God’s blessings often come in ways and at times that are not expected. A look at the financial report from 2012 shows some seemingly poor results; overall income fell 31 percent, expenses increased and were $154,455 more than income for the year. Yet at the same time, I can tell you with joy that last year was one of the finest we have had in recent memory. Things are not always as they seem. The truth is that many of the financial blessings experienced in 2012 were a result of donations received in 2011.
It was during 2011 that we received an unprecedented amount of gifts to our Estate Fund. This directly affected missionary allowance payments in 2012. Most of our missionaries received full allowance payments only twice during 2011. The high cost of benefits, and in particular health insurance costs, can easily gobble up support fund gifts and leave little for allowances. The Estate Fund gifts of 2011 made it possible for us to establish a new system of paying allowances that uses our Estate Fund to relieve a portion of the burden of missionary benefit expenses, which in turn allows more support fund donations to be used to pay missionary allowances. The results were good; 97 percent of all target allowances were paid during 2012 – 100 percent after the new system was implemented in July. By comparison, we paid 81 percent of target allowances in 2011.
Of course the World Mission Prayer League does not exist to be blessed, but rather to bless others and glorify God. It is not our policy to spend money that we have not yet received, and likewise it is not our policy to build up storehouses of funds that have been received. Instead we thoughtfully and prayerfully put to work the material blessings that God has given. The purchase of Bibles, books, computers, paint, light bulbs, and plane tickets, as well as payments for health insurance and missionary allowances, are all done with the intent of assisting and mobilizing WMPL missionaries and praying members to make the gospel known around the world.
Last year we were able to put to work all of the financial resources that we received during the year, as well as some of the abundance from the prior year. Missionaries who received greater portions of their target allowance were blessed. Projects that received funding which might not have otherwise been available were blessed. We trust, in faith, that the blessings received have been and will continue to result in blessings for others around the world – blessings with eternal significance.
All missionaries received 100 percent of their target allowance in January. We used $26,975 from the General Fund to meet these needs, leaving a balance of $200,751 at the end of December. Our Benefits Fund carried a balance of $61,468.