Afterwards II

I am writing this from the comfort of my home in Boulder, Colorado. I have come back to my "regular life", but I find that my thoughts return frequently JAARS Center in Waxhaw, North Carolina. When I check the weather, I have added the Waxhaw to the list of places I check.  When I sit in my study at Valmont Church,  I hear airplanes taking off from the Boulder airport and I wonder about the missionary mechanics working in The Hangar at JAARS.  Or the kids at the MKS (Missionary Kid Station) that Dottyanne worked with.

This last month at JAARS has changed my perspective on missionaries.  I knew that it took a lot of logistical support to keep each translator at work in a far off place, but I had visualized that support structure as being populated by logisticians.  In fact the very complex support structure is populated with missionaries - people who see their work, not as an end in itself, but as an integral part of bringing God's promises to everyone in the world.  I have mentioned it before, but I was impressed by the number of folk who, when describing their job to me, began with, "I'm helping translate the Bible by...".

The work of Wycliffe/JAARS by its very nature imitates  the incarnational ministry of Jesus Christ.  He came to us where we are, became as we are, and spoke our language to bring the good news of God's salvation to us.  In a very direct and exciting way Wycliffe/JAARS is answering Christ's call to be his "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth".

I cannot thank Valmont Church enough for giving us this time to recharge our batteries and allow us to experience this work of the greater Church.  It has given us new eyes for the breadth and depth of Christ's love, and for those called to serve him throughout the world.

JAARS At a Glance

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