Intern Jeannie Bae: From a Skateboard Crash to the Nations
- 18 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 49 minutes ago
"I don't know how I missed the gospel so many times. I don't know how I missed what love truly is so many times," Jeannie said. "But Jesus got me, I thought He was ruining my life with that accident. But He saved me."
Jeannie's Story: Tragedy to Purpose
Just two weeks into her college journey, Jeannie suffered a major skateboarding accident that landed her in the ER and forced her to miss her first year of school.
One day after church, Jeannie's friends offered to drive her home, but she refused. She had just started riding a skateboard and felt confident she could handle herself. Her friends believed it was dangerous, but Jeannie remained determined and began to skateboard home.
On her way, Jeannie reached a hill that would ensure a quicker route. Although she had never tried to skate down such a large hill, she became self-confident and decided to go for it.
As she accelerated, her wheels started to wobble. As she picked up speed, she pushed through her fear and focused on her footing. To her surprise, she quickly approached a T-intersection, but she knew it was too late.
Jeannie had a choice: Do I jump off the skateboard or take the impact from the incoming tree? Jeannie leaped off, and her head crashed into the rough gravel. She was rushed into the emergency room.
"I've never had a head injury before," Jeannie said. "This was the worst injury in my life. There was a lot of fear and a lot of blood."
Later on, when the neurologist saw Jeannie's condition, he recommended that she leave college and return home to recover.
As her ambitions crumbled, she found herself at home for a year and frustrated with God.
"How could He allow me to get into an accident and literally split my head open?" Jeannie said. "All I've done is go to church diligently and serve diligently. I was just really angry."
After a tsunami of disappointment, resentment, and anger towards God, Jeannie went back home to recover.
Although she regularly attended church, served in missions, and was raised in a Christian home, she realized she lacked a genuine, personal relationship with Jesus through faith.
During her sophomore year, another health setback left Jeannie weak and dependent on others. Yet, in that brokenness, her self-confidence gave way to a deep honesty with Christ. She discovered that all she truly needed was her compassionate Shepherd.
Jeannie spent the next four years at home, letting her body recover. While others believed her life had come to a halt, she began to understand that God was quietly growing her roots deeper.
After close to 1,400 days of recovery, Jeannie is now healthy, active, and serving as one of 50 summer interns!
Before coming to OneWay, Jeannie questioned how our Prayercast ministry could empower millions around the world to pray.
But after watching a Prayercast video about India, she was moved with a desire to pray for the nations. Praise Jesus that prayer changes the world, and it changes us!
Now as an intern, Jeannie works on the Prayercast team, igniting the church to rally around the nations in prayer the same way it ignited her.
Thank you for coming alongside young adults like Jeannie Bae through your prayers and gifts. What a thrill to help mobilize the next generation for Christ together!
We are around 58% funded for the work this summer. Together, we can fully fund and activate this rising generation for Christ!
Here is how you can help:
$670 covers the full cost of an intern’s training, housing, and discipleship for one week.
$300 helps update one Prayercast video
$100 fuels one day of interns reaching out to people around the world
Thank you for helping young adults reach multitudes for Christ. May the earth be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea!