Frequently Asked Questions |
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JAARS—the Place
JAARS—Joining the Workforce
Bible Translation
Vernacular Media Services
Aviation Helping You
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Q. How did JAARS get its name? A. “Jungle Aviation and Radio Service” began in Peru in 1948, operating as a department of SIL until it was officially incorporated in 1963. The original two aspects of service, aviation and radio, were soon followed by others. In recognition of the diversification, the acronym J.A.A.R.S. has been dropped and the organization is now just called JAARS Inc. Q. To what organizations is JAARS related? A. JAARS provides quality technical support and services for the operations of Wycliffe Bible Translators and also for the operations of SIL International. Wycliffe Associates is an auxiliary organization. Regional Offices in the U.S. offer services to U.S. members. Q. Where is JAARS located and how do I get there? A. The JAARS Center is located near Waxhaw, N.C. Q. How did JAARS become what it is now? A. Both Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL International were founded by William Cameron Townsend. In the spring of 1917, Townsend arrived in Guatemala as a 21-year-old on a mission to sell Spanish Bibles. He soon learned that 60% of Guatemalans spoke Indian tribal languages instead of Spanish. “If your God is so great, why can’t He speak my language?” asked an elderly Cakchiquel man. That question spurred Townsend into translation work. In 1929, Townsend finished the Cakchiquel New Testament. His pioneering work set the standard for future linguistic and translation methods. Pursuing his vision for translators to reach other Latin American language groups, he opened a linguistics training school at Sulpher Springs, Arkansas, in 1934. He named it “Camp Wycliffe” after 14th century scholar John Wycliffe, who initiated the first translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible into English. The school’s name was later changed to Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), and more recently SIL International. Beginning with only two students, the school grew quickly. More than 100 workers were doing translation in 1936 when the organization incorporated as the Summer Institute of Linguistics. A few years later Wycliffe Bible Translators formed for the purpose of representing the work to churches and other groups, and for promoting the need for Bible translation. As early as 1926, one year before Lindberg crossed the Atlantic, Townsend saw the need for airplanes and radios to reach remote areas of the South American jungles. Yet it was not until 1946, when the Peruvian government invited SIL into the country, that the organization purchased its first airplane. The military surplus Grumman Duck was used to fly translators into locations along the Amazon River. Townsend, affectionately called “Uncle Cam” by younger members of the organization, recognized the need for well-trained pilots and good equipment. The impetus that convinced others of the need came in 1947 when he and his wife, Elaine were injured in a small commercial plane crash in Chiapas, Mexico. After the accident, Townsend resolved to ensure the safety of translators. The “Jungle Aviation and Radio Service” began in Peru in 1948, operating as a department of SIL until it was officially incorporated in 1963. The initial aspects of service, aviation and radio, were soon followed by others, growing to eight operational departments. In recognition of the diversification, the acronym J.A.A.R.S. was dropped and the organization is now called JAARS. In 1960, land for a stateside training and technical support facility was donated to JAARS by a Charlotte, N.C., businessman, Henderson Belk. On April 23, 1982, William Cameron Townsend died at the age of 85. His grave site is at the JAARS Center on Davis Road in Waxhaw, N.C., in a garden between the Mexico Cárdenas Museum and the Museum of the Alphabet. Q. How do I become a member of JAARS? A. JAARS has no members. Wycliffe personnel are assigned to JAARS or receive training at JAARS in order to take an overseas assignment. Get details for Wycliffe membership. Q. Is there a minimum or maximum age limit for joining JAARS/Wycliffe? A. Those joining as career members must have reached the age of 21. For those wishing to serve from one to five years, the specified-term program accepts application from persons as young as 18. There is no upper age limit for joining Wycliffe. Q. How much financial support do I need to join Wycliffe? How is that support raised? A. Wycliffe provides a rough estimate (which differs for each individual) early in the membership process because so many variables exist (chosen field, size of family, etc.). A person raises his or her own financial support through the leading of God and the responsiveness of family, friends, and church congregations. Q. What training or expertise must I have in order to serve? A. All skills are useful, as JAARS provides technology, transportation and construction for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Training courses are offered in various job skills for personnel assigned in the US or to prepare for overseas assignments. Needs include secretaries, writers, accountants, information technology personnel, media specialists, pilots, mechanics, printers and many others. Q. What kind of schooling options are there for my children? A. Wycliffe acknowledges the responsibility parents have for their children and maintains the Children’s Education Department (CHED) to support them. Options for education depend on factors such as available facilities, personnel, finances, transportation, communication, and more. Parents and administrators work out which options most suit the needs and best fit the location, though flexibility is a key element. Traditional options include Wycliffe-staffed schools, other mission schools and international schools. Nontraditional options include one-room schools and parents as teachers (i.e. home schooling, with help from professional teachers when available). Q. How do I become a volunteer? A. Approximately one-third of the work force at JAARS are volunteers who come for various periods of time, from a week’s visit to moving here, retiring, and helping wherever needed. Please follow the volunteer link for details about housing, cost, kinds of jobs, etc. Q. How many language groups are in the world, and how many still do not have Scripture translations? A. Through the Bible, God speaks directly to every man, woman and child. But unless people have the Bible in their heart language, they cannot read His message of life, hope and salvation. Of the more than 6900 language groups in the world, over 2,000 still wait for Scripture translation. Q. What is Vision 2025? A. A vision for all believers—to see Bible translation in progress in every language group that needs it by the year 2025. More information is available on the Wycliffe web. Q. What is the purpose of vernacular media? A. “Vernacular media” is non-print media in the mother tongue. Its purpose is to effectively communicate through the use of aural or visual formats. Information can be shared in a variety of media such as CDs, DVDs, audio and video cassettes, filmstrips and flipcharts. Traditional forms, such as drama, dance and music, are also viable vernacular media applications. Q. How can Vernacular Media Services (VMS) help me? A. VMS can help you strategize in identifying local needs, establishing a plan, and producing and distributing vernacular media. VMS can provide information on available media resources and their optimal use, recording and distribution equipment, and available recording services. Q. What is a Vernacular Media Specialist? A. A Vernacular Media Specialist is a person who has successfully completed the 14-week vernacular media training course which qualifies them to assist others in the selection, production and use of vernacular media. Q. What is the relationship between Vernacular Media Services and the Jesus video? A. Vernacular Media Services encourages the use of all available media tools which can effectively communicate in each unique application. The Jesus video, a two-hour video on the life of Christ taken from the Gospel of Luke, is one of these tools. Campus Crusade for Christ International produces the lip-sync versions and VMS produces multiple-voice narrated versions. Q. Is there an age limit for pilots? A. Yes, the JAARS Aviation Operations Manual (JAOM) limits flight activity to 60 years of age in a foreign country and to 65 years of age in the home country. Therefore, in addition to technical qualifications, JAARS also evaluates the life situation of the applicant, including age. If an applicant is over 35 years of age, added consideration is given to his/her readiness for mission aviation service, language learning ability, children’s schooling needs and foreign cultural adaptability. Get more information about aviation opportunities with JAARS. Q. Does JAARS help other mission agencies? A. Yes. Our Materials Transportation Service is licensed by the Interstate Commerce Commission to move missionaries and mission organizations. We provide trucking services to many other evangelical mission organizations as well as Wycliffe Bible Translators. Vernacular Media Services provides consulting, and conducts training courses for Wycliffe personnel as well as for other ministries. VMS provides logistics support and resources, conducts research and maintains agreements with other missions and commercial organizations. Q. Is it true that JAARS helps transport people’s belongings from place to place? A. Yes. Our Materials Transportation Service is licensed by Interstate Commerce Commission to move missionaries and mission organizations. We provide trucking services to many other evangelical mission organizations as well as Wycliffe Bible Translators. Q. Where can I get a copy of a Bible in a language other than English? A. Wycliffe members and their coworkers have translated over 500 New Testaments and are working on more than 1,095 others. These Scriptures are published primarily by The Bible League, the American Bible Society and the International Bible Society and are distributed in the countries where used. If you would like more information on a language, consult the Ethnologue. If you are looking for a specific Bible in print, contact these organizations:
Q. Can you give me an e-mail address for a JAARS member? A. Many JAARS members, at home and overseas, have access to e-mail. We cannot give e-mail addresses to the public for two reasons. Many members, depending on their e-mail provider, must pay for each e-mail message they receive. This costs generally more than a foreign postage stamp. Also, some members are in sensitive countries, and they would rather give out their e-mail addresses personally. Please contact the member by regular mail for their e-mail address. Be advised, personnel who do not work on a center may pick up their e-mail on an irregular basis. Q. Tell me about the water filters you recommend and how I can buy them. A. Wycliffe International Health Department is encouraging use of PentaPure Water Filters. These units do all that the Katadyn Filter does, plus they kill viruses that may be in the water. In general, similar configurations are less expensive than Katadyn. Get more details. Q. Will you help me purchase mosquito netting? A. In many areas of the world, biting insects are not only a nuisance, but a major health threat. Malaria is just one of the many insect-borne diseases for which there is no vaccination. Anti-malarial drugs can provide some protection against some strains of malaria, but none are effective against all strains. For this reason, both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Center for Disease Control highly recommend sleeping under a bednet to reduce contact with insects.
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JAARS, Inc. PO Box 248 Waxhaw, NC 28173 |
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