Profound inspiration
I first read this book a few years ago and couldn't put it down. It is a riveting true story of five men and their wives surrendered to and being used by God in the jungles of Ecuador. They were there to bring the Gospel to the Auca tribe, known to be murderously violent. In January 1956, the five men were killed by members of the tribe, but not before seeds of the Gospel had been planted. The author, Elisabeth Elliot, was one of the widows and she and her daughter actually lived with the Auca tribe (called the Waodani) for two years. The sister of another of the men, Rachel Saint, also lived with the tribe - a people who now know God.
Steve Saint, son of one of the men, accompanied Waodanis Indians Mincaye and Tementa to the International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists (Amsterdam 2000), where they gave their testimonies. In the days following Elisabeth's death, I read in one article that at that conference, more than 70% of those attending attributed their service to the inspiration they received from those five men.
In the wake of Elisabeth Elliot's recent death, with her name and her writings and recordings more visible in the news, it is my hope and prayer that through her witness, many more people learn of these men who freely gave their lives that this tribe would come to faith, and would find courage to let themselves be used by God.
