Through Gates of Splendour

I've just finished reading a book I was given by someone at church. It's called Through Gates of Splendour and was about the martyrdom of 5 missionaries in the Ecuador jungle. The book was written by the wives of these young Americans who lost their lives back in 1956. They had chosen to to into a dangerous country to try and share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with a group of people called the Auca. The book was so moving in reading how these young men tried over a period of 3 months or so to win the trust of the Auca tribe by dropping small gifts to the people. They circled in a plane and let a line down with perhaps a small kettle or some other gift for the people and eventually it seemed to work. They finally decided to land and make contact. This they did and made camp. They then flew over where they knew some Aucas were and invited them to visit the camp. A small few of the people came to the camp but it proved to be their last contact with the Auca's. They had gone out to reach a savage people, to tell and show them the love of Jesus. No-one is sure what exactly happened but these young men were dead by the end of the week. Killed by those they knew the Lord had given them a love for. These young men believed it was their calling and they happily went into Auca country knowing the Lord was with them every step of the way.

The words one of the men (Jim Elliot) had written in his diary ended the book -
"I walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious, to stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coat-tail and the heavens hailing your heart, to gaze and glory and give oneself again to God - what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger-ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into His eyes - ah then, not stars nor children shall matter, only Himself. O Jesus, Master and Centre and End of all, how long before that Glory is thine which has so long waited Thee? Now there is no thought of Thee among men; then there shall be thought for nothing else. Now other men are praised; then none shall care for any other's merits. Hasten, hasten, Glory of Heaven take thy crown, subdue Thy Kingdom, enthral Thy creatures".

The work these 5 young men started did not stop with their death: their families and others carried on the work. Nine years later the gospel of Mark was published in the Auca language, and finally the Auca Indians accepted the message of Christ.