Martyr Anniversary: Jim Elliot’s Story, Continued

After months of flyovers and gift exchanges, missionaries Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint and Roger Youderian decided they had gained enough trust with the Waodanis to support direct contact.

At first, their cautious optimism had been rewarded by a visit from three Waodanis without incident. But when the Waodani visitors returned to their tribe, two of the three claimed that the missionaries had mistreated them, the third person arguing otherwise. Though the others in the group recognized the accusations were false, it seemed easier to remove the missionaries than to address the internal conflict.

On January 8, 1956, the Waodanis attacked the five men, killing them with spears and machetes. The missionaries did nothing to defend themselves. Their bodies were discovered three days later.

The work among the Waodani had not been complete. But within two years of the missionaries’ deaths, Jim’s wife, Elisabeth Elliot, and Nate Saint’s sister, Rachel, made friendly and lasting contact with the Waodanis, and translation of the Bible into the Waodani language began.

One by one, the men who murdered the missionaries became believers in the One who sent the five to reach them. The painful arrival of the gospel among the violent tribe worked a miracle of transformation.

Watch the animated retelling of Jim Elliot’s story

You can watch more animated stories about heroes of the faith on the VOM App. You can also inspire the next generation with The Torchlighters Ultimate Activity Book. The 144-page, full-color activity book complements the award-winning video series by providing historical facts about each hero of the faith along with devotionals, fun activities and beautiful coloring pages to encourage your child or grandchild to grow in faith.