What It's All About

Access.

Aviation has always been about access. In our case, we're talking about reaching some of the most remote, forgotten people on the face of the earth. Forgotten by society, maybe, but not forgotten by God, and the thousands of self-sacrificing men and women who every day put their lives in His hands serving others, bringing them medical help, food relief, education, social validation. And above all they bring the liberating news about the One true God that loves them and is seeking to redeem them through the gift of salvation by his Son Jesus.

The focus of the Bible translation movement is providing the translated, printed Word of God. JAARS staff serve to enable the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics. We believe strongly that the Bible carries the deliberate expression of God's thoughts to Mankind. It is relevant to every culture, and transforms lives and societies everywhere it is read. On the field we also get to serve many different outreaches and ministries besides the work of Wycliffe.


My own father and mother dedicated their lives to bringing a translation to the Tacana people of Bolivia. Years of language study, grammar and dictionary development, then finally translation of a "vernacular" Bible that spoke God's message clearly in Tacana. All the while, they were served by a committed, professional team of JAARS technicians. Aircraft, radios, computers, were all tools that gave John and Ida Ottaviano access to the Tacana heartland, and gave the Tacanas access to God's Word.

The environment has changed in many ways, but the need still remains. Today, forty years later, there are still over 1,500 languages worldwide that have no translation of Scriptures in their "heart language." And where it is needed, aviation is still giving that access in Africa, Asia and the Americas.





It's also about Multiplication.



The old way of doing things has changed. It used to presume that the Westerner was going to do the job. Indeed, for decades, Western education and church support made this the reality. But today the Church in the develping world is addressing the challenge with resources and people. The role of the Western missionary is moving to one of training and building capacity. Transportation and communication services multiply the effect of workers as they engage in training and workshops. Bible translation is now conducted by committees of vernacular speakers, encouraged by consultants.


Many different creative aviation ministries work around the world, part of a tight-knit community of service to God's dedicated workers. JAARS is only one of many. As we move into a new technology of aircraft, we are amazed at how God is providing us the tools to continue to serve, machines like the Kodiak that we could only dream about years ago.