Five widows in Shell, following the return of the search party. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

It’s why Christians pray for their persecutors. And it’s why, even after Waorani tribe members killed their loved ones, Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint went to live among the Waorani and share the Gospel.

Yesterday, we covered the 70th anniversary of the martyrdom of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian, which took place on January 8, 1956. Saint was a pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).

Now, seven decades later — with the continued ministry of MAF planes, the widows and family members of the martyred missionaries, and discipleship of a Waorani Church — the Waorani people are growing in faith and truth. Something that may never have happened if the five men were not willing to bring the Gospel to this once-violent tribe.

Gene Jordan, a former MAF pilot who served 22 years in Ecuador, says today, “The Waorani Bible has been translated. They have Scripture in their own language.”

Kimo (member of the spearing party) and Gene Jordan. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

The Waorani church also has many of the same strengths and struggles as any other church community.

Jordan shares, “There are Waorani that dearly love Jesus and want to follow Him, and their lives have been changed. There are Waorani that don’t want to have anything to do with the church or this new message of a God that loves them, and they turn their backs on it. And then there’s Waorani that play at being Christians. ‘Oh, I’m going to go to church on Sunday, but maybe on Wednesday or Thursday, I’m going to do whatever I want to do.’

“So down inside, they’re no different than we are. But they have had the chance to hear about a God that created them and loves them and sent His Son to provide forgiveness.”

Stories of Waorani Faithfulness

Jordan’s relationship with the Waorani is deeply personal. For more than two decades, he flew into their jungle communities.

“Some of the young church leaders were young school kids when I flew them around,” he says. “It’s just really great to see them taking leadership.”

From left to right: Gilberto Mincaye (Wao pastor/leader), Yowe (member of the spearing party), and Gene. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

That leadership includes the family of one of the original attackers. Mincaye was a member of the spearing party that killed the five missionaries. Today, his son, Gilberto Mincaye Jr., is a church leader and a representative for the Waorani people.

“He has totally accepted who God is and what He did through His Son,” Jordan says. “He’s just a delightful person to be with.”

Jordan also recalls Dawa, one of the first Waorani women to fully embrace the Gospel. She also spiritually mentored other women in the tribe. When she became seriously ill, Jordan flew her to a hospital and later brought her home.

“About six months later, I landed in her community. She came up to the airplane and said, ‘Captain, I made you this hammock.’ She made me a hammock like they use to sleep in. She said, ‘I want you to have this so you will have many, many children.’

“That hammock, I have it here in the summer. I put it out on my deck, and it’s a precious thing,” he says.

“It just constantly reminds me that one day we will live together forever in Heaven because of the willingness of these five guys who want nothing else than the Waorani to hear about a God that loves them.”

Gilberto and Mincaye, less than a week before Mincaye died. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

Praise God for the way He continues to work through the faithful legacy of these martyrs. Please also pray for the Waorani people that, as they grow in the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord, future generations will choose to follow Jesus Christ.

“I can only imagine the reunion someday when they meet the five guys in heaven and say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for bringing the Gospel to our community.'”

Header photo: Gilberto, Ompode (Mincaye’s wife), and Mincaye. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

Saint was a pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). On January 8, 1956, he and four fellow missionaries were killed on a jungle beach in Ecuador by the very tribe they were attempting to reach with the Gospel.

Gene with Nate, Shandia, 1955. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

For Gene Jordan, a former MAF pilot who spent 22 years serving in Ecuador, the story is personal. Jordan’s parents were missionaries in Ecuador starting in 1951 with a different mission organization.

“My parents knew all the missionaries in those early days,” he says. “I have a picture of myself sitting on Nate’s knee in the little jungle station of Shandia where the Elliots worked. I don’t remember it; I was too young. But what I do remember is always knowing of Nate with an airplane serving other people in the jungle.”

As a teenager, Jordan spent his time at the MAF base in Shell, Ecuador, helping however he could — fueling and washing planes, loading cargo, and buckling in passengers.

(Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

“I saw the difference the airplane made in the jungle communities. But more than that, I saw the impact and the effect that the pilots had in living out their faith and caring for people,” says Jordan.

“I decided this might be something that I could do, and I go back to the influence when I was young — of always knowing about MAF, knowing MAF pilots, seeing what they did, and the main one being Nate Saint because he was in Ecuador. I grew up with his kids and his widow, Aunt Marge. So it was always an influence in my life.”

Seven decades after the killings, it still echoes today – the faith legacy of these men, their widows, and a surrender to God’s will.

Jordan says, “When the five guys were killed on that day, the widows’ worlds fell apart. But…I never heard any of them say or write that they doubted that God was not in control.

“I have a letter that Elizabeth Elliot wrote my mom just a couple weeks after Jim was killed. In it, she says, ‘My house feels empty, but Jim died doing exactly what he felt God would have him do in the fullness of his manhood, and I cannot fault God for anything.’

Elisabeth Elliot with spears retrieved from the bodies. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

“Today, we have 70 years of being able to look back and see what God has done.”

As believers remember the sacrifice of these five men and the steadfast faith of their families, the question remains deeply personal.

What mission field is God calling you to?

Learn more about MAF’s ministry here.

Header photo: Five widows in Shell, following the return of the search party. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

You may recognize the Waorani tribe; their spearing party killed five American Christian missionaries back in 1956.

“We were requested about a year ago to do the Waorani language,” says Chris Deckert, JFP’s Language Studios Director. “They’ve been in the spotlight of missions for many, many years after what happened with Jim Elliot and Nate Saint.”

Redemption comes full circle on multiple fronts. First, the Waorani warrior who killed Nate Saint – Mincaye – later came to Christ.

Deckert poses for a photo with Mincaye’s grandson.
(Photo courtesy of The JESUS Film Project)

“I got to meet his three grandsons, and his older grandson helped translate the Gospel into Waorani at the end of the film premiere.”

Members of the same tribe who martyred five missionaries decades ago are now preparing to introduce their neighboring tribes to Christ.

After premiering the JESUS Film last weekend, JFP staff equipped Waorani believers to be local missionaries. “Twenty of the local leaders receive training on how to show the JESUS Film with a tablet so they could go from village to village on a weekly basis,” Deckert says.

Now, using new tools in the Waorani language, “they can go through Bible studies and understand more about who Jesus is from the Gospel of Luke.”

It’s illegal for Western missionaries to share Christ with certain Amazonian tribes, but the Waorani have full access. Pray they will yield to the Lord’s calling and direction.

“They asked for prayer for God to give them strength and vision to present the Gospel and reach out beyond their own tribe to other tribes,” Deckert says.

“They now have been resourced to go out and share the Gospel [with] other language groups of the Amazon jungle.”

Header and story images courtesy of The JESUS Film Project.

Chile saw murders increase 66 percent between 2016 and 2020. Homicides in Ecuador jumped 84 percent in 2021 alone. The government of Peru declared a state of emergency earlier this year over rising contract killings.

Mission Cry

Mission Cry has a plan to take Bibles into areas largely controlled by drug cartels. Jason Woolford says the cartels often oppose churches because they recognize a power that sets people free. “Not only does it set people free, but it raises up a generation to fight back. It will also give them the ability to take background physically. Then the cartels will lose out monetarily. That’s why the fight is so tough against us.”

Woolford asks readers to pray for this mission. “Because we’re stirring up a battle. We’re taking the battle to the devil and those that he possesses and oppresses. We need prayer, we also need sponsorship for these Bibles.”

“You can sponsor these Bibles at $2 a Bible, and that’s going to get it into someone’s hands absolutely free.”

Get involved

In 2021, Mission Cry gave free Bibles or Christian books to 1.4 million people around the world. They also produce a Mission Cry Bible in English and Spanish.

Support this work here.

