JAARS and Alphabet Museum Field Trip
Author: Abigail McNair
As they settled back into classes and work after being away at the Feast, the students soon had a field trip day. They, along with some faculty, visited the JAARS facility and the Alphabet Museum in Waxhaw, NC.
To start the tour, the students listened to a talk by one of the workers and learned that JAARS, which stands for Jungle Aviation and Relay Service, their goal being to “Cover the last mile of missions using special-purpose aircraft, boats and off-road vehicles—relaying God’s Word, His missionaries and vital supplies across age-old geographical barriers.” The talk also included interesting information about JAARS’s founding, the brave individuals who have been part of it over the years, and what work the organization does today.
Then the students split into two groups to tour the facilities. This included learning about the emergency kits JAARS provides to its field workers and the various transports they use, such as motorcycles and boats. Finally, they ended at the hangar, where they learned about the airplanes they have used in the past and present to bring people into remote regions around the world.
The group then took a brief walk in the early autumn weather to the nearby Alphabet Museum for a guided tour. The tours included much information about various alphabets from around the world, such as Egyptian, Hebrew, Cyrillic, Korean, and more. Students learned about the origins of these alphabets, who created them and why, and how they have changed over time. It was fascinating to learn how these complicated alphabets, still used today, first came into existence.
The group finished with a pre-packed lunch, then headed back to headquarters to return to their work-study positions for the rest of the day. It was a nice change of pace to have a field trip, but this one was particularly enlightening, especially hearing about all the effort that goes into translating and transporting Bibles around the world. It certainly makes one grateful for the blessing of having a Bible in their hands!
