50 Years of Partnership ... and Beyond

JoNancy Sundberg has always had a heart for missions. She remembers her mom starting the missions program at their church when JoNancy was young and their family hosting numerous missionaries in their home over the years. JoNancy's support of missionaries through prayer,hospitality and giving continued into adulthood.

When JoNancy and her late husband, Bob, moved to Virginia they didn't know anyone. Among the first people to reach out to them was a couple in their church named Don and Jean Lindholm. The four became friends, and when the Lindholms took an assignment in Peru with Wycliffe, the Sundbergs joined their financial partnership team.

JoNancy has been a partner in the ministry of Bible translation since Don and Jean joined Wycliffe 50 years ago. The ministry continues to be special to her because of her passion for Scripture. "I love the Lord so much, and his Word," JoNancy said. "Therefore, I want other people to have it so they can know the God I see in his Word. And until they have it in their language, they can't really understand what it says."

God's Word helped JoNancy get through many challenges in her life, including becoming a widow at the age of 53. Losing her husband meant JoNancy needed to take on responsibilities she didn't feel equipped to do — like closing Bob's business, settling his affairs and making decisions about her financial future.

While researching for her own estate planning, JoNancy discovered charitable gift annuities (CGAs), which she describes in simple terms as, "a gift that you give to the ministry now, get regular, fixed income back from the CGA for as long as you live, and the remaining funds go to the organization after you pass on to heaven." Over time, JoNancy's initial set of annuities grew into a collection of 45, benefiting all types of ministry work — including Bible translation.

JoNancy says, "I promote CGAs not only because they take care of me, which they do so well, but because they help that ministry do what they do best. That's really important to me! I want my resources to be used to create the greatest impact in the lives of people."

If you would like to learn more about advancing Bible translation through a charitable gift annuity or another gift-planning option, please contact the Wycliffe Foundation at 877-493-3600 or email [email protected]