As part of our Center for Leadership programming, we hosted Mrs. Ramirez Johnson as a speaker who addressed our entire student body. Mrs. Ramirez shared her experience as one of only four survivors in a tragic plane crash on American Airlines Flight 965 which resulted in 189 fatalities. Mercedes was traveling with her parents on December 20, 1995, en route from Miami, Florida to Colombia, South America when the plane crashed into a mountain near Buga, Colombia. She recounted her experience on the aircraft along with the pilots' steps to take emergency procedures when the Ground Proximity Alarm went off in the Boeing 757 when the flight was only 15 minutes away from the scheduled landing. Twelve seconds later, there was a loud bang from the rear of the plane. Traveling over 200 mph, the tail of the aircraft struck trees at the crest of the mountain resulting in the crash.

The students were riveted to their seats as Mercedes shared her account of waking up and eventually realizing what had happened. With broken bones and internal bleeding, she did her best to crawl from the plane’s wreckage. Eighteen hours later, a rescue team arrived and was able to retrieve the five survivors (with one succumbing to injuries later). After the investigation, she learned that the cause of the crash was pilot error. The pilot had entered an incorrect code into the onboard flight computer and the plane veered off course. Despite the devastating impact of losing both parents and enduring extremely serious injuries that would take up to a year to overcome, Mercedes used her story and the series of events that caused the crash to teach MC students important lessons regarding perseverance and living authentically. Her message was powerful.

One part of her story stuck with me. Initially, the rescue operations team in Columbia delayed their efforts to venture out to the crash site since they assumed everyone had been lost in the crash. The teamed deemed the operation a “search and recovery” mission because they could not imagine how anyone could survive the impact. Fortunately, one doctor who was part of an independent rescue team, insisted that there were survivors on the mountain. He called it a “search and rescue” operation and gathered a team to depart immediately to the crash site. Thanks to his determination, the team arrived in time to save the lives of Mercedes and those who were still alive.

This part of her story caused me to reflect on our Lord Jesus Christ and a verse in Romans (5:8) – But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Because of His love for us, God set out on a “search and rescue” effort for us. Someone once told me that the word “sin” comes from an archery term. The distance from the bullseye to where the arrow struck the target is called the “sin.” Sin means to miss the mark that God has set for us. God’s great love for us is seen through Jesus Christ, who died so our sin (distance from the target) would be removed. God was not satisfied with just a search and recovery but sent His only Son for a rescue.

As we move through this Lenten Season, let us reflect upon our own perseverance and determination and the love God displays to us through the gift found in His Son.

Sincerely,

John K. Thornburg