Into the deep: CBU ISP team braves the pool before the Amazon

Riverside, Calif. (June 4, 2025) – Teams going on International Service Projects this year spent more than 65 hours in cultural and missions training during the spring semester. Some teams chose to do even more.

A team of eight aviation science students headed to South America also participated in water travel safety training. Instructors from Jungle Aviation and Radio Service led the training at California Baptist University on a cool Saturday in March.

The team leaves in June for almost three weeks. The focus for the team will be aviation missions, but they will spend one week on a boat in the Amazon, serving river communities. Local medical professionals will be on the boat, providing health care, and the CBU students will offer children’s ministry at the ports of call.

“The training removes fear and empowers them with knowledge and skills to overcome crisis situations in the water,” said Tony Hinton, an instructor from JAARS. “Why do we do this? Because they’re brothers and sisters in Christ and we want them to survive and have an effective ministry.”

Members of another ISP aviation science team along with students and alumni who are planning to join JAARS participated as well. The training included paddling inflated rafts across the pool, practicing various rescue techniques, stepping off a 3-meter springboard into the pool and learning how to respond in the water.

“One thing that really stuck with me is to stop and process what you're going to do before you do it,” said Shelby Stump, an aviation flight junior. “Go through the steps instead of automatically placing yourself in a situation you may not be able to get out of.”

Daryl Young, a CBU flight instructor, the team’s leader and a JAARS instructor, said although the training was not required, he thought it was important. In other parts of the world, many people are non-swimmers who have never worn a life jacket and do not know about water safety, he said.

“If we encounter any unfortunate situation, we’re far better prepared. It's a life skill. Who knows when it might prove a blessing to someone,” Young said. “It’s also deepening our team bond.”

Ben Tahir, an aviation management junior, had fun jumping off the board, but the situation made him think.

“It was quite different to jump from the high dive with a life jacket on and think of entering the water in a situation where we have to get off a sinking ship,” he said.

Kailani Balbas, an aviation flight senior, appreciated the real-life applications, which included rescuing team members from under a capsized raft and using the survival safety kit in the water. She wanted to go on ISP to step out of her comfort zone.

“I felt God calling me toward this. I think it would be a good opportunity for me to learn and grow in my faith but also be challenged physically and mentally,” she said.

Tahir wanted to see how aviation applies to missions.

“It’s something that's interesting to me,” he said. “Depending on how it goes, I might want to go into mission aviation in the future.”