles by Pastor Jim Davidson

Stay Focused by Pastor Chad Estep

The Anticipation of Christmas

by John O’Malley

The young child descended the stairs. Her heart beamed. You could see it in her eyes. Her sleepiness disappeared as she saw the present. She longed for this gift. The young girl drew pictures of the gift. She glanced at her parents. She dashed over to them to give the biggest hugs and the sweetest of kisses.

The young girl’s dream came true. She wanted a specific gift. The little girl longed for this gift. She prayed for this gift. And today, Christmas Day, her parents gave her the gift.

The spirit of anticipation during this holiday season is in children and adults. We get excited about spending time with others, sharing a favorite meal, or giving a special gift to someone.

Anticipation marks this season. It has from the very first Christmas. Angels appeared to Mary and Joseph. The Angel’s news filled Joseph and Mary’s hearts. An angel spoke with shepherds, which gave the shepherds anticipation as the shepherds heard the news. The glory of the Lord shined around them. Then, a chorus of speaking angels delivered the message the world needed to hear,

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace,
Good will toward men.”

Anticipation drove the shepherds to the manger scene. Anticipation brought Simeon and Anna to the temple to see the Lord’s Christ.

Anticipation marks our relationship with God. As servants of the Gospel, we serve because of anticipation. We anticipate the Lord’s return. We anticipate meeting Him who endured and is the Captain of our Salvation. We anticipate the One we only know by His written Word and His presence. We anticipate, like Job, in our flesh, we will see God.

Anticipation carries us through trials. Such spiritual hope sustains us during our absence from Him and gives us hope when the world says it is hopeless.

You anticipate meeting Him, Who is the object of our affection, the center of our attention, and the sole hope for our eternity.

Would you please allow nothing to rob your anticipation of this holiday season? You may have seasonal triggers which stir old fears, kindle suppressed anger, or place the spotlight on some lingering shame of something you still cling to from your past. Christmas is a season of anticipation.

What piques your anticipation this Christmas season?

Click the link below to tell me what this Christmas makes you anticipate.

Merry Christmas!

Yours for the harvest,
John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley here to let him know.