Submitted by philip on
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
ALEXANDRIA – Richard “Whitey” Koons had just about everything a youth minister could dream about leading up to July 17, 1987.
But a tragic event at a youth camp along the Guadalupe River that day changed his life forever.
Koons – youth minister of a thriving group of young people at Seagoville Road Baptist Church in Balch Springs, Texas, at the time – was enjoying camp when they were given orders to evacuate, as the river waters were suddenly rising at the campgrounds.
While the majority of the 300 campers made it to higher ground – including more than 30 from his church – 10 of his youth were swept away in the normal tranquil but suddenly raging Guadalupe River.
“There is no seminary class, seminar or conference that can prepare you for what happened that fateful morning in July,” said Koons, who shared his story at a recent youth rally at Twin Bridges Baptist in Alexandria. “The struggle of identifying bodies of my teenagers, the pain of sharing with those parents who lost their kids and then the guilt of what could have been done differently.”
In the days and months following the tragedy, Koons continued to deal with memories from that day. A movie about the incident “The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children?” even aired on Lifetime Network in 1993.
But eventually that sadness turned into a tale of hope and courage for audiences in churches, camps and seminars. Koons even created e3ministries in 2007. Located in Waxahachie, Texas, e3ministries provides a platform for Koons and his wife, Lavonda, to share their story of how grief recovery is crucial.
Reminiscing on the experience 27 years ago, Koons said he has learned to trust God no matter how bright or dark the circumstance may be at the moment.
“I learned first-hand the meaning of the sovereignty of God,” he continued. “I learned the importance of being surrounded by godly friends and family. I learned that you either become bitter or better! The most important lesson: life is fragile, so be passionate about leading people to a relationship with Christ.”
John Phillips was among the 80 youth who attended the rally, which also included games, food and music. By the end of the evening, two of the youth indicated a decision for Christ.
Phillips, a senior at Pineville High School who attends Twin Bridges Baptist, called Koons’ testimony uplifting.
“It reminded me of the job our Savior gave us to spread the gospel because life is so fragile and nobody is promised tomorrow,” Phillips said.
Kim Stalsby, youth director at Twin Bridges Baptist, said the timing for the rally was perfect, as it fell just a few weeks before the start of the school year.
“The thing that really encouraged me and our kids as they go back to school is that they need to be the Christian leaders and heroes like these kids were who were impacted by the tragedy in Texas,” Stalsby said. “As a youth director I thought it was especially appropriate is that everything you do is a reflection on whom you are as a Christian.”