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Moore's Messenger - Summer 2004 |
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Betty & Bill Rogers go whitewater rafting..........While white water rafting trip down the New River in Fayetteville, West Virginia, Bill and I were off to our Memorial Day weekend to the New River. We are experienced at white water rafting. We had spent 16 days on the Colorado River in October -- 227 miles of River. Bill and I had done the New River in 2002. It was below its water level at that time. Our 2 man inflatable canoe flipped on a level 5 rapid that year. That was my first experience of being pulled down a raging river rapid called Double Z. I never let go of the boat. That is what Bill had instructed me to do. Finally, God gave us a rock in the middle of the rapid to stop us. I got back in the boat after catching my breath. Bill and I and a friend Larry left for the river Thursday evening. I was tired and had just been tested for 2 days for my trauma certification. We arrived at the campground at 2:30am. We were all pretty tired. We slept the best we could in the truck because is was pouring down rain. The next day we set up camp in the rain. We were waiting for Andy and Cindy to meet up with us, because you need at least 5 people in the boat to row and rudder. That gave me time to do my homework (an 8 page paper on Maureen Ham’s Nutritional Assessment). Sometimes if you want to play, you have to do homework on vacation. The next day we put on the river at 10:00am. Bill and Andy were at the front of the boat, Cindy and I were behind them and Larry was at the rudder (back of the boat). The river was very exciting. The water level was 12.6 feet higher than normal. They usually close the river to commercial boats at 13 feet, so you can imagine the water was really raging. We had been on the river about 3 hours; we pulled over and had a bite of lunch, then proceeded down the river to the next rapid. It happened so fast. We were in this thrashing rapid. I could see a big circulating hole to my right. Next thing I saw was Andy fly across to Bill’s side of the boat, then the boat flipped. I was under the boat, but I got out and held onto a ring with Cindy. Cindy attempted to go to the side of the boat for a handle to hold onto. Suddenly we were all knocked off the boat. We were not sure which way is up. I finally surfaced and I could see that boat. Andy was holding his hand out to me. next thing I know I screamed for Bill and went under again. I started to pray for God to help me. I again rose above the water. I started swimming to the side as hard as I could. The current was too strong. I was soon exhausted. I closed my eyes and called on God to help me. The next thing I know I was reaching for a rock sticking up in the water. I started to thank God loudly and cry because he had heard my prayer and helped me. I clung onto that rock for a very long time. I thought I was left behind. I thought I would be out there alone. Again I prayed and the next thing I knew I heard someone calling my name. It was Andy. He had backtracked after the boat that had picked him up. I was so weak from exhaustion. Andy reached for my hand. I had to climb up a cliff that was covered with poison ivy. Andy let me know it was the only way and not to worry about the poison ivy. I made it up and down this cliff to the rescue boat. We went about a half mile and pulled over to the other boats and there was Cindy, Bill and Larry. God had answered my prayer; he took care of all of us. One thing I have learned from my grandmother is that when you pray and ask God for something, don’t ever think he is not going to answer. If you take it back and worry about your petition, it simply means that you don’t trust that God will take care of it. I have often thought why God cares so much about me. Sunday I got the answer, I belong to Him. Betty Rogers.
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