The Life of

Jim Elliot, , , Peter Fleming and Ed McCully were five men that had a passion for bringing the reconciliation of Christ to unreached people groups. Their legacy began in 1955; Jim, Nate, Peter, and Ed, were all from the United States. They left the US to bring the gospel to the hostile Auca tribe near the Andes Mountains in . The four had a unique task set before them. The Auca Indians were known as a violent and murderous tribe that had virtually no contact with the outside world. The endeavor of reaching the Aucas with the love of Christ was a brave one.

While working in a nearby tribe, Jim, Peter, and Ed, heard about the Auca Indians and their need for Christ. The men decided that they wanted to move into the Auca region in an attempt to learn the Auca language, translate the Bible, and share the gospel. Jim, Peter, and Ed teamed up with Nate Saint, a pilot for Missions Aviation Fellowship, to begin gaining friendly relations with the Indians. For the next three months the four men made flights over the Auca’s village.

They dropped supplies and gifts in pursuit of friendship and trust. On Tuesday, January 3, 1956 the men decided to make their first ground contact. They quickly set up camp, and then made a flight over the village to invite the Aucas to visit their camp. The Aucas seemed to be hostile to the men but their countenance changed as the men exchanged gifts signifying peace and friendship. The men had their first visitors on Friday of that week. They met a teenage Auca girl and this would be their last positive encounter with the Indians. On Saturday morning all contact with Jim, Peter, Ed, and Nate had been lost. Their bodies were discovered later. They had been speared to death by the very people that they were trying to reach.

The effort to reach the Auca Indians was not abandoned. Elisabeth Elliot and quickly es- tablished a home among the Auca Indians. Their decision was spurred on by the death of their husband and brother. In 1958 Rachel and Elisabeth were invited to live with the tribe that had killed their loved ones. They experienced first hand the Auca lifestyle and perfected their language skills. They worked in- tensively with the Aucas and saw many in the village come to Christ. One converted villager was named Kimo. Kimo had actually been in the group that killed the missionaries. Kimo became a pastor in the village thanks to the work of Elisabeth and Rachel. He had the honor of baptizing Nate’s children, Steve & Kathy Saint.

Rachel Saint, who worked for Wycliffe Bible Translators was Nate’s older sister. She was passionate about taking the gospel to unreached tribes and translating the scriptures into their own language. The tragic event of her brother’s death didn’t deter her but rather intensified her passion for missions.

She had begun this work a year before Nate’s death. Through this work she forged a friendship with an Auca woman named . Dayuma had fled the tribe during an intertribal war. Rachel formed a strong relationship with her and brought her to the states to publicize the missionary work in Ecuador. Rachel was eventually able to complete a translation of the Gospel of Mark in the Auca language.

Elisabeth Elliot worked with the Auca Indians and eventually wrote a book on the amazing story of her mission work the Auca tribe. The book, Shadow of the Almighty had a widespread impact and she became a well known author and speaker. She has especially been an encouragement to women who have been called to missions.

The legacy left behind by the slain missionaries and their families still lives on today. The Auca Indians were able to accept the message spoken of Christ’s death because they were able to see the message lived.