The martyrdom that sparked a missions movement

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Those prophetic words were written by 22-year-old Jim Elliot in the fall of 1949. Having just graduated from Wheaton College a few months before, Jim was contemplating a call to missionary service in South America as he scribbled his convictions.

Less than seven years later, Jim Elliot and four of his young missionary colleagues were speared to death in the jungles of Ecuador by an Indigenous group.

This month marks the 70th anniversary of the martyrdom of Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully and Nate Saint. These devoted Christ-followers, with their wives and children, believed the Lord had called them to reach one of the world’s most remote cultures. They were in the process of befriending members of the Waorani tribe when they were ambushed and killed on Jan. 8, 1956.

In the three months leading up to that fateful day, there had been indication that the reclusive tribe was open to contact from the outside world. Small trinkets had been dropped from a rope and bucket as the missionaries’ small plane circled overhead.

On Jan. 3, Nate Saint, the pilot of the group, landed his yellow Piper Cruiser on a sand bar in the Curaray River a few miles from the Waorani settlement. The five huddled in a circle and sang a popular hymn of the day set to “Finlandia” by Jean Sibelius. Singing the lyrics to “We Rest On Thee, Our Shield and Our Defender” they committed themselves into the Lord’s care.

On Jan. 6, Nate Saint offered a ride in the plane to one of the men from the tribe while two single Waorani women looked on with the other four missionaries. The response seemed positive. It was agreed that contact would be made with a larger group of Waoranis.

On Jan. 8, the five communicated with their wives by shortwave radio from a sand bar in the river they had nicknamed Palm Beach. They were positive that their months of prayer and preparation would result in a friendly exchange. But by day’s end, a surprise attack left the bloodied bodies of the five missionaries lifeless beside their disabled plane.

News of the massacre was broadcast around the world including a 10-page spread with photos in Life magazine. Knowledge that the slain men had left behind wives and small children cut to the heart of those who read reports and saw the poignant photos. The response among the Christian community was amazing. Contributions to missions agencies increased significantly. Young couples and single men and women were motivated by the news of the missionary martyrs to respond to the Great Commission.

One such couple were Hugh and Norma Steven from Vancouver, British Columbia. As they learned of the deaths of Jim Elliot and his colleagues, the 24-year-olds felt a strong inner call to make a difference for Christ and His Kingdom. Along with two preschool-aged children, they opened their hearts to whatever the Lord would have for them. (I know the Stevens’ story firsthand. I married their oldest daughter.)

The Stevens’ response to the events of Jan. 8, 1956 would mean a seven-decade career of missionary service with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Notably, that was the same organization that Rachel Saint (the sister of the slain pilot) and Elisabeth Elliot (Jim’s widow) would represent, going to one of the Waorani villages to begin translating the New Testament into this previously unwritten language. (A translation that was eventually completed by two linguists in 1992).

Within five years, a large segment of the Waorani tribe embraced the message of the Gospel and all five of the killing party that had speared the missionaries would eventually give their lives to Christ including a man named Mincaye who became pastor of the Waorani church. Steve Saint, the son of the missionary pilot, would return with his family to live among those who took his father’s life. His perspective of how God used the tragic events of 70 years ago to His glory is told in the 2006 drama film and book “End of the Spear.”

What seemed disastrous became an open door. Tertullian’s words from the second century remain true: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

This originally appeared in Mature Living magazine and is reprinted with permission.

• The Rev. Greg Asimakoupoulos is a former Naperville resident who writes about faith and family.