“Then he said to them all:
‘If anyone would come after me,
he must deny himself and take up his cross
daily and follow me.’”
(Luke 9:23 NIV)
‘If anyone would come after me,
he must deny himself and take up his cross
daily and follow me.’”
(Luke 9:23 NIV)
In 1955 five missionary couples in the jungles of Ecuador were planning for a chance to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the remote and fierce Waodani tribe. They had been conducting “gift flights” over Waodani territory, attempting to create awareness of their presence by dropping packages of clothing, food, and gadgets to the natives from a small plane.
On December 23, 1955, Nate Saint and Jim Elliot flew over Waodani territory and dropped a gift package of clothing, a flashlight, and other trinkets. This time the missionaries received a package back from the Waodani, who tied it to a long cord the missionaries dropped from the plane. It was full of fish, peanuts, bananas, a parrot, and other meats. The gift from the Waodani greatly encouraged the missionaries, and four of the five couples met that same day to plan the trip that would bring them face-to-face with members of the Waodani tribe.
The group began assigning the specific duties each member would be responsible for on the mission. Providing shelter in the jungle, packing food and supplies, maintaining a communication link with the home base, transporting those who were to go to and from the remote location, as well as other vital tasks, were all necessary for the success of the mission.
It was decided that the men would set up a camp on the beach near the location of the Waodani’s main settlement. They chose January 3, 1955, for the mission as they knew they would need to arrive and depart before the onset of the rainy season, which would make takeoffs and landings impossible.
As soon as the plans were finalized, the missionaries turned their attention to making Christmas in their camp in Arajuno as much like home as possible. A meal was prepared, and a Christmas tree was made from bamboo and decorated with tinsel to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
Missionary Pete Fleming was still undecided as to whether he would accompany the other men on this trip. He waited on God in prayer continuously. For the wives it was a time of reflection and preparation for the dangers that were sure to confront their husbands on this mission. They knew it was possible they all could become widows as a result of this expedition. They also knew that the God they served held first place in the lives of each of their husbands. This fact seemed to hit home now more than ever.
On December 23, 1955, just eleven days before they would land in attempts to make contact with the Waodani. This particular day was a day of much reflection for the five men who would venture into a new land, a violent culture and a people who were reputed as the most vicious of their time. Many could not understand what was driving these men. Why were they risking their lives for the chance of making contact with the Waodani.
Nate Saint summed up their sentiments:
“If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ. May God help us to judge ourselves by the eternities that separate the Aucas (former name for the Waodani) from a comprehension of Christmas and Him, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor so that we might, through His poverty, be made rich.”
On December 23, 1955, Nate Saint and Jim Elliot flew over Waodani territory and dropped a gift package of clothing, a flashlight, and other trinkets. This time the missionaries received a package back from the Waodani, who tied it to a long cord the missionaries dropped from the plane. It was full of fish, peanuts, bananas, a parrot, and other meats. The gift from the Waodani greatly encouraged the missionaries, and four of the five couples met that same day to plan the trip that would bring them face-to-face with members of the Waodani tribe.
The group began assigning the specific duties each member would be responsible for on the mission. Providing shelter in the jungle, packing food and supplies, maintaining a communication link with the home base, transporting those who were to go to and from the remote location, as well as other vital tasks, were all necessary for the success of the mission.
It was decided that the men would set up a camp on the beach near the location of the Waodani’s main settlement. They chose January 3, 1955, for the mission as they knew they would need to arrive and depart before the onset of the rainy season, which would make takeoffs and landings impossible.
As soon as the plans were finalized, the missionaries turned their attention to making Christmas in their camp in Arajuno as much like home as possible. A meal was prepared, and a Christmas tree was made from bamboo and decorated with tinsel to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
Missionary Pete Fleming was still undecided as to whether he would accompany the other men on this trip. He waited on God in prayer continuously. For the wives it was a time of reflection and preparation for the dangers that were sure to confront their husbands on this mission. They knew it was possible they all could become widows as a result of this expedition. They also knew that the God they served held first place in the lives of each of their husbands. This fact seemed to hit home now more than ever.
On December 23, 1955, just eleven days before they would land in attempts to make contact with the Waodani. This particular day was a day of much reflection for the five men who would venture into a new land, a violent culture and a people who were reputed as the most vicious of their time. Many could not understand what was driving these men. Why were they risking their lives for the chance of making contact with the Waodani.
Nate Saint summed up their sentiments:
“If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ. May God help us to judge ourselves by the eternities that separate the Aucas (former name for the Waodani) from a comprehension of Christmas and Him, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor so that we might, through His poverty, be made rich.”
Ponder...
What are some time-robbing distractions of our age?
What are some time-robbing distractions that you are most prone to?
During his college years Jim Elliot wrote in his journal,
What are some time-robbing distractions that you are most prone to?
During his college years Jim Elliot wrote in his journal,
“He is no fool
who gives what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose.”
who gives what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose.”
What are some things we typically hold-on to that we cannot keep?
“I never knew a child of God bankrupted by his benevolence.
What we keep we may lose, but what we give Christ we are sure to keep.”
Theodore L. Cuyler
What we keep we may lose, but what we give Christ we are sure to keep.”
Theodore L. Cuyler
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