REMEMBERING MOTHER AND CHILD

Church Mourns Pair Killed In Peru

FRUITPORT -- The Michigan missionary who lost his wife and daughter when
their plane was shot down over Peru last week said he's at peace with their
deaths because he knows they're with God.

Jim Bowers made his first public appearance since the accident during an
emotional funeral service Friday night for wife Veronica (Roni) Bowers, 35,
and their adopted daughter Charity, 7 months. He and son Cory, 6, survived
after the family's small plane was mistakenly linked to drug smuggling and
shot down by a Peruvian fighter pilot April 20.

The Bowerses had been evangelizing along the Amazon River for almost a
decade. Jim Bowers didn't say whether he planned to resume his work in
Peru, but said he believed the high-profile death of his wife and daughter
prove that God has a higher purpose for him and Cory.

"Both Cory and I are experiencing inexplicable peace right now. Many have
told me that won't last, but I pray that it will," Bowers told about 1,000
mourners assembled at Calvary Church, which he and his wife joined more
than 10 years ago.

Bowers stood on a stage above a white-and-gold casket where Roni and
Charity Bowers lay together. Pictures of the two were projected onto large
screens on either side of the stage. A 3-foot bouquet of red roses from the
Peruvian government stood under one screen.

Peru's Consul General, Manuel Boza, came from Chicago to express his
condolences on behalf of the people and the government of Peru. The United
States and Peruvian governments continue to grapple with the political
fallout of the tragedy, but the funeral focused on the work Roni Bowers did
as a missionary and the belief that she and her daughter are now in heaven.

Cory sat quietly in the front row while his father spoke. Earlier Friday,
the church's senior pastor, Bill Rudd, said Cory is mature enough to grieve
for his mother and sister but is also a typical bubbly 6-year-old.

"My wife and I saw him last night in a swimming pool, and he came out to
show my wife his two front teeth missing and a new one that's starting to
pop out," Rudd said. "He's a normal little boy."

The flag in front of the sprawling evangelical Baptist church just east of
Muskegon flew at half-staff. Numerous small memorials to the mother and
daughter were placed throughout the church.

In the lobby, one panel of a large burgundy triptych was covered in family
photos and a saying that Roni Bowers was fond of: "God owes me nothing. I
owe Him everything." One of her friends placed a large bin near the door to
collect photos and written memorials for a scrapbook for Jim and Cory Bowers.

President George W. Bush called and offered his condolences to Jim Bowers,
the White House said. Aides said he would not attend because he did not
want to intrude on a private event. The State Department planned to send
foreign service officer Eva Weigold. Manuel Boza, the Peru consul general
in Chicago, was also to attend.

Sarah Van Tine, who befriended Roni Bowers 10 years ago, said she
remembered a thoughtful, contemplative woman who was always focused on her
missionary work and who would have rejoiced at reaching more people in
death than she ever could have in life.

"She was a very intense person, but not unfriendly. Even when she was
visiting home, her Peruvian people were still on her mind. She was always
getting ready for the next phase" of her missionary work, Van Tine said.

Jim and Roni Bowers formed a powerful team as they carried the message of
their religious faith along the Amazon River. They were as devoted to each
other as their work, though they always made a point of putting God first,
friends said.

Rudd shared Roni's Bible with mourners at the end of the funeral service.
Inside were love notes from Jim Bowers and photos of the couple, as well as
Roni Bowers' own notes to herself about the importance of her faith,
including a reminder to defend Christ and not herself.

Rudd said the church plans a permanent memorial to Roni and Charity Bowers.
Two dogwood trees, one large and one small, will be planted on the grounds,
close enough to intertwine.

Another service is scheduled for Sunday in Roni Bowers' home state of
Florida. Burial will follow at Eastern Gate Memorial Garden in Pensacola.

The Bush administration has suspended the drug surveillance flights. A U.S.
delegation was expected to travel to Peru this weekend for talks Monday in
Lima on the downing of the plane.