Grace and Peace

In late 1955, missionaries Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint and Roger Youderian began trying to establish contact with the Auca (also known as: Waodani or Huaorani) Indians who lived in eastern Ecuador. This fierce tribe that had previously killed several Shell Oil company employees.  The missionaries would fly around the camp shouting friendship words in the Auca language through a loud speaker and drop down gifts in a basket they dangled from the aircraft.  The gifts includes things such as beads, cloths, machetes, and a photograph of each missionary. The Aucas responded by sending back up a parrot and feathered head dresses.  After several positive contacts, the men decided to build a base of operations a short distance from the Indian tribe, along the Curaray River.  Unexpectedly after a week, four Aucas came to the camp to visit the missionaries. The five men gave the Aucas food and gifts as a sign of peace.

During their visit, one of the Aucas moved toward the plane examining it intently. The missionaries promptly named the man "George." By the hand signs he made, they understood that he was interested in a ride, so Nate started up the engine and flew off the narrow strip with "George" in the back of the plane.  Nate steered the plane in the direction of the village realizing his opportunity to use his passenger as propaganda. "George," who was wild with delight, was hanging out the plane window screaming Auca phrases to his fellow villagers.

Encouraged by the visit, the men felt that it was time to go into the Auca village and try to minister to the entire tribe. On the morning of January 8th, after numerous songs of praise and considerable prayer, the men radioed their wives saying that they were going to go into the village and would radio them at about 4:30 PM. The women, back at the base, were praying for their husband's time with the Aucas and asking God to keep them safe. At 4:30 there was no reply, which immediately put the women in alarm. An hour later helicopters and planes from the Ecuadorian Air Force, the US Army, Air Force and Navy swarmed along the Curray River looking for any sight of the missionaries. Finally, one of the helicopters radioed in saying that they had found their bodies on the beach.  Their bodies had been brutally pierced with spears and hacked by machetes. All of the plane's fabric had been ripped off as if the Aucas had tried to kill the plane, too.

The missionaries had learned about the Aucas as they and their wives were ministering to the Quichua and Jivaro Indians of Ecuador. The Aucas had been known for centuries by these other tribes as a hostile and murderous tribe which killed all strangers with whom they had contact.  Other Indians feared them, but the missionaries were determined to reach them.  Jim Elliot spoke for the others when he said, "Our orders are the Gospel to every creature."

Though their mission ended in martyrdom, they were not failures. After their deaths, there were many conversions to Christianity among the other Indian tribes of Ecuador. Later, Elisabeth Elliot and her daughter Valerie moved to work in the Auca Indian village. They were joined by Rachel Saint (Nate's sister) who also felt a burden to take the Gospel to those who had killed her brother. Their example of forgiveness and love for the ones who murdered their family members allowed them to have amazing success with the once murderous Indians.  Many Aucas now live for Christ and are busy sharing the Gospel with others.  Having been the beneficiary of missionary ministry they have in turn become missionaries with a burden to make know the good news of Jesus.

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers, has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death."  (Revelation 12:10-11 ESV)