Landing on the Sandbar
On January 8, 1956, Jim Elliot and four other missionaries landed their small plane on a sandbar in the Ecuadorian jungle. They had come to make contact with the Waodani tribe—known as the most violent people on earth.
For months, they had been dropping gifts from the air. The Waodani had responded positively. Now it was time to meet face to face.
He Is No Fool
Jim knew the risks. He had written in his journal: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
Three days later, all five missionaries were dead—speared by the very tribe they came to reach.
But the story didn't end there.
Elisabeth and Rachel Went Back
Jim's wife Elisabeth and his sister Rachel made an extraordinary choice: they went to live among the Waodani.
"We knew Jim would want us to go," Elisabeth said. "He had died obeying God's call. We would honor that by continuing."
Baptized by His Killer
Over the following years, the Waodani tribe was transformed. The very men who killed the missionaries came to faith. Steve Saint, son of martyred pilot Nate Saint, was baptized by the man who killed his father.
"Our fathers' deaths were not wasted," Steve Saint said. "Their obedience opened a door that nothing else could have opened."
The five missionaries obeyed—and their obedience echoed through generations.
