In the Rain Under the Plane
It’s not always robin-egg blue skies and amber sunlight for the Missions at the Airport (MATA) teams who fly to spread the word about Bible translation and JAARS. Even though the rain grounds the airplanes and helicopters, God uses these cloudy days to crack open opportunities for his purposes.
Several JAARS aviation staff recently spent four days at the Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg, Virginia—speaking, flying, and shivering in the rain.
During the first two days, they set up a standing display of the Helio Courier airplane for local schools to observe. Other organizations and aircraft were present, but JAARS was the only mission-oriented group. On the first day, 100 sixth graders from local Christian schools and home school groups came to look at the Helio and learn about Bible translation.
The next day, Friday, over 500 sixth graders from local public schools came out to see the plane and other displays. Unlike the previous day, which had gorgeous sunny weather, it poured the entire day. Due to the rain, groups of about 40 students and a few adult chaperones huddled under the wings of the Helio Courier as they listened to the story of how JAARS plays a major role in advancing Bible translation all over the world.
After the students saw and heard everything, a young woman who was helping oversee the children came up to some of the aviation staff. She told them that she had accepted Jesus as her Savior only weeks before, after suffering through a very difficult time.
Stephen, one of the staff members, shares, “Under the wing of our aircraft, she learned for the first time that Bible translation exists. She had no idea. We could literally see in her eyes her worldview open up as she asked questions and conversed with us about God’s Word and how JAARS, along with other organizations, make it happen. She left excited, with a big smile on her face.”
This experience, according to Stephen, “made standing in the rain all day more than worth it!”
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