In 1956, five American missionaries—Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming—were martyred on a beach in Ecuador. Their sacrifices continue to inspire a generation of believers, missionaries, and isolated villages today.
In the years after World War II, five young men—Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Peter Fleming, Jim Elliot, and Ed McCulley—dedicated themselves to God’s service. They ranged in age from 27 to 32 years old. Through different paths, they and their families each found themselves serving as missionaries in Ecuador.
Nate was a missionary pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship. Roger, a former World War II paratrooper, was a missionary with Gospel Missionary Union. Jim, Pete, and Ed were missionaries serving with the Plymouth Brethren mission in Ecuador. Jim, Ed, and Nate originally met at Wheaton College.
In their various roles in Ecuador, the men had all heard of the feared Waodani—or the “Aucas” as they were called by other indigenous groups. This nomadic jungle tribe was known for killing outsiders with their eight-foot wooden spears. Each of the men felt a burden to share the hope of Jesus with this people group, who were slowly killing one another off through repeated cycles of intertribal violence.
Other missionaries had tried unsuccessfully to reach the Waodani. Nate, Jim, Pete, Ed, and Roger determined that the airplane would provide a means of access to this isolated people group. They spent months praying and planning the endeavor, including learning some key Waodani phrases from a Waodani woman named Dayuma who had fled from the tribe.
For several months in 1955, Nate and either Ed or Jim flew over Waodani territory, scouting the settlements. They decided to approach friendly relations through gifts delivered via baskets. For thirteen weeks, Nate dropped off items like machetes, salt, and a metal kettle from the airplane.
By January 1956, the men enacted a plan that they codenamed “Operation Auca.” Nate had scouted a location on the Cururay River where he determined his little Piper Cub airplane could land. The men planned to land, set up camp, and try to contact the Waodani.
On January 6, three Waodani people showed up on the beach. What the missionaries didn’t know was that these three were part of an ongoing conflict in the family clan. The man who visited—they nicknamed him “George”— wanted to marry the younger woman in their trio, but her brother was against it.
The missionaries and the three Waodani enjoyed a pleasant visit, sharing food, taking photos, and even going on an airplane ride. When the Waodani left, the men were hopeful that soon they would have more friendly contact.
Instead, the young woman’s angry brother turned his rage on the “outsiders.” On January 8, a party of Waodani warriors emerged from the jungle and speared the missionaries to death. Nate Saint’s watch stopped at 3:12 p.m. on January 8, 1956. A search party eventually located their bodies in and around the river near the beach where they camped.
Later, several of the men who participated in the killings came to faith in Christ—some were baptized by the missionaries’ families in the very river where the attack took place. . Today, a vibrant Waodani church exists.
The lives of Nate, Jim, Ed, Roger, and Pete were not given in vain. Their deaths galvanized a generation of American evangelicals to action, igniting a wave of overseas missionaries that has continued today.
Learn how you can bring help, hope, and healing to isolated people like the Waodani today.
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