From the Memo Board: June 2026

At Family Week this year, Bro. Whetstone emphasized the need to plan for retirement. John O’Malley’s brother, David, is a financial advisor with Edward Jones and has helped the Office as well as many of our missionaries with their investments. He produced a short video for our missions family about saving for the future. We trust this will be helpful to you. If you have questions or would like contact information for him or other financial advisors, please contact Kim O’Malley.

Mobile banking and mobile deposit are becoming more and more accessible. We have received questions from many of our missionaries in recent months about how to handle funds with regards to mobile deposits. The following are important things for you to know.

• • • WWNTBM recommends all checks be payable to the mission office, as it alleviates certain tax reporting requirements both for the church and for the missionary. However, we realize there are times when a donor will write a check payable directly to the missionary.
    • If you receive a check made payable to you, you may use Mobile Deposit to deposit the funds into your bank account. Be sure to list the funds as additional income on Line 2 of your financial report, or to track the funds for your own personal tax records. *NOTE: Due to visa restrictions, Non-Resident Alien missionaries should never accept funds in the US payable to them personally. Please contact our office if you have questions about this.
    • If you receive a check payable to WWNTBM, you should never attempt to deposit it into your bank using Mobile Deposit. Doing so could create problems for both you and the donor. Please mail the check(s) to the Office, so we can process the funds and put them into your bank account. If you need the funds immediately, before the check arrives in the mail, please let us know, and we will be happy to advance the funds to your account pending its arrival.
    • When mailing checks to the Office, please be sure to note the donor(s), amounts, check numbers, and the dates you mailed the items to us. In the rare event that the checks are lost in the mail, this information would be important so you can contact the donors to request a replacement check.

When WW receives or receipts funds with a specific designation, we become legally accountable to ensure the funds are used for that specific project. This can create issues, because multiple churches may give more than what is required for one designation, and funds are then not available to be used for another need that may arise. Because of this, our recommendation is that funds always be designated simply “as needed for the missionary,” without any additional designations or specifications attached. Where that is not possible, we recommend the following.

First, if you are planning to raise funds for a specific project, please notify the Office in advance. In order for WW to issue tax receipts for specially designated contributions, the Executive Board must approve the project and include it in the official meeting minutes before those funds can be receipted.

Second, there are several logistical matters with which the Office can assist you. For example, it may not be advisable to ask donors to designate gifts as “France Building” because another missionary may already be using a similar designation. This could create confusion when processing donations. For that reason, we encourage you to consult with the Office before contacting donors so that we can help determine the most appropriate designation for the project. In addition to the designation, there may be tax implications to you based on the manner in which funds are designated. We can help ensure the best tax situation for you as funds are received.

Third, we strongly recommend that donors make checks payable to WW rather than to the individual missionary. Although we can process checks made payable to you, having checks made payable to WW creates a smoother process and can help avoid unnecessary tax reporting requirements for both the church and the missionary. For example, if a church makes payments directly to you totaling $600 or more during the year, it may be required to issue a Form 1099, even if the funds are ultimately routed through WW. In addition, missionaries who are not U.S. citizens may face additional tax or visa considerations.

Finally, we occasionally receive designated contributions for needs that were mentioned in a prayer letter or casual communication but were not intended as a fundraising appeal. Please be aware that the same procedures for Executive Board approval of designated projects apply regardless of whether funds were actively solicited. When designated funds are received for an unapproved project, we will contact you to verify the need and obtain the necessary approval before processing the funds. Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions, please contact the office.

New Baby!

Derek Allen Vincent Folkers was born on May 1, 2026. He weighed 9 pounds 6 ounces and was 21 inches long. Derek is the son of Seth and Kaitlin Folkers. He joins older siblings Atarah (7), Benaiah (6), Christy (4), and Céleste (2). The Folkers serve in Cameroon.

 

Maternity Leave

Mrs. Bekah Tolley, our Office Assistant, is currently on maternity leave following the arrival of her new baby girl, Ellie. Please pray for Bekah, her husband Brandon, and their sons Davey and Andy as they welcome and adjust to this new addition to their family. 

 

 

 

Please continue submitting prayer letters to [email protected]. Prayer letters will be processed as usual. During Bekah’s maternity leave, Makenzie Case (Staff Support) will be covering prayer letters.

Prayer Requests and Special Days

Click here to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises, as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for this month.

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