Your contribution will not only send Bibles around the world, but it will also sponsor special operations like this one, or like the mission to Osama Bin Laden’s former compound in Pakistan last year.

The header photo shows drugs seized by the U.S. government. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain) 

Today, Global Disciples has 93 programs training local churches to reach people for Christ, in partnership with 17 church clusters in Latin America. Ernesto Cardenas, based in Ecuador, is now the coordinator for the ministry in Latin America.  

What does this ministry look like? Cardenas compares it to a parable in Luke 15. “A woman who had several silver coins lost one. Then she turned on the light and the lamp [to look]. It looks like that. People are hungry for more. But in this case, she only had one coin. So, people are looking for the ninety-nine.”

Photo courtesy of Global Disciples on Facebook.

Global Disciples has a vision to reach these “ninety-nine” with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Cardenas says this often involves planting churches in areas where Christ has little witness. He says, “That’s the important thing. With the resources that they have finding creative ways to reach out for others.”

How to get involved

One way Christians can get involved is to spread the word about what Global Disciples is doing in Latin America. Cardenas says the organization is developing a solid network of churches to partner with in Latin America and also in Africa and Asia. “In that way, we are finding good partners that are joining us to so we can keep growing and keep promoting discipleship and mission-based programs centered on Jesus.”

COVID-19 has affected this ministry, of course. Many countries have seen massive case counts, especially Brazil. Right now, Global Disciples workers in Latin America find their travel restricted. But Cardenas says, “The ministry is continuing. The ministry is going on in Brazil, Mexico, Bolivia, Central America. We have people right there on the ground knocking on doors and praying with people.”

Pray for this ministry, especially in the middle of the pandemic. People are suffering, Cardenas says, both from sickness and the economic consequences of lockdown. “We have directors, key leaders, who are in the midst of areas that are strongly infected. They have been infected. They have been suffering bad, but they are fixing their eyes on Jesus.”

Pray that the Church in Latin America will image Christ in how they help those who are suffering and provide the hope of the Gospel.

The header image is courtesy of Global Disciples on Facebook.

Sidney Muisyo from Compassion International lays out some of the countries now being most affected by COVID-19, including many in South America. “Currently we are seeing Brazil just shooting through the roof. Peru is one more country that we are concerned about. Ecuador has also gone through a very difficult time. The other countries that we are watching are Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Tanzania.”

As COVID-19 spreads, the poorest families will be hit harder than anyone else. Even at the best of times, Muisyo says, the healthcare system in these countries can’t keep up with diseases like malaria or even routine vaccinations.

Health officials clean Brazil’s transport system. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

“Secondly,” Muisyo says, “Populations that we work with have lived lives of poverty. The general immunity tends to be compromised because they’re not getting balanced meals. Nutritional intake is typically compromised. When you encounter a pandemic like this COVID-19, that tends to exacerbate the situation.”

The Church steps in

The local churches, Muisyo says, have been a huge help during the pandemic. “So many of our churches have responded and made sure that we’re providing food packs to families. The second way that the church partners have responded to this need is by providing soap, sanitizers, and masks that are locally made. So that has been really wonderful to see. ”

These churches have not been able to meet as they normally would. The leaders of these churches have found ways to meet people’s needs and stay connected, often through WhatsApp.

Women in Tanzia making liquid soap to fight COVID-19. (Photo courtesy of Compassion International on Facebook)

How you can pray

Muisyo says, “We’re praying for the churches in the developing world, praying that the leaders would have the energy, wisdom, courage, and innovation necessary to be able to meet this situation in a way that reflects the Church is truly the people of God.”

Christians can also contribute financially to what Compassion International is doing around the world. Everywhere they serve, Muisyo says, people need food, and these needs will last a long time. In Brazil, for instance, none of the parents they work with have jobs right now.

Pray that COVID-19 would die out and not wreak more havoc in the developing world.

