Nathanael (Nate) Saint was a Christian missionary pilot serving with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) who, along with four others, was martyred in Ecuador while attempting to evangelize an isolated tribe.
Nate Saint was born in 1923 in Pennsylvania. His family was deeply devoted to living for Christ, and hearing missionary stories was a staple in his childhood. With this foundation, Nate developed a strong sense of purpose and conviction to serve the Lord.
From the time he took his first flight at the age of seven, Nate was fixated on airplanes. His mechanical aptitude was evident early on as he took on projects like building a sailboat or taking apart the family’s car and putting it back together.
At 19, Nate enlisted in the U.S. Army with the goal of flying and eventually becoming a commercial pilot. WWII was underway, but Nate was grounded due to a recurring infection in his leg. He served in the Army for three years, and during this time became aware of the need for missionary aviators. Soon after, Nate committed his life to missionary work and transferred his skills to “God’s Army.”
In 1948, he married his sweetheart, Marjorie Farris, and together they set out with MAF to open a base in Shell Mera, Ecuador. Their children—Kathy, Stephen, and Phil—were born there.
For eight years, Nate flew medical supplies, supported missionaries, and helped isolated villages in the name of Christ.
In 1955, Nate began working with four other missionaries to attempt to reach the so-called Auca Indians—now known as the Waodani—living in the Amazon jungle. They had never been reached with the gospel before. In fact, they had almost no contact with anyone outside the tribe.
The missionaries made thirteen contacts with the indigenous people using a bucket drop technique Nate invented. He dropped a bucket from the plane and flew in circles around it while the bucket stayed steady. At one point, the Waodani cleared trees and built a platform to make it easier for Nate’s plane to deliver supplies—and they left hand-crafted objects or animals in the bucket in return.
On January 5, after landing on a beach near the Waodani settlement and making camp, the missionaries made a successful first contact with three members of the tribe, even flying one in the plane.
On January 8, all five men were martyred on the beach with spears by Waodani warriors.
Nate Saint’s willingness to follow God’s call into missionary aviation until his murder on January 8, 1956, led to many coming to Christ. Later, many of the Waodani—including six who took part in the killing—later came to embrace a relationship with the Lord. When the story became known in the U.S. and around the world, an entire generation of believers responded to the call to take the place of Nate Saint and the other missionaries who gave their lives.
Today, 70 years after the death of Nate Saint, many continue to be inspired by his faith. If you feel called to follow in Nate’s footsteps and spread the love of Christ to isolated places, learn about serving with Mission Aviation Fellowship here.
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