Author: WWNTBM

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From the Memo Board: January 2016

Dates to Know

January 8 – Missionaries will receive their emailed statements of December Support Received.

January 11 – All missionaries will receive their final December support on this day, regardless of the day that they normally receive support.

January 15 – December financial reports will be due, along with any remaining receipts or financial paperwork for 2015.

June 20-23 – Family Fellowship Week with Valley Baptist Church in Edinburg, VA. Begin arranging your summer schedule to be with us!

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!

Housing Allowances for 2016

Housing allowances previously in place have automatically rolled over to the new year. Missionaries who are ordained are eligible to have a housing allowance in place, which can provide certain tax benefits. If you did not have a housing allowance in 2015 and would like to have one for 2016, or if you have questions regarding this, please contact our office.

New Excel Templatemicrosoft_excel_icon

A new Excel template for the year 2016 will be available during the first week of February. This will give us time to review the need for any possible updates. January financial reports will be due on March 1. Should you wish to complete your report before the new template is available, you are welcome to submit it on the 2015 template.

New Mileage Rate

Beginning January 1st, the IRS mileage rate has decreased to $0.540 per mile for business/ministry miles. This change will be reflected on the new Excel template for 2016.

Birth Announcement

Timothy EliamCongratulations to Clayton and Linda Eliam on the birth of baby Timothy on December 17th. Timothy weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces. Both mom and baby are doing well! Timothy is the fifth child of the Eliams, and joins his older siblings Cheryl (12), Nathan (10), Hadassah (7), and Keila (5). The family serves on the island of Pohnpei.

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From the Memo Board: December 2015

Upcoming Dates

December 1 – October financial reports will be due.

December 4 – Revised pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 5th.

December 9 – All prayer letters should be submitted to our staff, in order for your recipients to get them before Christmas.candles

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

December 21-25 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Christmas.

January 1 – November financial reports will be due.

January 8 – Missionaries will receive their emailed statements of December Support Received.

January 11 – All missionaries will receive their final December support on this day, regardless of the day that they normally receive support.

January 15 – December financial reports will be due, along with any remaining receipts or financial paperwork for 2015.

December Support

Please contact us by December 15 if you would like funds in your account before Christmas. Final December support distributions will be made on January 11th 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 18, you may contact our staff at the following numbers:

John O’Malley: 704-974-6108
Kim O’Malley: 704-974-1008

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!

New Arrival!

Milena WagarCongratulations to Josh and Sarah Wagar on the arrival of their daughter, Milena Kalani Wagar. She was born on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 24, weighing 8lbs., 7oz. and measuring 21 inches long. Sarah had some complications after the delivery; please be in prayer for her recovery.

 

Retirement Accounts

Each year we are required to publish to all missionaries the following:

WWNTBM currently offers our missionaries the option of participating in a 403(b) Retirement Plan, the non-profit version of a 401(k) plan. We encourage all of our missionaries to participate in some type of retirement planning. If you do not currently have a 403(b) account and would be interested in opening one, please contact our office for a listing of vendors and more information.

1290130_58512768Due to IRS regulations, we are required to use a Third Party Administrator (TPA) to handle all 403(b) accounts. The administrative fee is $50.00 per year, which will be deducted from Support each January or February for those who contribute. The TPA assists us by administering our plan and keeping us in compliance with the Department of Labor and IRS codes.

Please note that loans and hardship withdrawals are not allowed by the companies who manage your 403(b).

Please see the file in SecureCloud for the latest information on contribution amounts and limits for 2015 and 2016.

Special Recognition

Jimmy Watson was recently rWatsons Mar 2014ecognized by the Governor of Colorado for his part in helping to catch a murder suspect, during the course of a speaking engagement at a church. Click here to read more details in his recent prayer letter.

Bible Institute Information

We recently asked you to submit information about Bible Institute courses you are familiar with, so we can share these resources with others. Contact information for companies that offer such curriculum is listed below. If you are familiar with other sources, please click here to submit additional information.

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Featured Article: Ten Years

Germanos - Mar 2015

By Stephanie Germano

It is so amazing to me how God is always working in our lives, even when we do not realize it! When I was a senior in high school, God made it very clear to me that He wanted me to be a missionary. I was very nervous, but also very excited.

