In January of 1956, Jim E
lliot, along with Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and their pilot, Nate Saint went on a dangerous mission, deep into the heart of the Ecuador jungles. Their mission was to bring the Gospel to the Auca Indians, an isolated tribe known for their violence, against both their own people and outsiders who entered their territory. The missionaries landed their plane on a strip of beach they had found in the jungle, hoping to make human contact with the Auca. A few days after their landing, a few Auca Indians made their way to the beach to meet the five men. The missionaries began to form what they hoped was a friendship that would lead to their being able to share the Gospel with them. However, on January 8th, their lives came to a tragic end when approximately 10 Auca murdered them.
After their deaths, the sister of Nate Saint, Rachel Saint, and wife of Jim Elliot, Elisabeth Elliot, returned to the Auca Indians to continue the mission work that their husbands had begun. Their courage, forgiveness, and love for the Auca Indians is an amazing testament of the power of the Gospel. Gradually, more missionaries joined this effort to reach the Auca with the Gospel, and eventually the tribe became Christian!
The life and death of these five men made national headlines, and LIFE magazine featured a 10 page story documenting their tragic end. However, Jim Elliot and his friends’ testimony made a lasting impact on many Christians worldwide. It inspired many to foreign missions, and continues to do so today. I have been personally challenged by their lives, especially by Jim Elliot. I remember first reading through Elisabeth Elliot’s biography of Jim Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty, and being impacted by his life of faith which he had cultivated for years even before arriving in Ecuador. He was passionate about studying the Bible, and was constantly reflecting and journaling through Scripture. So clear and focused was his life on sharing God’s love to those who hadn’t heard it. One of things that impacted me the most about Jim and his missionary friends’ lives was their collective commitment to never use their guns against the Auca Indians, even in the face of an attack. This decision to not defend themselves proved to be fruitful many years after their death, as many of the men that killed them eventually became Christ followers!
Jim Elliot’s most well known phrase is perhaps his journal entry from October 28th, 1949. It reads, “”He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” May his legacy of passion and wholehearted devotion to Christ continue to inspire all of us!
Visit the following links as well:
Pictures – TIME: A Mission to Forgive
Video – Beyond the Gates of Splendor
Article – Did they have to die?