Torch, Fall 2001

8 TORCH / Fall 2001 Take Part in God’s Work in the World hopping in your car, you would probably wait, hoping it would go away by itself. But often toothaches don’t go away. They get worse and worse and then the jaw becomes infected and then you get an abscess. By the time our patients got to us, very often they’d have abscesses the size of grapefruit. Some of them were hardly able to speak, having suffered for days and days simply because there were so few medical facilities. Much of Nepal is a rural society. People go into the jungles to cut leaves to feed their animals and gather wood. They meet up with Himalayan black bears occasionally. If the bear is frightened or feels trapped, it will attack and go for a person’s face. I’ll never forget one boy who was about 10 years old. He had encountered a bear. The bear missed the face but with one claw got his abdomen. His intestines were exposed. The boy’s screams caused people from the village to come running and chase the bear away. Those men carried that little boy for 10 hours. They ran all night long carrying him in one of those hammocks. By the time he arrived, he was nearly dead. By the Lord’s grace we were able to clean him up, put the intestines back, and sew up his wound. He walked home, fully healed, one week later. We have treated so many patients like that whom God, in His mercy, healed. We say that we treat and God heals. Indeed that is true, but He uses us. If we hadn’t been there, many of these patients would have continued suffering. Or, like that little boy, would surely have died. What a great joy it is to be able to help people like this in such dire need. We all like to feel needed. If you want to feel needed, you should go where the need is. Many Christians today are asking God to bless their plans. God is not interested in your plans. God is only interested in your fitting into His plans. Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” He’s not promising BMWs and fancy houses and the best audio equipment, but the necessities. Don’t believe the people that tell you you can have whatever L eadership takes many forms. While we normally think of leaders as being visible and vocal, it is also possible to lead quietly by example. The essence of vision is exhibiting leadership by thinking ahead of your time. The Legacy Circle of Cedarville University is a group of forward-thinking leaders. The Legacy Circle is comprised of donors who have chosen to honor Cedarville University as the beneficiary of a deferred giving arrangement. By making a deferred gift, these visionaries not only have provided for themselves and their families, but also have secured a portion of the future of Cedarville University. A deferred gift, usually made in the form of an annuity or a charitable remainder trust, is an irrevocable gift to Cedarville University. The donor makes the gift in exchange for the current benefits of an immediate income tax deduction, a lifetime income stream for self and spouse, and avoidance of capital gains taxes. If the gift is made with appreciated assets, the cost of making the gift will be less than if the donor uses cash. By using a deferred giving arrangement, the donor can create a significant income stream from highly appreciated but under-utilized assets, such as real property or growth stocks that pay little or no dividend. So a deferred gift allows you to give assets but retain defined income rights for life. Cedarville University will eventually receive the trust or annuity principal when the gift matures. With prudent investment during the life of the gift agreement, the deferred gift to Cedarville University can be larger than the original gift, even after the payment of income to the donor and spouse. You can do much to shape our tomorrow and assure yourself a place among the members of the Legacy Circle who can truly say, “I was here. I made a difference.” We invite you to contact Dave Bartlett or Kim Longo at 1-800-766-1115 for more information about this exciting leadership opportunity. Kim Longo Development Officer Legacy of Leadership in Deferred Giving