A member of the Peruvian army and a police dog enforcing a curfew. Peru has been hit hard by COVID-19 in the last two months. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Early Impact

In February – just as rumblings of the coronavirus began to surge – Crossroads’ Vice President of Programming, Brenda McGowan, traveled to meet with the ministry’s staff members and Extension Center Leaders in West Africa.

Crossroads Prison Ministries VP of Programming, Brenda McGowan (Photo courtesy of Crossroads Prison Ministries)

Already, McGowan could see caution growing on a global scale. “I just recall boarding and deboarding in every airport and having to put antibacterial solution on my hands, having my temperature taken, and that was back in early February.”

The Crossroads team briefly returned home to the States, then went right back out in early March to meet in Colombia for a learning exchange.

McGowan says, “I remember we had originally planned to go into a prison in Bogota to visit some of our graduates…. Initially, we were told that there was a mumps outbreak in the prison we were going to visit and so that trip was canceled. We were given additional options to visit another prison and then were told the next day all the prisons were now shut down due to COVID-19 concerns.”

After a few more stops, the U.S. team returned home on March 13th in the nick of time. Then everything was shut-down and “things changed significantly from that point on.”

Since then, Crossroads has heard several stories – both heartbreaking and hopeful – from their international prison ministry leaders.

Heartbreaking Reports

Dr. Hugo Salomón (Photo courtesy of Crossroads Prison Ministries)

McGowan says the most difficult report came from their Extension Center Director, Angel Aguirre Villamar, in Ecuador. His message read:

Dear brothers, I regret to inform you of the unfortunate death of one of our mentors, Brother Hugo Salomón. He was a doctor and attending to patients in a Guayaquil hospital he was infected and after several days of fighting, he died. Now God has him in his glory.

“He went on to say that the prisons were closed to outside visitors, including family members, and that basically is what happened across the world,” McGowan says. “The people of Ecuador suffered a significant amount of Coronavirus deaths, particularly in the high poverty areas. There are bodies that cannot be buried. The funeral homes and churches are overwhelmed. So much so that families are leaving bodies in the street. It is absolutely tragic.”

Some of Crossroads’ Extension Center Leaders run other businesses that also support the ministry. Unfortunately, many of them had to shut down their businesses to abide by social distancing rules.

Crossroads is also hearing concerning reports from countries where it is difficult to social distance. “Like in Latin America, families are experiencing incredible amounts of infections and deaths.”

Reminders of Hope

(Image courtesy of Crossroads Prison Ministries)

But the reports are also laced with joy. “Not that they have incredible news,” McGowan clarifies, “but they are praying for the ministry and that the ministry continues to go forward.”

Crossroads’ mail-in Bible studies to prisoners rely on the postal service. In countries with a dependable mail delivery system, prison ministry hasn’t stopped.

McGowan says, “There may be a little slowdown…but programming continues to be delivered in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, [and] in the urban areas of South Africa.”

Also, the ministry received an encouraging update from their Extension Center Director in Guatemala.

“He said the president of Guatemala is a man of great, great faith. While [the president] has enacted strict guidelines,…in the areas where there are folks who are really impoverished, he has provided millions and millions of meals in those communities. So he’s not only protecting them from a public health perspective, but he’s also responding to their basic needs.”

Overall, McGowan says, “Ministry continues either through the mail or delivering to the door. For those who are not able to go into the prisons and deliver face-to-face, they continue to try to meet the needs of their mentors…and respond as the Body of Christ should in a pandemic such as COVID-19.”

How You Can Help

(Photo courtesy of Crossroads Prison Ministries)

Please pray with Crossroads for prison ministry around the world during the coronavirus pandemic.

Pray for countries with low infection rates to remain stable and healthy. Ask the Lord to come alongside and comfort communities that are hard-hit by the virus. And pray for Crossroads’ international ministry partners to be bolstered as they reach prisoners with Jesus’s hope and love.

