To Headquarters We Go!
I looked over at my wife in the passenger seat and said, "You ready for an adventure cause I don’t know where I am going." It was 10:30pm and the only instructions I had received were, "Use the code to open the door on the side of the lodge." Anna and I were making our very first visit to JAARS headquarters in Waxhaw, North Carolina. Our plan was to spend a few days there meeting people and do some light tests so the aviation department could be sure I was ready to come for their full technical evaluation. We had talked with their housing department and booked a small room for a few nights for us to stay in. The only problem was that I never got a map and we had no idea where the lodge was. We drove aimlessly around the campus for 30 minutes before finding some folks on a late night walk who pointed us in the right direction. Anna thinks they were in fact angels in disguise, because what retirees in their 70s go for a walk at 11 pm? Overall our trip was both enlightening and encouraging.
On our drive up, Anna and I spent time thinking and praying about what questions we should ask while we were there to get a better idea of what the organization was all about and how we might fit. The first question we decided on was about internal conflict and how it gets handled inside the organization. We were told that due to the vast cultural diversity of those who work with JAARS, interpersonal conflicts were inevitable. JAARS does have a counseling division to assist in interpersonal conflict as well as an HR division to handle more serious problems. Our second question was like any question you ask a potential employer: "What does vacation time look like?" The answer was that we will have yearly vacation time which we can use however we please. Our final and biggest question was, "What is Anna going to do while I am working?" We got a pretty resounding answer on that front! Several of the people whom we had talked to throughout the recruitment process said that while my skill set would be very useful and would be happy to have me, they would be ecstatic to have Anna on the field. Her background in speech therapy can be a huge asset to the missionary families and to the local communities. Two of the individuals who were interviewing us had to return to the states early due to a lack of anyone who could provide speech therapy. Anna and I were both very encouraged by the fact that she will not have to stop doing what she loves. We have both been very encouraged that the two passions which the Lord has put inside of us are such a good combination for the calling we are feeling.
During our few days at headquarters, we noticed how old everyone seemed to be. We soon found out why. JAARS headquarters is the place where many go when they age out of being on the field. As we asked people for their stories we found over and over that those who were there had been with JAARS for most of their career and now volunteer in their retirement. This was pretty exciting to see, because it showed us that the organization is not sacrificing people on the alter of missions. We also found that JAARS has very few locations which they directly oversee. This may sound strange but the reason for it is pretty awesome. They do not directly oversee because they have trained up the local people to run it themselves. Jesus called us to disciple the nations, not to babysit them. Indigenous people are more than capable of running these operations well. Due to the lack of infrastructure in some countries they still need trained mechanics and pilots who are more easily able to obtain the needed education and licensing.
Our main reason for the visit was an initial evaluation and consultation per their request. JAARS told me that they had seen people with my resume come through their system who ended up not having the knowledge or skills required for the job. The first day I did the maintenance consultation which comprised a practical exam and a verbal exam. Their people were very professional and were able to find the limits of my knowledge pretty well. They said at the end of it that I was pretty well prepared and only need a small amount of brush up before I could pass their exam. The flight, however, did not go as well. Due to the training I have received, I lack much of the procedural disciplines they want in their pilots. They said I can handle the aircraft well, my controls are smooth, and I have the confidence in the air that makes for a good pilot, only I lack the procedures, which is a pretty big deal when you are talking about the kind of flying these guys do. It may sound like a small correction, but they are right to demand it from their pilots. Just go watch the movie Sully and you will see why procedures are so important. So I'm a fine mechanic and an ok pilot. No problem, I can just take some extra lessons and come back later to take their test again. Only there is one hiccup to that plan. During our trip we were told than in light of the difficulty in transferring licensure, most of the aviation personnel who are sent to their main bases are sent as either pilots or mechanics, not both. When I heard this, I had a little crisis moment inside. How could I choose? I love both of those things. There is something about being a pilot that instills a certain pride in you. Maybe it's because of the difficult tests you have to pass, or because you are one of the relatively small number of people who can say they are pilots. The idea of hanging that up is hard. On the flip side, anyone who knows me will tell you that I love to build things. When I finish working on planes everyday, I come home and do work on some personal project. Why? Because I love to make things and learn how stuff works. For the past year or more I have been making an escape game in a box which has its own custom 2D claw game. I love to build! The first thing I considered in making this decision was the fact that it is very easy to choose based on immediate positive feedback; "I am ready for the maintenance test and they said I was good at it, so I should just go with that." That is the wrong way to make an important life decision. There is also the temptation of choosing one option because there are fewer obstacles. "Well I am ready for the maintenance test and the aviation training will cost me more money and take more time." The final thing to be wary of is making a big decision because of impatience. "I am ready for the maintenance, and aviation training will delay the process for months or even a year." My wife and I have really been praying through these two options and I have sought counsel from sever close mentors of mine, and though I haven't made the decision yet, I am really leaning toward maintenance. One of my mentors asked me which of those two options turn my crank the most (pun intended), and I have to say it's maintenance. I see for more opportunity for learning in that field and far more opportunity for ministry. If you can fix a motor you can help people with move around in their boat, car, or bike. You can help a village get their generator back online so that they can communicate. There are so many options to help when you can fix stuff. Something I have learned from my wife over the years is to wait on the peace of the Lord to help guide you. With this decision I have been waiting to feel peace about one path before committing to either of them.
Once this decision is made, our next step is to schedule my technical evaluation sometime between now and December. Once I finish the evaluation we will be praying about where to spend the next several years of our lives, and we will be inviting you all to join us in the endeavor.