Jim Elliot Missionary

Jim Elliot, missionary to the Waodani people of Ecuador, is one of the most respected figures in modern church history. He was born into a family that had a deep faith in God. He died at the hands of the men he was trying to reach with that faith.

Jim was a vibrant personality. He attended Wheaton College in Illinois and became a leader there. At college, his grades were not particularly good, but he attributed the lack of academic excellence to a pursuit of Bible study. Jim considered study of the Bible to be his first priority, to the detriment of his grades and romantic relationships. Although Jim was attracted to Elisabeth Howard, whom he eventually married, he always tried to do what he felt to be God's will for his life. Since he did not feel led to pursue a romantic relationship with her during college, he said nothing until his junior year.

For Jim Elliot, missionary work was something that attracted him early in his college career. He and a small group of friends pledged to serve God in whatever way God saw fit, and began to seriously consider faith missions. Faith missions involves going to a foreign field on the faith that God will provide for financial needs, and without asking for help from people. This was the style of J. Hudson Taylor, missionary to China, a man Jim respected.

After college, Jim worked at several odd jobs, and continued study of the Bible. He began to be drawn to Ecuador, and searched for an other single man to accompany him, and found that man in Pete Fleming. He was still attracted to Elisabeth, and they had spent significant time together in the US, but he was unsure that he should pursue marriage. His journal is filled with the story of their relationship, and his inner struggle. Although Jim was a fine example of a commited Christian, his journal reveals that he often considered Elisabeth to be more commited than himself.

Jim and Pete went to Ecuador and began learning Spanish and working with the Quichua indians, who spoke Spanish. Jim learned about a violent unreached tribe deep in the jungle. This tribe now known as the Waodani or Huaorani were called the Auca meaning "enemey" by the Quichua because of their fierce ways. One of the Waodani had come out of the forest and lived among the Quichua. From her, Jim was able to begin learning the Waodani language. Eventually, Elisabeth joined Jim in Ecuador and they were married.

Pete Fleming, a pilot who worked closely with Jim and Pete devised a method of running a rope out the back of his plane and flying in a circle. The end of the rope would eventually come to rest at a single point near the ground. In this way, objects could be lowered and raised to people on the ground without the airplane having to land. The missionaries delivered gifts to the Waodani to demonstrate that they came in peace. After building some trust with the Waodani, Jim Elliot's missionary squad decided to make contact on the ground. However, after the plane landed on a sandbar, Waodani warriors came out of the forest and speared them all.

After the death of the men, their wives ventured into the forest and were met by the Waodani. Many of the Waodani were converted to Christianity. Elisabeth missed her husband, but did not consider his life to be a waste. Jim apparently did not either. An entry from his journal on October 28, 1949 reads, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."