Helicopter Ride!

Today we went out to Waxhaw to enjoy some of the JAARS Day festivities. For over 50 years JAARS has provided technical support services and resources to Wycliffe Bible Translators, SIL International & others to aid in bringing the Bible to all people in their own language. (Check out their website for more info on this wonderful organization!)

In the large Aviation hangar, they had many displays set up showing how JAARS works to support Bible translation.

Here are the kids "writing" their names in Heiroglyphics!

The girls playing around in one of the displays.

A large part of the function of JAARS involves jungle aviation...to get people & supplies in and out of remote locations all over the globe using all kinds of helicopters & airplanes.

One highlight of our day was taking a ride on one of their helicopters! Jeff had done this when he was younger, but for the rest of us it was our first ride! (I did have my first airplane ride at a JAARS day when I was a child!)

Sophie waiting patiently

Jeff, Jack & Sophie getting ready to board!

Boarding the helicopter

Jack gets the bird's eye view in the front seat!

(Unfortunately I couldn't get a good shot of Sophie since she was in the back.)

Waving on take-off! (Jack in front, Jeff behind)

Up, up & away!

I couldn't get any pics of Jeff & the kids coming off because my mom & I had to be ready to get on next. I quickly passed the camera off to Jeff & he captured a few shots of our ride. Here we are getting ready for take-off.

And here we are walking back after our flight. It was GREAT! I asked the pilot how the kids had done & he said they had a great time & that Sophie chatted the whole time! (We were all so tired on the way home that I forgot to ask her what she was talking about up there!)

(Okay, I have to admit I feel a little bit like a rock-star in this photo...being escorted off the runway with the helicopter whirring in the background...pretty cool!)

My mom has worked at JAARS for 13 years & has been so blessed to work there. She always speaks so highly of all of her coworkers & the friends she has made there over the years. They really are a close-knit family! So, another wonderful part of the day was getting to meet my Mom's dear friend & coworker, Aja. She has been my Facebook friend for a while, so it feels like I've known her forever, but it was our first face-to-face meeting. She is as kind, delightful, & beautiful in person as she is on the computer! It was so much fun getting to know her a bit & the kids sure did enjoy her company! She got Drew out of his carseat when we arrived & he hardly left her arms all day! He was as happy as could be to get all that lovin'! Hopefully we didn't wear her out with our crazy crew! She was even kind enough to snap a few shots of us so we could get a new family picture!

The lovely Aja with a very happy Drew!

It was a wonderful day & I thank my mom & Aja for helping us keep track of everyone. I also praise God for the work that everyone at JAARS does in helping bring the Good News of the Bible to the world! It is so interesting to hear their stories & see the amazing progress that has been made--but there is still so much more to do (almost 2,400 languages are waiting for Bible translation to begin.) Please join me in praying for their continued safety on the mission field & off, and that the vision to bring the Gospel to the world would be realized.