My parents, however, wisely told me that getting to a foreign field was not just something that would happen overnight, but it would take much time and preparation. My mother even jokingly said that it could even take as long as ten years. I chuckled to myself because I thought, “Surely it would not take that long!”

A year later, I had the opportunity to attend Crown College in Powell, TN. It was there that I met my husband and began to develop a burden for the Dominican Republic. After graduation, Timothy felt that he needed some additional training before heading to the mission field. He prayerfully searched for an opportunity to serve.

The Lord opened up a youth pastor position in Downingtown, PA, at Faith Community Baptist Church under Pastor Roland Venable. It was there that we both began to grow and learn many lessons about the ministry. The Lord allowed us to serve there for three years before He laid it on our hearts to begin the next chapter. Faith Community became our sending church as we set out on deputation.

After a wonderful two years of ministry on the road we were excited to finally head for the Dominican Republic. We were held up, however, with some visa and container paperwork. This process took an additional two months. At first, we were discouraged, but then God opened our eyes to see the valuable lessons that He was teaching us as we waited on His perfect timing.

The day came when we were finally able to buy our tickets! The week before we left, I was talking to my mother on the phone. She gently reminded me that our first day in the Dominican was the tenth anniversary of when I was called to be a missionary! Wow! It really did take ten years! All the while God was quietly, yet meticulously working in my life.

Although I still do not feel very ready, I take comfort in knowing that He will use each obstacle I face to prepare me for the next step in the path He has for me to take. If it were not for the lessons He had taught me in college, I would have never been ready to be a youth pastor’s wife. If it had not been for the lessons I learned as a youth pastor’s wife, I would have never been ready for deputation. Looking back on the ways He has shown Himself mighty to us in the past will help us look forward to the future as we began our ministry.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6.

Oh praise His dear, sweet name!

 

The Germanos arrived in the Dominican Republic for their first term on October 28.  Pray for them as they begin language studies and settle into their new ministry.

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Prayer & Dates: December 2015

December Prayer/Praises and Special Dates

Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for December. Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document.  Once you have logged in, click on Files Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.

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From Our President: November 2015

Perhaps many of you read this post by Nikki Brown, but in case you missed it, I thought it worth using in Headquarter Happenings. Paul often shared his hardships. He never did so to get pity. He did it to encourage others. I believe Nikki’s post will do the same.

In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone

Shock
by Nikki Brown

Brown Culture shock. The very words that haunt most any person that may be moving away from a familiar environment. Physical ailments, separation distress, or emotional outcries may all play a part in this cruel “shocking” attack.

I’ve been told that culture shock comes and goes in waves. Sometimes you feel as though you can finally call this new place “home.” You almost mentally breathe a sigh of relief and pat yourself on the back for conquering the challenge of living in a different place. Other times, (usually right after that sigh) it hits you like a 100,000 lb. elephant, and then that elephant finds comfort in sitting on top of you for as long as he possibly can. Yep, it’s that bad and seemingly almost impossible to get rid of.

Culture shock also has many different faces. There are times it takes no shame in rearing its ugly head and makes its obvious appearance. Language barriers, poor or no reliable medical care, corrupt government, weather, and critters are good examples of things that can trigger a feeling of culture shock. Unfortunately, on the other hand, it can also creep in slowly and not as blatantly, but effects you very deeply. Maybe a hurtful word from a national, a picture of a family get-together back home, or an upcoming holiday season would be good examples. Either way, it’s attack is very real.

The effects of culture shock can also vary from each occurrence. While you may be “laughing it off” at one point, during a bad case of culture shock, that same event may leave you incredibly angry, upset, or even sad. It’s hard to tell what you may actually feel, but usually it’s not something you’re willing to write home about.

How do you deal with it? When do you get to a point when culture shock doesn’t come around any more? Why doesn’t anyone seem to understand what you’re going through? Well, all I know is that the answer is God. God helps me to deal with each attack of culture shock. God lets me know that no matter how long it may last, He will give grace. God understands when everyone else doesn’t.

I’ve been told by missionaries who have been on the field more than 20 years that they STILL experience culture shock from time to time! Doesn’t that sound crazy? No. Not to me. Not to them. While they have been living overseas all that time and learning to adapt in that country (learned the language, working in that culture, making lifetime friendships in that same country), they still get that slap in the face every once in a while letting them know that they are from a different country.

So, I’d like to share with you just a few things I’ve done/am doing to help me cope with this unforeseen attack.

