TRAGEDY IN PERU

Missionaries in many places in South America must rely upon small aircraft
that land on rivers and unpaved runways as they minister to the people in
otherwise impenetrable jungles.

Providing a sharp contrast, drug dealers making millions of dollars through
illicit traffic with foolish Americans use aircraft to transport their wares.

Sometimes it is difficult in flight to determine the difference, as a
horrible incident in Peru has fatally demonstrated.

A small pontoon aircraft was carrying Baptist missionaries on an accustomed
route a few days ago when it encountered a drug-monitoring aircraft under
contract to the U.S. CIA. The monitor called the missionary plane to the
attention of Peruvian military pilots. The missionaries said they had filed
a flight plan, as was customary. They said they tried to make radio contact
with the other aircraft. The CIA monitor reportedly urged the Peruvians not
to attack without certainty that drugs were involved. The Peruvians claimed
there was no flight plan or radio contact. They fired with terrible results.

One bullet killed missionary wife Roni Bowers and her infant daughter,
Charity, in her lap. Wounded pilot Kevin Donaldson miraculously brought the
aircraft to a capsizing landing in a river. Missionary Jim Bowers and his
6-year-old son, Cory, escaped uninjured.

It was a terrible tragedy as missionaries doing good were mistaken for drug
dealers doing evil.