Sustaining Grace Through Tragedy: The Bowers Shoot Down, 25 Years Later
From The Missions Show by Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford
March 29, 2026 · 31 min
About this episode
Jim Bowers reflects on the tragic shoot down of his family's missionary flight and shares insights on loss, faith, and God's sustaining grace 25 years later.
In April 2001, tragedy struck deep in the jungles of Peru when a missionary flight carrying the Bowers family was mistakenly shot down during a counternarcotics operation gone wrong. Roni Bowers and her infant daughter, Charity, were killed. Jim Bowers and his young son survived. Twenty-five years later, Jim joins Alex and Scott to reflect on that day and what Jim has learned about loss, faith, and God’s sustaining grace. While the incident drew international attention and remains a sobering example of the dangers missionaries face, this episode moves beyond the news cycle. Jim shares what it has looked like to walk the long road of grief, forgiveness, and trust in God’s providence. Key Topics Jim Bowers recounts the tragic events of that day Recognizing God's sovereign plan and sustaining grace since the incident The risk of glamorizing hardships for attention How missionaries should count the cost of following their call to missions In this week's Overtime episode, Alex, Scott, and Jim talk about the confusing and misleading accounts from the CIA about the incident, the need for accountability within the government, and how to view recent political and military events. Get…
People in this episode
Hosts: Alex Kocman, Scott Dunford
Guest: Jim Bowers
Topics covered
- tragedy
- faith
- grief
- forgiveness
- missionary work
- God's grace
Keywords
- Bowers family
- missionary flight
- Peru
- loss
- sustaining grace
- grief
- forgiveness
- CIA
- accountability
- missions
Sponsors
Oak Park Tables
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CIA
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