The Day JAARS Began

We went bouncing down the runway, waving as we passed by our wonderful new friends at Jungle Camp. Then we lifted off. The pilot banked the plane for a turn, but too soon. With insufficient altitude the tail of our plane hit the top of a tree on the edge of a small ravine beyond the end of the runway. We felt ourselves falling for what seemed like hours, but in a matter of seconds the nose of the plane hit the bank on the other side of the ravine. For me, all went black.

In all the excitement the pilot had forgotten to turn off the fuel valve. Gasoline dripped on us, just missing Grace’s eyes. Cameron, fearing the plane might catch fire, handed little Grace to a man who had been plowing a nearby field and reached the crash site first. Cam wanted to get her away from the plane where she, at least, would be safe.

Those who just moments earlier had been waving a fond goodbye to us now ran frantically to reach the scene. The Lord had very graciously sent a medical doctor that year to be in charge of our Jungle Camp, and soon he was there, little black satchel in hand.

I had regained consciousness by now. As I looked down at my ankle and saw the foot dangling by just a bit of flesh, my first thought was, “I'll never walk again.” I saw blood streaming from Cam’s hip. With great difficulty, due to his broken leg, our rescuers extricated him from the demolished plane. They quickly cut down two small, straight trees and, with an army blanket, made a stretcher to carry us back to Jungle Camp. I was taken first, then the still-unconscious pilot.

We learned later that there had been several accidents in that dangerous area and, that morning, our pilot had told the hotel clerk that he was to be next! When the pilot finally became conscious two days later, the first question he asked was, “Is the baby still alive?” The fellows took Grace to him, and he was, indeed, grateful.

As Cameron waited for the stretcher, alone with God, JAARS was born in his mind. For years he had dreamed of using airplanes and radios to reach inaccessible areas. This crash made him even more determined to see it happen. To reach all the remaining language groups, we would have to have our own well-trained pilots and mechanics to keep the planes in good condition and to fly them well.

Then began the long healing process with both of us in casts. How well I remember the rustic crutches that were made for Cam from the materials available in the jungle and the beds built from small tree trunks. We thanked God for the doctor who worked around the clock on our behalf.

During this long stretch of recuperation, Cameron’s plans took shape more and more for our own Wycliffe missionary air service. Upon returning to Peru later that year, Cam learned that the United States government had a surplus amphibian plane for sale in Peru. It was a Grumman Duck and the price was $3,500. However, we didn’t have any money.

The Lord led Cam to write to three men in different parts of the United States to tell them of the availability of this plane and our great need of it. Two of them wrote back saying they would pray about it, but the third sent a telegram with the good news that this was a direct answer to prayer for him. He was the owner of a department store in Santa Ana and had been having labor problems which could have been quite costly. He had told the Lord that if God would straighten his problems out for him without his employees going on strike, he would give Him the money saved. The Lord had just seen him through this crisis, and the money saved was exactly $3,500.

Beginning with that one plane, in 50 years the JAARS fleet has grown to 37 aircraft, 13 of them high-performance Helio Courier airplanes. The fleet is a miraculous gift from God. The Lord has raised up wonderful young men and women to fly our planes and maintain them. They too, are God’s provision.

JAARS began with just one pilot, Betty Greene, on loan from Mission Aviation Fellowship. Miss Greene, in the Grumman Duck, became the first woman to pilot an airplane across the Andes.

Today our aviation personnel are working in many countries serving the needs of Bible translation.

Now, read Romans 8:28 again:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

And remember how the Lord worked out good from a plane crash. What could have been a tragedy instead inspired the beginning of JAARS!

—Mrs. William Cameron Townsend, 1997