When Courtenay Atwell boarded a plane for South Africa in 1999, she had no idea the trip would change her life forever. 

Courtenay was embarking on a monthlong missions trip with Cedarville University students and a fellow staff member. While there, she also realized it was time to forget about that guy back home who would never love her back. 

Or so it seemed.

After a week of ministry, Courtenay and her team boarded a van to go to the final event of the trip.

And, that’s where her memory is less clear, and her life took a dramatic shift — physically, spiritually, and emotionally. 

As the van headed down a busy highway, it flipped several times, breaking windows and smashing Courtenay’s face repeatedly against the asphalt. The accident was serious, and her life was hanging in the balance as she awoke several days later in a South African hospital.

Now, with her parents at her side, she faced the fragility of life — perhaps for the very first time. 

The accident, while excruciatingly painful for Courtenay, was God’s way of changing her life. Her relationship with Jesus became more crystalized and focused, and her insecurities began to melt away as she realized the Lord had given her a second chance at life. 

But that’s not all. It also gave her then-best friend, Jason, a new perspective that blossomed into a dating relationship with Courtenay. An engagement followed a little more than a month later.