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Recent Posts

Haydom

By Jacob
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Tuesday last week I flew out with another MAF pilot, Kirstein, to Haydom. Our schedule was full with flights out to even more remote villages, and we would not return back to Arusha until Friday. On one of the afternoons we needed to haul to the maximum capacity of the aircraft, and so I was left on the ground.  As I waited to catch a few pictures of Kirstein taking off to the villages, these two girls kept begging me to take a picture of them so they could see themselves. They were quite pleased, and a little shy, when I showed them my camera screen. After he was off, I began my hike to the large hill beside the town of Haydom. Having grown up in the mountains of Idaho, I miss the tranquility and peace of being in the wild. Being away from busy city life gives me time to think and process. I began to contemplate how different Tanzania is from the world I grew up in. For instance, it took me multiple visits to the Haydom airstrip before noticing the ridicu...
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More Than a Picture

By Jacob
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This last week Carmen was sick and I had meetings in the city. On my way back I bought a bundle of roses from a roadside salesman for Carmen. A few mornings later, I noticed that all the other roses were quickly wilting. But in the midst of these dying roses stood one, alive and beautiful in contrast to the others. It was an instant reminder of a verse. "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ...Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58 In this life, we have the choice to either stand firm, unmovable and confident in the Christ, or we can wilt under the cares of the world. I have to admit, the latter choice is an easy one to make. In fact, it just happens. Many times, by the end of the day I look more like one one of those drooping roses. But thanks be to God, who give us victory so that we can continue....
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The WOW Factor - Tanzania and Aviation

By Jacob
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This last week we were able to sit down with the Director of Aviation, Steve, whom we will be replacing in Tanzania. Part of our discussion revolved around the importance of aviation for Bible translators. As such, the question of why aviation support for translators in Tanzania was introduced. His answer had elements I knew already, but he also brought some really great insights to the table. Expediency Translation teams make regular trips north of Mbeya where we will be based. Normally this includes an exhausting and bumpy 10-12 hour drive. On the other hand, a flight in the 206 only takes a couple of hours. This is just one example of why aviation in an underdeveloped country can save a tremendous amount of man hours.  Support Link Aviation provides a vital link. Recently, four families left the region north of Mbeya due to oppressive spiritual warfare. This area is controlled by witch doctors. The aviation program, which provides this vital connection, was ...
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Runway Survey

By Jacob
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Earlier this week all the pilots, aircraft mechanics in JAARS training, and a few of the staff went to a few of the airfields which are used for training. These grass runways are privately owned but the owners have generously allowed JAARS aircraft to operate out of them. The purpose of the "field trip" was two-fold. First, it gave the pilots an opportunity to walk and assess the runways before flying into them. Secondly, these runways require periodic inspections. The first task was to measure the fields. Since JAARS operates out of short airstrips, performance numbers (how long it will take the aircraft to get off the ground) is crucial. Before flight, distance for takeoff and landing will be calculated and is accurate to within 20 feet. To do this, environmental factors such as humidity, slope, surface, wind, etc. will be measured to produce an aircraft performance number. As such, having markings on the runway to verify whether the aircraft is performing a...
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