Unseen Heroes
How do teachers, pilots, or translators get all their goods from their homes in the States to the country where they serve?
They call on the Purchasing and Shipping Department at JAARS, of course!
Johnny Reeves, a pilot in Papua New Guinea (PNG) serving with one of our partner organizations, enthusiastically endorses the shipping department at JAARS. “One of the many advantages of being part of an organization that has been around for over 75 years is they have learned a thing or two. They have programs and people in place to streamline processes that before were often very difficult and timely. With the exception of filling out a little paperwork, you can simply pack and drop off whatever you want at the Shipping center at JAARS, and the awesome team there will make sure it shows up at your [area of assignment] several months later!”
The Reeves paid to send their goods to PNG by cubic foot, unlike most shipping services which charge by weight. “This saved a great deal of money for us,” Johnny explains. He and his family had come to JAARS for pre-field training before departing to PNG, so it was convenient to just bring the items they wanted to ship and leave them here.
“[This ministry] enabled us to have access to supplies, parts, and goods that haven’t always been an option here in PNG,” Johnny says. Although it’s no next-day-Amazon service, “it’s incredible that we even have an option to get goods sent to even the remotest places on earth.”
Johnny shipped a motorbike over because the road to the airstrip where he works is often muddy and rough, and he couldn’t find well-priced motorbikes in-country. “I now have cheap transportation out where I work every day.”
Our aviation partner in PNG also relies greatly on this service that you help us provide. Without our shipping department, their pilots and mechanics wouldn’t be able to acquire the tools they need. Over the past two years, they have upgraded and purchased many new tools to better enable them to provide safe and affordable flight services to their mission workers and surrounding communities.
Paul Dokken, who supported Bible translation in PNG as an IT specialist, also utilized the Shipping Department at JAARS. “It’s hard to know what you’re going to need beforehand, and every family’s needs are different,” Paul explains.
When his family first went over, they had four young children. “It’s almost impossible to get kids’ clothing and shoes, so we tried to guess how long they would last and the sizes our kids would need.”
Paul understands firsthand how stressful living overseas can be. Besides shipping personal items and items needed for work, many mission workers also ship over items that make them feel more comfortable and at home such as books, family photos, and toys.
Johnny says about the shipping staff who labor away from the limelight, “We greatly appreciate the crew at JAARS shipping. Their hard work in supporting [mission workers] all over the world often goes unnoticed, but [they] are heroes in the eyes of those of us who are on the receiving end of their work.”
How might you join the unseen heroes in the task of Bible translation? Visit this page to find out!
