Bill Smith and his wife, Wendy, have a family business, buying and restoring houses near Raleigh, North Carolina. As the business grows, the Smiths use biblical principles to stay debt free and invest in work they know will make a difference. Bill said, “We see everything we have as a blessing from God. He expects us to invest wisely, and we want to give where he is leading.”

Bill loves God’s Word and when he heard about the need for Bible translation, it was hard for him to comprehend that some people don’t have the Bible. So in December 2017, he did an internet search for “Bible translators,” and found Wycliffe at the top of the search results. On the website, Bill made a year-end gift in support of Bible translation efforts around the world.

“There’s real power in the Word, and I’ve seen it change me,” Bill said. “I wanted to be a part of sharing the gospel with those that didn’t have it.”

When the Smiths received the receipt for their gift, the package included an insert about the opportunity to give vehicles to support Bible translation. Wendy opened the mail that day, looked over the insert and discarded it.

Then a few months later, the Smiths listened to multiple sermons about not making idols out of possessions. Wendy immediately thought back to the Wycliffe receipt insert and the special car in their garage. She and Bill had used a portion of their earnings to buy a Maserati, something they greatly enjoyed driving and maintaining. Wendy felt the Lord leading them to sell the car and use the proceeds for missions.

“We felt the prompting from the Lord,” Bill said. “The Holy Spirit was working in our lives. We came out from each church service feeling confirmation of what God was doing in us — freeing us up to work as a team. Our lives were changing as he was working in us.”

In August 2018, Bill and Wendy sold the Maserati and purchased two cars — a daily driver for themselves and a 2017 Toyota Camry to donate to Wycliffe. Once they had the title paperwork in order, Bill drove from Raleigh to Orlando to deliver the car.

Bill said, “Because of health concerns, we can’t serve in another country. But we can give! We know that what we do for the kingdom will last. And spreading the Word, telling people that the one who created them loves them, is right up there on the list!”