What do all these subjects have in common?
Missions in Ecuador…..Aviation Fellowship…Nursing…Wheaton College….Poisonous Spears….Shrunken Heads…Wycliffe Bible Translators…Acaua Indians.
I think you must know by now that all these are part of the true story of the 5 missionaries that were killed by the Acauas in 1956 in the jungles of Ecuador.
This savage tribe were known to spear, kill, and mutilate anyone that they feared or thought an enemy. Even their own. These books read like an “Indiana Jones” thriller. But the one purpose of these men was to tell the story of Jesus and His love and salvation to the lost people in Ecuador.
Not only to tell the story but to live among them and make friends and gain their trust so that they could tell their own people about Jesus. With no language, just motions at first, they successfully get them to come out of the jungle and accept gifts. This gives them the opportunity to think they have made a connection face to face. But as we read on, they lost their lives and were not found.
They had family that tried to go and find out what had happened and why they were killed. Eventually this did happen.
It is an amazing story of love and forgiveness and trust that the families did go back and are living among them today. Decedents have written their story we have today. The books we have are:
- Jungle Pilot…..story of Nate Saint and family
- Jim Elliott…. story of Jim and Elizabeth Elliott and family
- Through Gates of Spender…story of Acauas and missions
- End of the Spear….story of tragedy of going back…made into a movie
We must always remember to pray for our missionaries as well as support them with our offerings.
Shirley Olmstead