Life-Changing Faith Christian Fellowship

"Through Gates of Splendor" [50th anniversary edition] is the 1996 reprint of a book written in 1956 by Elizabeth Elliot that was released again in 2006 to commemorate its 50th anniversary. The book chronicles the convergence of five souls, Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Nate Saint on the unreached [with the Gospel of Jesus Christ] people then-called the Aucas. The Aucas, pronounced ow (rhymes with cow) ca are a group of Indians inhabiting the eastern jungle of Ecuador, South America. The name Auca is a Quichua [another people group of Ecuador] term meaning savage. The author of the book is the widow [since remarried] of the group's leader - Jim Elliot.

The book begins with and maintains the vivid detail, tender descriptions and compassionate prose that only a loving wife can offer. With an almost haunting sense of destiny Elizabeth recalls Jim Elliot's drive, obsession even to proselytize "a group of tribes that had consistently repelled every advance made by the white man: the Aucas", even though "they [Jim Elliot and the other missionaries with him] were aware that the first missionary to have entered Auca territory - Pedro Suarez, a Jesuit priest - had been murdered by spears in an isolated station at the confluence of the Napo and Curaray [rivers]. Yet to the Aucas they went. Happily, willingly gladly - they went!
Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming and their other missionary counterparts were overcome in a most complete, total and sincere way with love for and dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Their sense of urgency toward proselytizing the Aucas was in no wise hindered by the very real prospect of their own demise. Pete once said ". . . I would gladly give my life for that tribe [the Aucas] if only to see an assembly of those proud, clever, smart people gathering around a table to honor the Son - gladly, gladly, gladly! What more could be given to a life. This book is replete with quotes, letters and journal entries from the five souls referenced above like this quote from Pete Fleming, that bespeaks a somehow divinely revealed eventuality that death - their deaths would in fact be a part of God's will for the salvation of the Aucas. As if they [the five souls] knew deep within that they would be killed but considered the work of sharing the Gospel with the Aucas more important - more valuable than even their lives. What commitment to the Great Commission! Glory to God!

The five souls did not go into the perilous presence of the Aucas unprepared. They learned as much as they could about the language and customs of the Aucas from an Aucan woman who had escaped from her people to save her own life. Additionally several gifts and presents were air-dropped to the Aucas by an ingenious precision drop system developed by the pilot of the group Nate Saint. This strategy was used to show and hopefully convince the Aucas that the intentions of Jim and his group were not hostile. This air-drop effort was called the "Gospel-message-by-sign-language to a people who were a quarter of a mile away vertically, fifty miles away horizontally and continents and seas away psychologically". Their preparation did not only consist of language and gifts, these five missionaries prayed without ceasing. They thanked God for the "honor" of spreading the Gospel to a people that have not yet heard God's good news. They prayed for and thanked God for every little breakthrough and contact advancement no matter how seemingly miniscule. They thanked God for the opportunity to endure hardship for the sake of Christ and the Gospel. They prayed with and quoted scriptures to each other on every hand and at all times seemed to stay focused on the reason they were there - to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Aucas. And God did give them that chance.

After landing at their camp sight in Auca territory on Tuesday, January 3, 1956, on Friday January 6th they met with their first Aucas. The first-contact was friendly and encouraging. It seemed that God had validated their "call" to the Aucas and answered their prayers. Learning the language [to some extent], air-dropping gifts and prayer had all worked together, finally in a promising first contact with the Aucas. What Joy was in the hearts of the five souls - the God-sent missionaries to the Aucas.
The next day - Saturday, January 7th, 1956 was disappointing to the five particularly in light of the seemingly successful first-contact just the day before. They for some unknown reason had absolutely no contact with the Aucas. This was not only disappointing but puzzling as well. The next day Sunday, January 8th, 1956 in an attempt to see what he could see from the air, Nate took a solo flight circling the area and to his joy and excitement he saw a party of Aucan men headed toward the camp of the five. He quickly returned to the camp to spread the good report that a delegation of Aucans was enroute. "I believe today's the day [to get invited to their village and begin the work we came here to do]." It is believed that this same party along with possibly an ambush party killed the five missionary men because they believed the five men "to be cannibals".

Since that fateful Sunday in the jungle of east Ecuador in January 1956, an event that was literally heard ‘round the world with the extensive media coverage, much progress has been made with the salvation of the Aucas. Progress that in no small measure was achieved by the wives - no less of the fateful five. These women exhibited faith and trust in God not often seen among people. Many of them turned their life's attention and work to finishing what their husbands had started - sharing the Gospel with the Aucas. Elizabeth Elliot recorded that revenge crossed the minds of not one of the wives. They trusted God and His sovereign will even though they did not fully understand the "why" regarding the death of their husbands, they trusted the Who - Jesus Christ!
Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Nate Saint trusted God. Were they ever afraid? Yes. Pete was quoted as saying "The thought [of being face to face with the feared Aucas] scares me at times, but I am ready". Their undeniable fear was overcome by an invincible faith in Christ. They had studied God's Word to the extent that it was ever-present in their mouths be it prayer or scriptures and they had a burden - Christ's burden for the lost, in this case the Aucas. Their burden was so great, so Christ-like that in their assessment, even their own lives were not too great a price to pay for just one of the Aucas to trust Christ. I pray for such a trust, commitment, and devotion to Christ in my own life. Amen.