Finally, McGowan asks, “Continue to give. Crossroads Prison Ministries and other ministries rely on the donations of foundations and individuals. I know that we’ve all been hit financially, but continue to consider the men and women in prisons and the opportunity that we continue to have today to deliver the Word of God.”

Click here to give to Crossroads!

Header photo courtesy of Martin Sanchez via Unsplash.

Sixto Gamboa oversees Compassion International’s work in Ecuador. He says protests are affecting their programs nationwide. “Since we’re in different places in the country, we have to depend on regular transportation,” Gamboa says.

“During the whole week, [there] has been no transportation. So, no transportation [means] no way to take things into the community, or get things out of the community.”

Help children escape Ecuador’s poverty through Compassion International.

Price spike triggers Ecuador protests

(Photo courtey of Wikimedia Commons)

Union workers began protesting on October 3 after President Lenín Moreno removed fuel subsidies in exchange for help from the International Monetary Fund, the Associated Press reports.

According to DW, the decision increased fuel prices by 120%. Nearly one-quarter of Ecuador’s population exists on less than $5.50 USD each day, making a spike of this size difficult to manage.  Most people simply want the government “to go back to where we were” before the October 3 decision, Gamboa says.

However, Moreno refuses to budge, which filled last week with tension.

On Tuesday, Moreno imposed a nightly curfew after protestors clashed with security forces inside a parliamentary building. The following day, thousands gathered in the streets of Quito for anti-government rallies. Some protestors kidnapped police officers but then released them the next morning. Hundreds of indigenous people from the Amazon reportedly joined demonstrations in Quito on Friday.

Gamboa prays for peace as a new week begins, and he remains optimistic. “Things may get better… we may be able to move and go with our personnel or the church team to the communities,” he says.

When protests interfere with public transportation, it does more than limit believers’ abilities to move from city to city. It means kids don’t get the benefits normally provided by Compassion’s programs.

“If they’re not able to come [to Compassion’s centers] they’re not getting all the support, and they’re not getting a meal,” Gamboa explains.  “They’re not growing…during the week. So, there is a problem.”

Compassion partners with 280 churches throughout Ecuador to help nearly 100,000 kids escape poverty in Jesus’ name. Compassion helped Ruth become a successful young business owner; you can read her story here.

Next steps

Compassion helps children all over Ecuador. (Image courtesy of Compassion via Instagram).

Now that you know, what will you do? Gamboa requests prayer for his nation.

“This is a time for the Church to wake up. This is a time for Christian leaders to raise their voice,” he says.

“This is a time for the Church in Ecuador to be what the Lord said to be: salt and light of the world.”

Praise God that protests have not turned deadly, and pray for a solution that brings peace to both sides. Pray Compassion and its church partners can restart their programs and begin functioning as normal.

Consider giving to Compassion’s Disaster Relief Fund. Whether inclement weather or mankind cause a crisis, Compassion provides physical and spiritual support to affected families. Learn more or donate online here.

Header image courtesy of Compassion International.

Deaf Bible Society works alongside sign language Bible translators to close the Scripture gap. As the Americas Field Coordinator for DBS, Azael BuPerry– a Deaf man – ensures everyone is on the same page.

“Wycliffe, I believe all of them can hear,” BuPerry says through a female interpreter.

“It’s hard (for them) to have direct communications with the Deaf community and especially with the translation team.”

Language barriers between Deaf and hearing people prove a constant challenge, as discussed previously here. BuPerry serves as a liaison between Deaf translators in the Americas and the non-Deaf support team connected to each project.

Click here to support sign language Bible translations in the Americas.

Why is sign language Scripture important?

(Graphic courtesy of Deaf Bible Society)

Deaf Bible Society currently works alongside Wycliffe USA and The Seed Company to translate God’s Word into the sign languages of Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, and Brazil. Next year, they hope to expand and start new translation work in Ecuador, Guatemala, the Dominion Republic, and Costa Rica.

