Jim Elliot: On Fire For Jesus

It was no secret that the Huaorani (or Auca) tribesmen had recently committed a number of murders -- a mother and her two children, and several Shell Oil Company employees. It was also no secret that, for centuries, the Huaorani had killed all strangers that ventured into their territory. They were the most feared tribe in South America and the most unreachable for outsiders. But five missionaries were determined to bring the Gospel of Christ to these remote, hostile people.

One of the group was Jim Elliot who was not only on fire for Jesus, but totally dedicated to doing God's will. He had been planning to bring the Gospel to the Huaorani for five years, ever since he had heard about the tribe from another missionary. Now, in January, 1956, 28-year-old Elliot and four companions -- Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian -- circled the muddy Curaray River in a light plane, looking for a place to land.

For weeks, the missionaries had been making "drops" of gifts over the Huaorani village, trying to make friends with the natives. Now they felt the time was right for contract.

Four days after landing, three tribe members -- two girls and a young man the missionaries called "George" -- appeared out of the jungle. Everybody seemed friendly enough, though "George" was quite nervous. A few days went by. Then, on Sunday, January 8, Elliot radioed his wife that they expected the first big meeting with the tribe in mid-afternoon. That was the last transmission Elliott ever made.

Days later five decomposing bodies, riddled with spear wounds and hacked to pieces, were found downstream from the aircraft. Because of the imminent danger of another Huaorani attack, the burial service lasted exactly three minutes.

The deaths of Elliot and the four missionaries were reported worldwide. Life Magazine ran a ten-page article on Elliot and his mission to bring the Gospel to the Huaorani. As a result of the article and subsequent books by Elliot's widow, Elisabeth, thousands of young men and women joined the mission field. The martyrdom of Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, Nate Saint and Roger Youderian kindled the flame of the Lord in many hearts -- and the fires are still burning today.

In 1959, Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint went to live with the Huaorani and ministered to the very people who had murdered their husbands. Instead of hostility, however, they were met with tolerance -- even kindness.

Many of the Huaorani accepted Christ over the months, and there was not one speck of trouble. Naturally, Elisabeth was curious. Jim had told her that, just before they landed on the Curaray River that fateful day, the Huaorani appeared to be friendly to him also. So she asked one of the tribesmen, who had been in on the slaughter, why the men had been killed.

"We would not have killed them if we had known the truth," he told her in broken English. "What truth?" she asked. He explained. It seems that "George" had returned to the village that day convinced, for some reason, that the strangers had planned to eat the natives.

For the Huaorani, at least, it was a matter of kill or be killed.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)

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Ed Price spent 35 years in print and broadcast journalism. He is author of 15 books. After becoming an ordained minister he settled with his wife on a farm in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, to study God's word and to write. Ed and Patty are the parents of three girls, have one grandchild, and cater to the every whim of two spoiled cats.
© 2009 Ed Price - All rights reserved. Visit his website, The Loving Heart.

This column is used with permission.