Rick & Jolene Nachtigal

We are serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators and its partner organization JAARS, here in Waxhaw, North Carolina. Our mission is to make Bible translation and language development possible, especially in the most remote and difficult places on earth. For many of the 167 million people who are still waiting for Bible translation to begin in their language, they live in very isolated, hard to reach places. Whether it is vast amounts of undeveloped safari, thick dense jungles, or rugged mountainous terrain, these language communities are often isolated and separated from the rest of the world, often forgotten and their very existence marginalized. Of the top 10 countries in the world with the most languages, JAARS has a presence in four of them. Whether it is transportation, technology, media, or training, the work of JAARS exists to make possible and help speed the work of Bible Translation.

In 2017, after serving in Papua New Guinea for over 20 years, we came to work here at the JAARS headquarters. It is here that pilots and mechanics are recruited and prepared to operate in these remote and often challenging environments. In all, we have 19 aircraft, and approximately 130 staff in our world-wide organization. Training these aviators how to maintain their aircraft with very high standards, fly their aircraft to precise tolerances, and maintain adequate margins in conditions that constantly try to rob you of them, is critical for the safety and effectiveness of Mission Aviation. Not only do we recruit and train aviation staff but we provide them with ongoing standard’s oversight, technical support, and parts supply. On occasion, we even procure, refurbish, and deploy new aircraft to our field operations. We also partner with many other mission aviation organizations who need the training and infrastructure that JAARS can offer.