Here are some more books and a documentary as a follow up to the last post on the lives and deaths of the five men who were missionaries to Ecuador. So, if you haven’t read the last post, titled “Through Gates of Splendor”, go do that now to get the background for these resources! 🙂

One of the great features in this documentary, is that people are interviewed individually, including members of the Waodani tribe, as well as the widows of the five men. In these interviews, they share their memories and experiences of the five men and the events of that time in Ecuador and the years leading up to their time there. Another interesting feature is the original video footage of the men and their families.

I love this documentary.

 

Jungle Pilot is a biography of Nate Saint, the missionary pilot who served missionaries in Ecuador and who was also involved in the mission to reach the Waodani people. It is one of my favorite books. Included in this book are letters written by Nate as well as some of his journal entries. He had a gifting in writing; his writings are very interesting and help capture one’s attention. I love the insight into the story that this book gives as well as the window it creates through which we can look and get a glimpse into Nate’s thinking process, and his love and commitment to the Lord. Highly recommended!

 

 

Rachel Saint was the older sister of Nate Saint and she too was a missionary in South America. After Nate’s death, she went to live with the Waodani tribe for 20 years, loving them and sharing Jesus with them, and remained with them until her death. Hers is another story of faithful service to the Lord.

 

 

I’ve only recently discovered this book! It’s wonderful. This book begins with Jim’s childhood, continues with his growing up and college years, his life on the mission field, and then his final mission in life. It is filled with excerpts from journals and letters he had written, making this a much more personal book than what is sometimes found in biographies.

“Weaving together first-person accounts from friends with revealing excerpts from Jim’s own journals and personal letters, Elisabeth Elliot has crafted a stirring account of a man whose legacy will endure longer than he could have imagined.

“This gripping story of a life ignited by spiritual commitment will kindle within your own spirit a burning desire to enter fully and passionately into the adventure of faith.” (Taken from book cover)

 

This book’s content is different from the movie of the same name. This book was written by Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint. Awesome book, and very humorous. This is the ongoing story of what has happened since the death of the five men.

 

This book was also written by Steve Saint and in it he shares stories of his life and his family’s life. For a time his family lived in the jungle with the Waodani. Very enjoyable and encouraging book.

 

As with the book in the last post (“Through Gates of Splendor”), discretion should be used with all of these resources for young people, due to the nature and location/culture of the story. Some things also may not be appropriate for younger readers as the main characters in this story were in their 20s and 30s. Parents, reading these stories aloud to your children is a wonderful option as you can easily make them appropriate for your particular children, as you choose what information to read and what not to read. (Parents, you can also read these books, or watch the documentary, before handing them to your children if you feel your child is ready for this particular story.)

This list does not include all of the resources that are available on this missionary story, but this will get you started. 😉

 

-Annie

 

Photos by: Matt Enterline