Imagine an area so diverse in language and culture that there are more different Bible translation projects than in Europe and the Americas combined. And still over 900 people groups are waiting for translation projects underway or yet to begin!
Our translation partners there persist with a single vision: to bring the number of language groups without the gospel to zero. In Asia, JAARS comes alongside partners to overcome the geographical and logistical barriers that hinder their Bible translation work—so that God’s creation can know and worship him fully!
Why is JAARS needed?
Although hundreds of millions of people live in Asia’s great cities, communities without a written language are more often found in the vast, remote expanses of God’s creation: among soaring mountain ranges where roads and power grids do not exist, or within tropical forests, or island archipelagos, or simply on the outskirts of economic development.
Things we take for granted—personal mobility, reliable electricity, handheld communications, and even the concept of a “help desk” to solve problems—are often nonexistent where language development, Bible translation, and a personal encounter with the gospel are needed most.
JAARS makes it possible for translators to work safely and effectively in these conditions.
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What solutions are we currently providing in Asia?
What is JAARS doing?
Our role is to enable translation workers to translate—while we go about solving the logistical problems that slow them down and even put their work and lives at risk.
Transportation
Our transportation solutions enable the mobility, safety, and stewardship of time that translation partners need to work effectively. In Asia, that means support for mission aviation services (aircraft, pilot recruiting and/or training, and even ongoing operational support).
In addition to helping make Bible translation possible, our mission aviation partner is often called on to support the hospitals and clinics that serve the most remote people groups—making urgent care a reality and sharing God’s love in real-time, practical ways.
Media
Our ongoing provision of media solutions means translation partners can produce and distribute the gospel—and related materials—to oral communities via mobile phones, handheld audio players, and even broadcast events … long before (and after) written translations are available. In Asia, our translation partners both produce and receive these media solutions thanks to the prayers and generosity of people like you.
Technology
Our reliable technology solutions typically include resourcing things like mobile laptops, remote power systems, and reliable Internet connectivity. But in Asia we’re primarily involved in supporting the ongoing IT infrastructure and teams involved with our partners’ translation and media production efforts. In Asia, even translation work conducted in towns and cities can be stalled by unreliable power grids or unavailable technologies, so our solution-making is never one-size-fits-all. “Locally appropriate and sustainable” are the principles that guide our commitments.
Who benefits from our work?
JAARS currently provides logistical support for Bible translation and language development partners in three Asian countries with enormous Bible translation needs. Due to the sensitive nature of their work, we are not allowed to name the countries or organizations.
In these countries, JAARS supports more than 46 language projects that will soon provide millions of people with the gospel in a language they can comprehend best. And many more projects are needed.
Our partner organizations include both global translation organizations—like Wycliffe Bible Translators, SIL International, and The Seed Company—and national organizations that are part of Wycliffe Global Alliance.
The solutions we provide help them work safely and effectively, ensuring the continuity and the pace of Bible translation in the area.
Most important, though, are the individuals, families, and communities in Asia who will encounter the transformative power of the gospel when it is made available in the language(s) they understand best!
