Survivor of Fateful Honduras Mission Trip Says God Taught Her Many Lessons
by Allie Martin and Jenni Parker
January 3, 2006
(AgapePress) - - An unexpected incident during a summer mission trip to Central America changed one Northeast Mississippi church's outlook forever.Last July, a mission team from First Baptist Church in New Albany took part in a medical missions trip to Honduras to provide medical and dental care in remote villages in that country. But one day, while a vehicle was transporting team members back from a worksite, the brakes on the truck failed, sending it careening dangerously along a mountain path. The driver, with only seconds to choose among equally terrifying options -- to drive off the mountain or into it -- chose the latter.
Dr. Ron Feather, a New Albany dentist, died in the crash, and several other members of the missions team were injured. Among them was Katherine Skinner, a college student at Mississippi State University who was majoring in Spanish and acting as translator for the group. Although she remembers little about the accident, she does remember noticing the first sign of trouble during the ride through the mountainous region of Honduras.
"We started going really, really fast, just suddenly," Skinner says, "and I remember thinking, 'Oh, no -- the brakes went out.'" And moments later, although fellow team members were thrown from the truck, she found herself pinned painfully beneath the vehicle.
The young woman sustained serious injuries, including a number of broken bones. She was flown from Honduras to Houston, Texas, for treatment. Afterward, during her three-month recovery period, she was immobilized and largely helpless, forced to depend on others for just about everything and, meanwhile, coming to a new realization of her total dependence on God.
"I'm a big planner," Skinner explains. "Sometimes I plan three things and miss what's going on. There are so many little things that God does for His children just along the way that we may miss if we're not actively looking for it."
But in the aftermath of an accident that certainly was not in her plans, and faced with a long convalescence, the co-ed says she gained new perspective on God and His plans. "He told me that sometimes you just need to slow down -- which is what I had to do for those three months -- sit and be still and know that He's God and look at the little things that He does," she says.
And Skinner says her fellow congregants at First Baptist Church in New Albany have gained insight from the tragedy in Honduras as well. "This really changed the worldview of our church a lot," she says. "They see that it's not just about us here and what we can do here. It's about God's kingdom, and what we can do for His kingdom. And sometimes we're called to sacrifice."
Skinner says she is not sure whether she would have chosen to go to Honduras if she had known what lay ahead of her, but she's grateful to God for all He's taught her as a result of that unexpected journey. She says she would like to return to Honduras or travel to another country for another short-term mission trip in the future.