1. Reading God’s Word.
This is by far my greatest help! I find peace, comfort, encouragement, and help by reading the Bible. In college, God gave me a verse that I still quote most often to this day. Psalm 27:13 “I had fainted, UNLESS I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

2. Talking about it.
Now, this is not always an easy thing to admit to someone, but it is most important to have an accountability partner. For me, the Lord has blessed me in giving me a few very close friends, including my husband, my BFF (who also serves as a missionary on a foreign field), and a close friend that serves as a missionary in Cambodia. Each of these people provide a source of support that help me make sure I’m not checking out of the work here.

3. Reading encouraging letters.
Most of our letters come in the form of emails, text messages, or Facebook posts. Either way, I have a few that I often return to over and over again to remind myself that we do have faithful friends back home praying for us. Two weeks ago, we received 52 emails from a Sunday school class that had read our prayer letter that day! How encouraging is that? Just yesterday, I received the sweetest text from my daddy just saying I was on his mind and he was praying for me. God knows exactly what we need and when we need it. All of these things were a great help to me.

4. Singing songs (in English).
Tonight, after a long day—well, really a long week….ok, who am I kidding—it’s been one of those MONTHS….Matt and I sat down together at the piano and just sang some songs. The truths revealed in many great hymns are such a blessing! Music is a great gift from God that He has used many times in my life.

There are many other things I’m sure people can do to help them continue on in their fight.

Don’t worry, this post is not some cry for help or even a plea to go home. I REALLY DO love being here. I would not want to be anywhere else other than where God has us—and Cambodia is definitely the place God has us! We are more than blessed, too! God has made our lives so wonderful, and I believe it’s because we have just committed ourselves to serving Him. His grace is sufficient!

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From the Memo Board: November 2015

Dates to Know

November 11 – All US Banks will be closed.

November 26-27 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Thanksgiving.

November 30 – Revised pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.

December 1 – October financial reports will be due.

December 4 – Revised pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 5th.

December 9 – All prayer letters should be submitted to our staff, in order for your recipients to get them before Christmas.

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

December 21-25 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Christmas.

January 1 – November financial reports will be due.

January 8 – Missionaries will receive their emailed statements of December Support Received.

January 11 – All missionaries will receive their final December support on this day, regardless of the day that they normally receive support.

January 15 – December financial reports will be due, along with any remaining receipts or financial paperwork for 2015.

New Missionary FamilyInboden Summer 2015

Matthew and Jennifer Inboden have recently joined the World Wide family. Matthew graduated from Ambassador Baptist College, as well as from Crown College and Emmanuel Baptist Seminary of Newington, CT. The Inbodens are sent out of the Valley Baptist Church in Edinburg, VA, with Pastor Chad Estep. Their desire is to plant a church in Columbus, Montana. They have three children: Julia-Anne (6), Gabriel (5), and Alivia (3).

Christmas Prayer Letter Services

If the Office assists with your prayer letter, please be sure to submit December letters by December 9, so that they can be mailed in time for Christmas. Due to year end procedures in our Office and at PrayerLetters.com, letters may not be published between December 15 and January 5. Please plan the timing of your letters accordingly. Thank you!

Gift BoxChristmas Letterhead Templates

Did you know that we have professionally designed Christmas Letterhead templates available for your use? These are available to all missionaries, whether the Office assists in sending your letter or not. For more information, please contact Laura Cmaylo.

Ministry Equipment

World Wide is required to maintain an inventory of all equipment valued at $500 or greater that missionaries have listed on Line 15 of their financial reports. Please review your records prior to the end of the year and let us know if you have disposed of or sold any equipment this year, so that we can update our records. Income received from the sale of the equipment will need to be recorded on Line 2 of your financial reports if you previously claimed the purchase as a ministry expense. If you have any questions, please contact Naomi Torberson.

Free Bibles

Lighthouse Baptist Press Ministry is a faith promise ministry of Liberty Baptist Tabernacle in Rapid City, South Dakota. They provide printing and shipping of Bibles at no cost to missionaries and church planters around the world. For more information, you can visit their website at LighthouseBaptistPress.us.

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Prayer & Dates: November 2015

November Prayer/Praises and Special Dates

Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for November. Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document.  Once you have logged in, click on Files Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.

