Missionary's Tragic Death Opens Life of Faith to World

April 24, 2001 -- "God is in control; He knows what is best," Roni Bowers wrote to her church family in the fall of 2000. "He doesn't owe me anything, rather I owe Him everything. When we as believers get to heaven, we won't have to ask, 'why?' It will be worth it all."

Less than a year later, Roni is there. And the haunting words must still echo in Jim Bowers' head. On April 20, his wife, Roni, 35, and the couple's 7-month-old adopted daughter, Charity, were killed when their missionary plane was mistakenly shot down over Peru. Jim, 37, was on board at the time, along with their 6-year-old son, Cory, but neither were hurt. The Bowers family is from Muskegon, Mich.

In a written statement, Jim shares the following: "My son, Cory, and I would like to thank you for your prayers for us at this difficult time of our lives. Roni and Charity were tragically killed, and we are suffering that loss. I'm sure we will feel the loss more as time goes by. In spite of that, we still are trusting in God.

"Above all, we want to honor God and honor Roni's work and ministry," Jim continues. "She enjoyed so much serving the Peruvians whom she loved. One of my main concerns is that I was not able to properly say goodbye to our dear Peruvian friends because of the urgency in leaving the country."

Jim says he has heard various reports surrounding the shooting down of the mission plane. "I am trusting that the publicity will eventually agree with what I know to be the truth. The pilot claims that God landed the plane; however, I want to publicly thank Kevin Donaldson for saving our lives by expertly bringing us safely to the water."

Donaldson, 42, was severely wounded in both legs but managed to guide the flaming, single-engine plane into the Amazon river, according to Rev. E.C. Haskell, a spokesman for the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE), which sponsored the mission trip.

Based in New Cumberland, Pa., the ABWE aviation ministry first began in 1961 in the tri-country area of Colombia, Peru and Brazil. ABWE has about 1,300 missionaries in more than 65 countries who are supported by more than 8,000 Baptist churches. The missionaries work full-time in setting up churches and schools, ministering to the sick and the needy - a calling close to Roni's heart.

"God sparked an interest in my heart for missions very early," she wrote. "At the age of 13, I knew I wanted to be a missionary." While attending Piedmont Bible College in Winston-Salem, N.C., Roni attended a chapel program that changed her life. "Very early in my freshman year, a missionary challenged us to make a commitment in our dating lives. That day I made a vow to God that I would not date anyone unless he, too, wanted to be a missionary.

"Eventually," she continued, "a young man named Jim Bowers asked me to go roller skating. He was raised in Brazil by godly missionary parents and was planning to be a missionary. Over the course of time we became true friends ... and on Nov. 23, 1985, I became Mrs. James A. Bowers."

That summer, the couple attended ABWE's Candidate Seminar and were appointed to Iquitos, Peru as missionaries. They moved to Muskegon, Mich., and joined Calvary Church, which became their sponsoring or "sending" church. The only thing lacking for the Bowers was a child of their own.

After years of infertility and numerous tests, the Bowers were told that they needed to think about adoption if they wanted children. They adopted Cory in November 1994.

In the summer of 1997, Jim and Roni traveled to Peru to finalize plans to move there and become river houseboat missionaries. They built their own boat, with plans of traveling the Amazon River "to reach many for Christ and to train national leaders to do the work of ministry," Roni writes.

It was during that first trip that Roni unexpectedly became pregnant. "After many tests, everything appeared to be normal, and I returned to Peru three weeks later with all kinds of maternity clothes," she writes. "The following Friday, I was encouraged to lie down by one of the co-workers. No sooner had I laid down than my water broke. I was only 10 weeks into the pregnancy. After about five hours of labor in the hospital, I lost our baby. Despair is the only word to describe how I felt. I knew that I had to cling to God. He reminded me of Psalm 23, and I trusted Him to 'restore my soul.'"

Jim and Roni Bowers adopted Charity, their second child, in December 2000. The tragic shooting took place as the family was returning to Peru from Brazil, where they had picked up Charity's visa and passport. The infant had a temporary visa in Peru, but had to leave the country and re-enter to receive a permanent one.

Jim and Cory arrived at the Raleigh-Durham airport around noon on Sunday, says David Southwell, ABWE regional administrator for South America. "Jim and Cory are doing well but have requested that we respect the privacy of the family as they grieve the loss of Roni and Charity. On arrival, Jim expressed gratitude for the prayers and condolences offered by people around the world."

Meanwhile, the plane's pilot, Kevin Donaldson and his family arrived at the Philadelphia airport around 3:20 p.m. on Sunday from Lima, Peru. "Kevin has been transported to a hospital facility in the Philadelphia area and is currently undergoing surgery on both his legs," says Michael Loftis, ABWE president. "The surgery on his right leg involves broken and shattered bone and other related repairs. No bones were broken in his left leg, but other damage is being repaired. Of special concern are two severed blood veins."

About 200 people gathered Saturday at Calvary Church in Fruitport, Mich., to remember Roni and Charity. In a prayer service, members of the couple's home congregation leaned heavily on each other and their faith in an all-knowing God.

"We affirm our faith that God is in control," said the Rev. William Rudd, pastor of Calvary Church. "Nothing ever deters his eternal plan."

Latest reports indicate the United States' own plane located the missionaries for the Peruvian military, mistaking them for smugglers. The U.S. aircraft was supposed to identify drug planes for the Peruvian air force.

Speaking in Quebec City Sunday, President George W. Bush said: "We've suspended such flights until we get to the bottom of this situation ... to understand what went wrong in this terrible tragedy."

According to the Associated Press, U.S. officials said the CIA contract crew had no role in the shooting decision and that the Peruvians did not take adequate steps to verify the plane's identity. The Peruvian air force said that the plane failed to respond to "identification and interception" procedures.

While many reports are searching for the "how" of this tragedy, the Bowers' story of faith and hope can't help but shine through. Perhaps this is Roni's ultimate missionary act: to spread the gospel with her death.