Jungle Aviation and Radio Service (JAARS) hosted a program Saturday and Sunday at the Ames Municipal Airport. The program was called Missions at the Airport.

JAARS is an organization that provides technical support services intended to increase Bible literacy.

“It’s an educational program designed to introduce people to the work of JAARS, the Wycliffe Bible Translators, and the Bible translation task around the world,” said Mike Mower, director of the program and a pilot for JAARS.

Today JAARS is known for more than just airplanes and radios.

“We do training for pilots, information technology, audio and video production,” Mower said.

People who came to the airport had the opportunity to ride in an actual missionary airplane with a missionary pilot. Passengers had to buy a ticket and fill out a form to ride in the plane.

There were displays of the work the missionaries had done in many exotic areas of the world. Missionaries talked about their experiences and what they have been working to accomplish.

Mower said other missionaries were at the event for people to talk to and learn about the different aspects of the Bible translation movement  and how they could get involved. 

“The people may be high school students, college students, or they are about to retire looking for what they might want to do with the rest of their lives,” Mower said.

Roger Krenzin, a missionary pilot, has been with JAARS for 34 years. He has been flying for 32 years.

“Now I just share stories and speak in churches and schools — elementary through universities,” Krenzin said. “Bible translation is our real goal. It’s been exciting to be a part of that.”