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Prayer & Dates: October 2015

October Prayer/Praises and Special Dates

Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for October. Note: You will need to login to SecureCloud in order to view this document.  Once you have logged in, click on Files Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.

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From the Memo Board: October 2015

We are here to assist you

Often we are asked, “Whom do I contact when I want to get answers to my questions?” If you have a question about a specific area, these are the individuals who can best assist you:

Gifts you received:
Bekah Cmaylo – [email protected]
Naomi Torberson – [email protected]

Funds spent from your accounts:
Kim O’Malley – [email protected]
Naomi Torberson – [email protected]

Monthly Financial Reports:
Laura Cmaylo – [email protected]
Naomi Torberson – [email protected]

Please also continue to use the email address [email protected] to submit financial reports or receipts.

Prayer Letters:
Laura Cmaylo – [email protected]
Bekah Cmaylo – [email protected]

Please be sure to use the email address [email protected] to submit all correspondence related to your prayer letters or address changes.

Mrs. O’Malley manages the entire office. Our entire Staff exists to serve you and your needs. Each staff member has a speciality, but all will serve all of your needs. Your calls and emails are never a burden. We exist to help you as you serve the Lord. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your needs.

Mrs. Workman leaving for another ministry

Mrs. Anna Workman served with us for three years in the office. She enjoyed getting to know many of you. Effective October 1, she is now a church receptionist in Shelby, NC.

Birth Announcement

Viana OrtizCongratulations to Rolando and Hannah Ortiz on the birth of their second daughter, Viana Alethia Ortiz. Viana was born on September 14, weighing 7 lbs. 10 oz. The Ortizes are currently on deputation to go to Mexico.

Housing Allowance Reminder

If you already have a housing allowance in place, this will automatically roll over at the same amount for future years. There is no longer a need to submit a new request every year. If you would like to make a change to the amount of your allowance, please email the new amount to [email protected], and we will present this to the Executive Board for approval. Ordained missionaries who do not have an allowance in place may request one at any time.

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From the Memo Board: September 2015

iconfinalMark Your Calendar

The Office will be closed on Monday, September 7, in celebration of Labor Day.

New Missionaries

IMG_1299Markie and Christy Bullock have been appointed as associate missionaries with World Wide, pending their interview.   Bro. Bullock grew up on the mission field in Mexico.  After his graduation from West Coast Baptist College in 2005, they returned to Mexico, where they served as missionaries until the Lord called them to accept an associate pastorate at the McKee Road Baptist Church in Bakersfield, CA.  They now believe it is the Lord’s will for them to serve in Spain.  They are being sent out of the Pine Bluff Baptist Church of Albany, GA, with Pastor Keith Smith.  The Bullocks have two sons, Nick (7) and Sam (5).

Nick Stelzig Family PhotoNick and Lindsey Stelzig are the newest additions to the World Wide family.  They are both recent graduates of Ambassador Baptist College.  While at Ambassador, they were active in inner-city ministries in Charlotte, NC.  Their desire is to plant inner-city churches in the Boston, MA area.  They are sent out of the Maranatha Baptist Church in Yorktown, VA, with Pastor Dale Coffey.  The Stelzigs have one son, Gabriel, who is 6 months old.

Office Staff Transitions

April Howell resigned last month. April served with World Wide in areas of prayer letters, graphics design, and web layout since 2011.

Bekah Cmaylo and Laura Dillon will be sharing April’s previous responsibilities regarding prayer letters. Please be sure to use the email address [email protected] to submit all correspondence related to your prayer letters or address changes.

April has offered to continue doing graphics work on a freelance basis for our missionaries. If you are interested in this you may contact her directly at [email protected].

We would also recommend Andrew Minion for any of your graphics and web design needs. He may be reached at [email protected].

Prophet Room Available in Tennessee

Tennessee Ridge Baptist Church in Tennessee Ridge, TN, has a guest room available for those traveling in that area.  Contact Pastor Dennis Kirk at 865-360-4240 for information and reservations.

Fund-Raising Projects

From time to time you may have a need to raise funds for a special purchase.  Often our 1317230_29811116missionaries will raise funds for Bibles, hymnbooks, pews, vehicles, building programs, or assistance for nationals serving in their ministries, among other things.

If you will be raising funds for a special project such as this please contact our Office in advance, as the Executive Board must vote on any special projects for which funds are received in our Office.