Missionary tale a convincing case for love

Fifty years ago next weekend, radios across the land were crackling with news about five American missionaries who were missing and feared dead deep in the Amazon basin of Ecuador.

The fears soon gave way to reality. Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully and Roger Youderian had all been killed by Auca Indians, more accurately known as the Waodani people – the most savage tribe in the world.

Some of you may personally remember that awful drama. Graphic images of the bodies of the five men, floating face down in a remote jungle river, were published in Life magazine. Jim Elliot’s widow, Elisabeth, eventually wrote a book titled “Through Gates of Splendor” which recounted the details of all that had happened, and of what continued to happen in the months and years that followed. Because in many ways, the more significant story was what occurred after Jan. 8, 1956.

Dayumae, a Waodani woman, had fled her village previous to the missionaries’ deaths. Two years later, in 1958, having become a Christian, she decided to return to her people. Incredibly, she was accompanied on her return by Elisabeth Elliot and Elisabeth’s young daughter, Valerie. Rachel Saint, the sister of Nate Saint, was also with them and, in time, Nate’s son Steve also moved to the village.

Why did these folks come back to the very people responsible for killing their husband, fathers and brother? Did they come seeking revenge? No. They came in the love of Jesus. Initially, the tribe received them warily. But over time love conquered. Oh, how it conquered.

Until 1956, the Waodani were considered the most homicidal community on earth. Six of every 10 deaths in the tribe were the result of violence. No one trusted anyone. And yet within two years of the arrival of the Elliots and the Saints, the killing rate had dropped by more than 90 percent.

From the beginning, there was a concerted effort to translate the Bible into the language of the tribe. And God’s Word had an effect of its own. Years later, Mincayani, one of the Waodani warriors who had actually participated in the spearing of the five missionaries, said it this way: “We acted badly, badly ’till they brought us God’s carving. Now we walk in His trail.”

In recent years Mincayani has visited the United States on several occasions, always in the company of Steve Saint. I was privileged to see him in person a few years ago. What a powerful experience it is to hear this now elderly, somewhat wizened but always smiling former warrior relate a clear testimony to the reality and love of Jesus in his life.

As a Christian apologist, I work to provide rational answers to difficult questions about the Christian faith. But the dramatic conversion of Mincayani and the now-thriving Waodani church make a more convincing case than any mere argument could ever make. The story itself is powerful, persuasive evidence that Jesus Christ is real today, still able to change lives for the better, and still in the business of delivering those caught in the web of bitterness, violence, depression, loneliness, and misery.

When the five missionaries first attempted to contact the Waodani on the ground, face to face, that fateful day in 1956, they understood the risks. Jim Elliot had earlier penned in his journal words that are now famous: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

The men fully realized that the tribe was prone to violence. Yet they stood on the banks of the river with no physical weapons of any sort in their hands. Why? They said, “They’re not ready for heaven – and we are.”

The sacrifice of Jim Elliot and his four friends, and the ensuing story, re-energized the American missionary movement. And it gave new impetus to Bible translation.

Although there are still approximately 2,600 language groups (numbering over 300 million people) without a Bible in their heart language today, major progress is being made to change that situation. Wycliffe Bible Translators, for instance, has stated that its mission is to see Bible translation in progress in every language still needing it by 2025.

Meanwhile, in conjunction with the anniversary of the historic event that took place in Ecuador 50 years ago, a major film has been produced. “End of the Spear” will begin showing in 1,200 theaters all across America on Jan. 20. If you are able to see it, you really should do so.

The Rev. Daryl E. Witmer is founder and director of the AIIA Institute, a national apologetics ministry, and associate pastor of the Monson Community Church. He may be reached via AIIAInstitute@aol.com or through ChristianAnswers.Net/AIIA. Voices is a weekly commentary by Maine people who explore issues affecting spirituality and religious life.