I can't say enough great things about JAARS. Besides the great work they do in support of…read moremissionaries who are creating written languages and translating the Bible in some of the most remote corners of the globe (one example being Papua New Guinea), this review is about their gift shop. My favorite T shirt in the whole world is my navy blue JAARS T shirt which I bought there back in the 90's, is in my most common avatar (the one I am wearing ca. 1995ish in my Yelp profile). My family informed me that I shouldn't wear it after 20+ years wear and tear. So I called the JAARS gift shop and they don't carry my size. But true to form, they were about to make an order, and offered to call in to their supplier and add some JAARS T shirts in my size, which they did, called when the special order T shirts came in, and had them shipped when they came in. Great place to interact with. Thank you for great service.

A mission oriented organization that transports and supports linguists who are working in isolated…read moreareas of the world with tribal peoples that do not have a written language. At least that is how I understand how this organization works. They have quite an operation of pilots and linguists who fly into some very isolated and primitive places to do their work. One of their retired pilots lives with us in Sun City and tells wonderful tales of landing on sand bars of rivers in the middle of the jungle, hacking through thick trail-less jungle to encounter tribal folks and extra-ordinary means to support and continue the work of the linguists and cultural anthropologists. What these missionaries do is to live with the tribes and record their language, their names for things and expressions. Especially to take in how they pronounce words. Then an alphabet is created for that language and a dictionary created. Ultimately, they translate the Bible into the tribal language and teach them their alphabet and how to read the written word by reading the Bible. An amazing organization with sincerely amazing people Four times a year they have JAARS Days: March, June, August and October. Dates and months can change year-to-year so check with them to get specific details. They have their facilities open to the public, host displays and even have airplane rides available for purchase. Nearby are their Alphabet and the Mexico-Cardenas Museums. Very much recommended for a visit, children and adults. And the JAARS Days are truly special.