When I was 15, I surrendered to God’s call to ministry and assumed that meant I would become a pastor. Instead, God sent me for a career in the U.S. Army, not as a chaplain, but as a warrior, serving in the infantry and helping guide efforts to track down and arrest Saddam Hussein. This life certainly wasn’t what I expected, but I had to learn the value of what Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (ESV).
That verse would carry through more life changes than I could count, from my military career to unexpectedly serving in Oklahoma’s state legislature to finding myself elected into the U.S. House of Representatives. I often didn’t know where the journey would carry me, but I leaned through many hard lessons that I didn’t have to know the specific good works the Lord prepared me for – I just had to be able to take steps of faith into them. So I followed, and God led me into new chapters where I would find a new work to do for His Kingdom.
The latest of these chapters found me accepting a position as president of JAARS, a North Carolina-based missionary aviation ministry that for 75 years has flown missionaries and Bible translators in and out of some of the most inaccessible places on earth. JAARS has a rich history of equipping missionaries in a unique way, and I was brought in for an equally unique perspective to help JAARS thrive in a new era of aviation.
Once again, I found God leading me into a whole new world of service to Him that I neither expected nor felt particularly ready for. And yet, stepping forward in faith, I saw my experience and background used for the Gospel in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Ephesians 2:10 continued to be the verse that I modeled my life upon, knowing and trusting that the Lord would guide me into where He meant for me to make an impact for His glory.
Fast forward to September 27, 2024. Like many across the country, I awoke to news of devastating flooding and loss of life in the mountains of western North Carolina. Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, bridges vanished, roads failed, and entire communities became inaccessible to the outside world.
That day, as president of JAARS, I faced a decision. Almost all of our operations are overseas, primarily in the rainforest band of South America and Asia. We are not designed as a humanitarian aid organization. And yet, here was a massive need right in our own backyard.
Once again, Ephesians 2:10 came to mind. “Created in Christ Jesus for good works … that we should walk in them.” Or for JAARS, “fly in them.” And so we flew.
We could clearly see how God prepared us for this moment beforehand. For the last forty years or so, we’ve trained pilots in the very same mountains that were now flooded. We already knew the local airports and isolated strips of grass where we practice mountain take-offs and landings. More importantly, we had friends – deep relationships formed over many years with fellow believers who allow us to use their property and facilities for training.
In the immediate aftermath, a time when many non-profits and government agencies were struggling with how to access those in need, God was using our specialized experience and existing relationships to establish an operations hub in Spruce Pine, N.C.
Planeloads of bulk supplies left JAARS headquarters near Charlotte and arrived at Avery County Airport, where volunteers broke them down into smaller parcels for short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft – planes and helicopters that can land on narrow, sloped, or rough airstrips or clearings you won’t find on a map. From there, we hopscotched relief supplies into isolated coves and high hollows and even mountainsides, similar to how we fly missionaries, Bibles, and medicine into places like Papua New Guinea and Brazil. We even flew a pregnant mother, who was in labor, to safety.
The work of government agencies like FEMA and the National Guard was brilliant. But because God had uniquely prepared JAARS, we were able to respond immediately, targeting the remote and rural communities that the Guard had not yet been able to reach.
But we weren’t alone. God’s people joined us in walking in good works. Pilots called and asked if they could bring their own planes. Volunteers lined up to load and unload. Families brought bottled water, shelf-stable food, generators, and diapers. Churches organized sorting lines and prayer circles. Donors, some longtime partners, and many who had heard of JAARS for the first time gave with overwhelming generosity.
Coming together as the Body of Christ, and making use of our little planes and helicopters, specialized equipment, and jungle tactics, we delivered over 360,000 pounds of relief supplies in those first few days.
For JAARS, Hurricane Helene forced a choice. We could cling to our tradition of serving only overseas, or we could answer the vivid need right in front of us. We chose the latter, not because our mission changed, but because our unique role is to remove logistical and geographic barriers for the sake of the Gospel wherever they arise. When Hurricane Helene washed out bridges and even entire sections of interstate, the faithful response was to find another way in.
The lesson endures and is as timeless as the words of Ephesians 2:10. Readiness to serve is an act of faith. It means training until hard things become doable, cultivating relationships before a crisis, and holding our plans and preferences loosely enough to adapt when God opens a new door.
Yes, you can answer the call to ministry and find your unexpected mission field in Iraq, leading a U.S. Army battalion. Yes, you can specialize in jungle missionary aviation and find your unexpected mission field responding to Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. Yes, God can use you! All it takes is the willingness to follow where He leads and to serve with faithful obedience. Remember that you are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand.” Are you ready to walk in them?
Steve Russell, a retired U.S. Army officer and former Member of Congress, is president of JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Relay Service), a 75-year-old aviation and logistics ministry that provides active support to one-third of all missionary aviation efforts worldwide.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Maya Karkalicheva
Tricia Bell is the Chief Legal Officer for Christian Care Ministry/Medi-Share, the not-for-profit organization that operates the Medi-Share healthcare sharing program.