Multiple Spanish and English versions of the Bible are available for free on platforms like BibleGateway.com. However, written text doesn’t quite meet the spiritual needs of Deaf communities.

See how sign language Scripture transforms Deaf people like Maria.

Sign language Scripture is so critical because it unlocks understanding for the Deaf, BuPerry explains.

“I can read and write in English, and I can understand it. But, when I actually watch the Scriptures in my heart language, (American Sign Language) I can clearly understand what the Scriptures are saying.”

He compares the language difference to eating soup with a fork.

“If we’re trying to eat a bowl of soup with a fork, you can taste it but you don’t actually get to have all of it. So, it’s better to eat a bowl of soup with a spoon because then you get all of the food,” BuPerry says.

“It’s just like reading the Scriptures. If you’re able to see in your heart language, then you get all of the Word.”

How can I help?

(Graphic courtesy of Deaf Bible Society)

Ongoing prayer and financial support are critical to “closing the Scripture gap” in the Americas. Click here to get started.

“It’s going to be a long time before we finish [all the translation work],” BuPerry says.

“Pray that we are able to at least start these projects for all of the Americas.”

Header image courtesy of aitoff via Pixabay.

Only God

Jeff Johnston with e3 Partners reminds us how our role is to plant seeds and disciple, but we cannot change people’s hearts. e3 has seen this truth play out before, particularly with Paulette’s story, a woman in Ecuador.

“She lived in a city up in [northern] Ecuador, and one day got a knock on her door. She looked out the window, and she said that she could tell that these people were missionaries, or that these people wanted to talk to her about religion or God or something. And she said she didn’t really want to talk about that and wasn’t really in the mood.”

Paulette did not answer the door that day. Some months later she moved to a new city where she encountered Christians knocking at her door again. This time she answered and the Gospel was shared. However, Johnston says Paulette was not ready to accept Christ. A couple of months later, she moved again. In this third city, she and her husband had a daughter. However, Paulette felt like something was missing, but she did not know what that “something” was.

A Third Encounter

“Then one day, [she] and her husband heard some music from a nearby building, and she said that they just for some reason both felt compelled to go see what it was. And so, they walked over there and it was a church, and it was a church service. They walked into the church, and they said they were just immediately just overwhelmed with love from the community, that they just welcomed them in. And so, they sat there through the rest of that church service, and then they went back the next week, and again the next week, and again the next week,” Johnston says.

(Photo courtesy of e3 Partners)

After a few weeks, both Paulette and her husband accepted Jesus into their lives. At that point, Paulette revealed how the void and emptiness she had previous felt, the something missing, had been filled. That “something” was Jesus. She also realized how her encounters with Christians knocking at her door in the past was God pursuing her. Today, Paulette, her husband, and even her daughter are in leadership roles at their church, which also works with e3.

“I think it’s understanding and coming to grips with the fact that you may not always see the fruits of your work, that a lot of your work might end up just being planting seeds and then someone else down the line may end up reaping that harvest and seeing the fruit from that. But it’s coming to grips with that and understanding that and knowing that does not lessen the work that you do whatsoever, that it’s still important,” Johnston says.

Planting Seeds

Scripture describes how the body of Christ has many different parts, and all of them serve a purpose. Even though the Christians who knocked on Paulette’s doors never saw the fruit of their work, they were still instrumental in God’s pursuit of Paulette.

Will you trust God to use you in His pursuits of people like Paulette and her husband? If the answer is yes, or even just a maybe, consider taking a trip with e3 to help share the Gospel across the world.

“I’ve talked to just feels when they come back that you know, they feel even stronger in their faith and just kind of feel reinvigorated for evangelism and for Jesus. And so, I’d encourage people to find a trip that works with their schedule or somewhere that they’re interested in going to or have a passion for and just come and watch how God can work through you and through others with you. It’s amazing how he’s able to use all of us, all of these broken people and use it to bring honor and glory and just grow His kingdom,” Johnston says.

To find a trip, click here!