Five Missionary Martyrs

“I have been crucified with Christ. The life I now live is not my life, but the life which Christ lives in me; and my present bodily life is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. “ Galatians 2:20

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” –Jim Elliot

In keeping with our series on "Heros and Heroines" Janelle Davis shared about the five missionaries who were martyred in 1956 while trying to reach a tribe, who were notorious for being violent, with the Good News that the Creator of the Universe was interested in being in relationship with them through Jesus. The following post tells much of that now-famous story through the biography of Jim Elliot whose story is most easily accessible, but who was no more faithful than the others who were with them, including their wives. Our community's very own Bill and Irene Cathers would have been with those five families as well, had they not been back in the U.S. for medical reasons when the killings took place.

Biography:

Philip James Elliot (October 8, 1927-January 8, 1956) was a Christian missionary to Ecuador, where he was killed by Huaorani Indians.

Elliot was born in Portland, Oregon to Fred and Clara Elliot, and became a Christian at age six. He graduated from Wheaton College in 1949, with a degree in Greek. He arrived in Ecuador on February 21, 1952 with the purpose of evangelizing Ecuador's Quechua Indians. On October 8, 1953, he married fellow Wheaton alumna and missionary Elisabeth Howard in Quito, Ecuador. Their only child, Valerie, was born February 27, 1955. While working with the Quechua Indians, Elliot began preparing to reach the famously violent Huaorani Indian tribe which were known at the time as the Aucas.

He and four other missionaries, Ed Mc Cully, Roger Youderian, Peter Fleming, and their pilot, Nate Saint, made contact from their airplane with the Huaorani Indians, using a loudspeaker and a basket to pass down gifts. After several months, the men decided to build a base a short distance from the Indian tribe, along the Curaray River. There they were approached several times by small groups of Huaorani Indians, and even gave an airplane ride to one curious Huaorani whom they called "George" (his real name was Naenkiwi). Encouraged by these friendly encounters, they began plans to visit the Huaorani, but their plans were preempted by the arrival of a larger group of Huaorani, who killed Elliot and his four companions on January 8, 1956. Elliot's mutilated body was found downstream, along with those of the other men, except that of Ed McCully.

His journal entry for 28 October 1949 contains his now famous quote, 'He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose', expressing his belief that missions work was more important than his life.

Elliot and his friends became instantly known worldwide as martyrs, and Life Magazize published a ten-page article on their mission and death. They are credited with sparking an interest in Christian missions among the youth of their time, and are still considered an encouragement to Christian missionaries working throughout the world. After her husband's death, Elisabeth Elliot and other missionaries began working among the Auca (Huaorani) Indians, where they had a profound impact and won many converts. She later published two books, Shadow of the Almighty and Through Gates of Splendor, which describe the life and death of her husband.

This biography came from Wikipedia.

Hear two sermons by Jim Elliot.

Read the Christianity Today article that we read in Sunday School.

Quite a few other cool links here.

What is inspiring about these men and women? What are your reflections on Jim Elliot's quote at the top of this post? Interested in coming over to watch End of the Spear when it comes out on DVD?