Originally published April 15, 2008 Available in PDF 
A note from the President
Partner Profiles: A drop in the bucket
Supporting our partners:
SIL: Partners in language development
The Seed Company: Accelerating Bible translation
Wycliffe USA: Connecting Americans to the work
Leaving a legacy: Who will take your place?
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Spreading the joy of supporting the work of Bible translation is about joining Christians together to bring God’s Word to those who wait. Through strengthening the community of believers and encouraging them with the good news of Jesus Christ, we can build each other up with the hope of eternal life.
Currently, fewer than 300,000 Americans support the work of Wycliffe and its members, offering us the privilege to engage millions more in this awesome vision. I invite you to continue reading about how, through satellite video, we’ll soon be able to connect Christians with missionaries around the world and vividly illustrate how God’s Word is transforming those who had previously never heard of Him.
As the pace of Bible translation accelerates, we believe Vision 2025 is now more achievable than ever. God continues to bless our efforts, but there is still much to do, and the cost is high. We remain encouraged by and grateful for your partnership, and we look forward to continuing to serve your stewardship needs and those of your friends and family. As always, thank you for your prayers and your faithfulness.
Blessings and peace,
 Don Erickson
President/CEO
Wycliffe Foundation
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His passion for JAARS and spreading the Good News keep Lloyd Harder behind the wheel of his blue tractor-trailer. And though his wife, Linda, initially struggled with the idea of being cooped up in a truck for days at a time, she soon realized all she can do for the Lord from the cab of a 90-foot long truck. It’s what she refers to as her “drop in the bucket,” – her contribution to the Kingdom.
“God has given talents to everyone…I can organize. I go in and do my thing and they do theirs,” Linda said. Lloyd also believes that driving the truck for JAARS to move people across the country is his “drop in the bucket.” His many providential meetings on the road assure him it’s the Lord’s plan. These days, he’s even more convinced of it.
 Four decades ago, Lloyd and Linda met Bob and Charlene Weidenaar at a church in Sioux Falls, SD. The friendship was instant, strengthened as the men quickly realized their many similarities – their pastor fathers, their love for planes, pizza and Southern Gospel music, and their desire to serve the Lord.
Throughout the years, their passion to impact lives for Christ has opened doors and created opportunities. One such opportunity actually piled 17 people in an RV for an overnight trip to take food to a family in need.
Lloyd remains ready for any “left-turns” the Lord may send his way, and Bob says, “I just tell the Lord, ‘whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.’” Faithful in tithing to the Lord for as long as they can remember, Bob and Charlene think it’s only natural that, in the end, their money returns to the Lord. It wasn’t until a recent reunion with Lloyd, however, when the couple realized where God was leading them to extend their faithful stewardship.
 During the recent reunion, Lloyd showed Bob the truck he drives for JAARS, and the KODIAK banner immediately caught his eye – Bob knew this was God’s plan. Easily connecting with the mission, Bob and Charlene have since changed their will to include JAARS as a beneficiary. In addition to the natural connection with the KODIAK, the couple has always desired to leave a legacy to further the Gospel. Charlene knows “the Power lies in the Word” and, through the work of the Gospel, “no matter what the problems are, God will provide.”
Both couples firmly believe in continuing to work for the Lord during their retirement. Bob and Lloyd, ever the visionaries, love to dream about how God will use them next, perhaps even through a project with Wycliffe Associates. Lloyd repeatedly tells Bob he’s “too old” to fly planes, but Bob still enjoys dreaming that the Lord’s next step for him will involve flying. For now, though, he and Charlene are happy to have the opportunity to financially support the KODIAK project. Charlene believes “there’s a job for everybody; God just puts it together so well.”
This gift is their drop in the bucket. What’s yours?
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Continuing to develop software dedicated to improving efficiency for translators and their projects, SIL recently released the latest version of FieldWorks, a software suite that helps researchers manage language and cultural data from the initial collection stage to the publication of dictionaries, text collections and grammars.
Acclaimed by field researches and used at several universities, FieldWorks also aided Frederick A. Boswell, who recently became SIL’s Executive Director, as he completed his Ph.D. dissertation on the grammar of the Cheke Holo language of the Solomon Islands.
“The seamless interaction between my texts, concordance and word lists was foundational in my research and analysis,” he says. “I can’t imagine doing this project without FieldWorks.”
Another field linguist and translation adviser wrote, “Our mother-tongue colleagues think our FieldWorks dictionary is bottomless. Sometimes when we’re translating and need a particular word in the local language, instead of coming up with it themselves, they say, ‘I don't know. Look in the computer.’ We can search national or local languages, English, semantic domains, parts of speech or antonyms.”
One of more than 60 specialized programs developed by SIL, FieldWorks version 5.0 improves existing features and pioneers features not found in other software.
 Pictured here: Freddie Boswell, SIL Executive Director, and a Cheke Holo colleague demonstrate the latest edition of FieldWorks.
Editor’s note: SIL is a Wycliffe Foundation partner organization
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After helping launch 24 national-led translation projects in new language areas and transition three other programs into full-scale translation projects, The Seed Company predicts 29 more projects will begin by August.
As national-led church planting and translation work in the Global South grows, we’re seeing increasing leadership of national churches in Bible translation, national-led movements that provide Scripture sooner using mediums best suited for the people (oral, written, broadcast, etc.) and a growing sense of urgency among field partners for a local translation consultant workforce.
In partnership with SIL, Wycliffe organizations, like-minded organizations, and financial and prayer partners, The Seed Company is seeing God open doors so His Word can impact people in every language– in this generation.
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 Soon, you’ll be able to actually see the amazing work God is doing in the Democratic Republic of Congo – you’ll witness the joy that’s replaced unimaginable pain in people who have suffered so much. This spring, you can watch as our team reports live from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, where translators have endured the ravages of war, yet remain determined to translate God’s Word for their people.
We’ll bring you this touching story at www.wycliffe.org/news as Wycliffe launches our new, state-of-the-art Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) center (pictured above), an amazing facility created to engage more Christians in the exciting work of Bible translation.
As we spread the vision of Bible translation throughout the United States, new technology in the IMC will allow Wycliffe to communicate in real-time with staff around the world, and major media outlets can use our video feeds straight from the mission field. We’ll also broadcast Bible translation news online through platforms such as YouTube and GodTube. Funded by a generous anonymous gift, the IMC offers us the unprecedented opportunity to bring the joy of Bible translation right into the hearts of Americans.
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You are one of a kind, uniquely created by God, and no one can replace you. However, when you’re called home to be with the Lord, your impact on Bible translation could be lost.
You can hold your place
You hold a special place in the world of Bible translation because of your generosity and faithful commitment to the Wycliffe family of organizations. Yet, when you receive your eternal reward, your impact could be lost. Fortunately, with the Wycliffe Foundation, you can financially support the work of Bible translation long after you’re gone. This can be done through a bequest from your will or trust by establishing a Personal Endowment Plan.
Here’s an example of how it works:
- If your annual giving is $2,000 per year, multiply that by 25.
- This translates into a bequest of $50,000.
- With a conservative payout of 5 percent, this would produce an annual gift of $2,500 posthumously.
To establish your Personal Endowment Plan, simply use the following formula:
$ Annual Gift x 25 = Amount of bequest
At Wycliffe Foundation, we’re here to help you discover and implement God’s plan of stewardship for your estate. For information on how to create your own unique plan as part of your will or trust, or for other gift planning ideas, contact us at (877) 379-7131 or info@wycliffefoundation.org.
You can continue your unique contribution to Bible translation, linguistics efforts and literacy training around the world by translating your assets into God’s Word now.
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