Why is JAARS needed?
Much of today’s Bible translation takes place in rural areas, where you’ll rarely see vehicles or paved roads.
Getting around is rough: Just 100 miles can take days of waiting and hopping bush taxis. And to reach the most isolated areas, you have to walk or bike for miles.
Tough as it is, translation can’t happen without travel. One language might be spoken across hundreds of miles—and visiting the whole community is the best way to get input, test drafts, help churches, and start literacy classes.
What is JAARS doing?
Motorbikes turn days into hours. And our partners can travel as often as they need—meaning more visits, training, and changed lives, even in the most remote villages.
Hands down, they’re the best fit for many of our colleagues:
- They work almost anywhere. Motorbikes are rugged and agile, so they can navigate nearly any terrain—from city streets to rainforest trails.
- They’re easy to maintain. Everyone who gets a motorbike from us will also get the tools and training they need to take care of it. (Plus a helmet and safety gear.)
- They’re affordable. Gas and maintenance are far less than for other vehicles. A good motorbike can last more than 5 years.
Who benefits from our work?
With motorbikes, our translation and literacy partners can overcome the daunting conditions they face when traveling to the rural communities where they work.
For each team that receives motorbikes, we provide safety and maintenance training classes, plus safety gear and helmets. These sessions improve driving skills, minimize the risk of injury, and ensure that equipment is kept in good working condition.
Samuel Ngeh, a Scripture engagement facilitator in Cameroon, received a motorbike and attended one of the training workshops. He says, “The lessons were highly practical with strategic explanations. They have increased my sensitivity on the highway. Maintenance sessions gave me insights to things that I must not ignore. Now I am able to do a proper check on my engine and recognize problems that could keep my engine from functioning effectively. Thanks to this bike [and training], I am now equipped to ride with confidence over long distances to meet with churches and help them understand how to know and obey the Scriptures.”
To support this project and others like it, please give to our Transportation Solutions, Africa Initiative, or Asia Initiative. Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry!
“I was amazed with all I’ve learned during the week we spent learning how to ride the new bikes. … It showed me that the bike and the [safety and maintenance] knowledge are to be used to the glory of God. I am so encouraged to use the bike for the Lord as I apply all these practical and spiritual lessons.”
– Abe Paul, Bible translation worker for the Mbembe language project in Cameroon