The other night I was eating at a restaurant near downtown Dallas with my family. There was an older couple sitting in the table next to us. They asked us to take their picture for them, and after dinner the gentleman asked my wife if we were in missions because he had overheard us talking about smuggling Bibles into China. He then introduced his wife to us. “You know who this is don’t you? This is Elisabeth Elliot!”
I was personally in awe at that moment. For those who don’t know, Elisabeth is the best selling author of “Through Gates of Splendor“, which is one of the most widely known missions stories in history. From her website:
A year after I went to Ecuador, Jim Elliot, whom I had met at Wheaton, also entered tribal areas with the Quichua Indians. In nineteen fifty three we were married in the city of Quito and continued our work together. Jim had always hoped to have the opportunity to enter the territory of an unreached tribe. The Aucas were in that category — a fierce group whom no one had succeeded in meeting without being killed. After the discovery of their whereabouts, Jim and four other missionaries entered Auca territory. After a friendly contact with three of the tribe, they were speared to death.
Our daughter Valerie was 10 months old when Jim was killed. I continued working with the Quichua Indians when, through a remarkable providence, I met two Auca women who lived with me for one year. They were the key to my going in to live with the tribe that had killed the five missionaries. I remained there for two years.
Jim and Elisabeth Elliot had such a heart for the unreached! He gave his life to reach the Auca’s with the Gospel of Christ, and she forgave all to go and live among them, gaining the privilege of seeing them reached with the love of Christ. I pray that we all would have such a heart and passion to see the remaining 6000± unreached people groups join in God’s kingdom. I challenge you and myself to give our lives for this cause that Christ has given us.
If you have not read “Through Gates of Splendor“, please add it to your must-read list, and watch the recent movie “The End of The Spear” which is based off of this story.
If Elisabeth’s story has touched your life in any way, please let us know in the comments!
By Aaron
Aaron is the founder, president, and webmaster of MissionsPlace.com. He attended Christ For the Nations Institute in Dallas, and is working hard on making MissionsPlace.com a valuable resource to missionaries and reaching every people group with the Gospel of Christ.
That’s great! What a great story of meeting the Elliot’s.
And “Through Gates of Splendor,” and “The End of the Spear” are great movies. I highly recommend them.
Josh Armstrong
wow, what a neat surprise, i bet it was encouraging!
Elizabeth’s courage has certainly impacted our family. Reading her life story and watching the films came at a time when we were beginning to respond to a call into full-time mission work, so we definitely appreciate her lifelong service to the Lord. What a privilege to meet her, and in such a random way!
No way! you’ve gotta be kidding! That is so rad!
Just A shame God doesn’t exist really, oh well easy come easy go, great plugins btw. That doesn’t mean I don’t admire what you do, Just that you shouldn’t do it for God, you should do it for yourself but more so others.
I appreciate your sincerity Micheal. I pray that god would reveal Himself to you in such a way that you must acknowledge your need for Him. Elisabeth’s story is strong enough evidence of God’s existence. Only someone who knew God on a deep and personal level would voluntarily sacrifice their life to share that knowledge with others. And only a God-given depth of forgiveness and love could drive a widow to live among and minister to those that killed her husband.
Wow Aaron, that is just the evidence that God is constantly giving to us of his constant and intimate care of us. To have put her in your path at that time had spiritual significance that is beyond most of us. Not to mention God put you in her path. You may have been what she needed at that moment too. Praise God for how good He is!