Landing on the Sandbar
On January 8, 1956, five young missionaries landed their small plane on a sandbar in the Ecuadorian jungle. They had come to make contact with the Waodani (called "Auca" at the time) - one of the world's most violent tribes.
Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian had prepared for months. They dropped gifts from their plane. They learned phrases in the Waodani language. They prayed.
A Sudden Attack
The first contact seemed friendly. Then, suddenly, the Waodani attacked. All five missionaries were speared to death.
The news shocked the world. Five talented young men, dead in a remote jungle. What a waste.
But the story didn't end there.
Returning to the Waodani
Elisabeth Elliot, Jim's widow, and Rachel Saint, Nate's sister, returned to the Waodani. They lived with the tribe. They forgave the very men who killed their loved ones.
The transformation was remarkable. The violent tribe embraced the gospel. The men who killed the missionaries became Christians.
A Thriving Church
Today, the Waodani church is thriving.
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose," Jim Elliot had written in his journal years before. His death proved his words true.
