Through Gates of Splendor

The story of these five missionaries, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming, pretty much fits perfectly with Philippians 1:20-21 "it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Words written by Paul but could have so easily been written by any of those five men as well. The book is a great read. The beginning introduces you to all the men with background and then their work in their respective areas of Ecuador and isn't the most exciting but it is necessary to really understand the selfless love they each had to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have not heard. As you come to the later part and they really start interacting with the "Auca"(the group that would eventually kill them), the excitement picks up and though I knew the fate that was coming, I didn't know the events leading up to it. I have to admit that because this is a true story, I couldn't help but feel an incredible sadness reading this part. The excitement and true joy the men seemed to be expressing from making contact with these people, the seemingly true joy the "Auca" people expressed as the plane passed over delivering gifts to them. The excitement the men had when Nate saw the Auca men headed there direction, and I just imagine the sheer joy and happiness inside of them as they most likely greeted them when the group first arrived. Then the horror that must have flooded them as the people that they showed so much love to, genuinely wanted to help(spiritually and physically), and were actively extending a peaceful hand out to, turned to aggression. I truly can't imagine the thoughts and reactions that went through them watching as some of one of them was thrust through with a spear, possibly being attacked with machetes they gifted to them, withholding the use of their firearms(at least from killing any of the Auca). It was such a tragic story especially after having met with "George" and the two women earlier that gave them so much hope. There is a silver lining and the story would be one of tremendous tragedy, but instead it turns what is still a sad tragedy into something incredible. The families of those five men in a true act of grace continued the efforts and because of the sacrifice the five men made the message of the Gospel reached those same people that murdered five men who wanted nothing more than love and help them. It would have been easy to pack it up and say if the Auca can behave that way and reject the love and kindness the five men showed them then they are beyond redeemable, but they trusted the perfect will of God and continued their efforts to reach the Auca, and through the miraculous work of God, the Gospel did in fact reach them and the Lord opened their ears and hearts to the message that began with the five men. Would I have loved the story to have ended with the five men being invited into their homes and continuing to lead the charge on their on and lived long prosperous lives? absolutely. But if we are all honest with ourselves, as great of a story as that would be, it would just be another shelved story by now. Tragedy wakes people up, tragedy moves people... this tragedy opens peoples eyes to see the comfort they have become used to, the comforts they are unwilling to give up to do the work of the Lord, shows people their selfishness and unwillingness to go where others before them so willingly and joyfully sacrificed their lives. Tragedies leaves a wake that gets larger over time and in God's perfect plan and will, this tragedy led to so much that would not have happened had they lived due to the impact it has on people and will continue to have on people. Sure the Auca may have been reached had they lived, but so many others around the world were reached because of their story.

One of the best books I’ve ever read. Please read this book!

Very good story

This book really makes one question: How much do I truly trust the Lord? What would I be willing to give up should I be called to it? Would I be willing to sacrifice the basic comforts I know and depend on? Would I be willing to sacrifice my life with forethought decision? Even harder for me to think of than the sacrifice of my own life, would I be willing to sacrifice that of my husband, packing him up for a trip not knowing if I would ever see him again on this side of heaven? Elisabeth Elliot does a fantastic job of giving an account of the families' journeys to and in the mission field by using the journals and letters of some of the men and women. The men's and women's excitement at God's faithful attentiveness to their prayers is stirring, and their spiritual struggles are also encouraging. I give a lot of credit to Elisabeth Elliot for that. She doesn't fluff up the missionaries as uber-Christians. She shows through their struggles and lives that they have the same power as you and I, and that power is the blood of Jesus Christ. Even if you are not a Christian, this book may shed some light on both tribal culture and missionary culture. Whatever you believe, this is still a powerful tale of sacrifice, struggle, hope, and forgiveness. It is also still well written and well organized with multiple story lines forging into one giant one. Elliot knows how to pull you into the story. If for no other reason, this book is an interesting read because it shows the developing stages that led to the historical event that captured the compassion of the world - Christian and non-Christian alike. This particular version has updates to the story as well, which is a definite plus. I hope you are blessed by this book.

In 1955 a group of five missionaries entered the jungle in Ecuador to bring Christ to a violent and primitive tribe. They showered the natives with gifts and built an airstrip before being massacred by the very people they came to serve. Written by the wife of one of these martyrs, this story challenges the readers and forces them to ask, "How much would I give for the advancement of the kingdom of God?" Elisabeth Elliot uses interviews, articles, journals and personal accounts to take the reader to primitive Ecuador. This book and these five men have done more to advance Christian missions then almost any event in the past 100 years. The 50s and 60s saw a swell of men and women willing to give their lives to Christ in the mission field. Even 50 years later, countless missionaries site this story as the catalyst for their own service in foreign lands. These men and their families started out by giving no more than thousands of other missionaries give every day; their comfort, their wealth, their leisure and their normalcy. In the end these men paid a price that few dare imagine. Five decades later we see that the martyring of these five men purchased an army of missionaries and a generation of new Christians from the jungles of Ecuador. The events of this book have been retold in numerous other books and a full-length feature film (End of the Spear). Few can touch this gripping tome by Elisabeth Elliot.

One of the best books I’ve ever read. Travelled to Ecuador three times in the 1980’s. Was shown R. Saint’s house. I’ve given this book as a gift to many people over the years. It could change your life; it did mine. Elizabeth Elliot was a true Christian warrior- servant. DL

My wife has read & im next. The text is very small.

Elizabeth Elliot shares her heart and life as she and four other families bravely entered the jungles of Ecuador in the 1950's with the burning desire to share the story of Jesus Christ to known "Savages". This book offers a glimpse from the view of the other families, and how they endured such a profound tragedy. It is amazing how the events of this book still resonate in the hearts of people of faith nearly 60 years later. I highly recommend Elizabeth's other book Shadow of the Almighty, which tells the story of Jim Elliot from his childhood, through college years and eventually to the sands of "Palm Beach" where an Auca spear finally took his mortal body. We know that his "life" was anchored in Christ and his real life began on that isolated beach. Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot (Hendrickson Biographies) . Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries are to be honored along with the millions of Christian Martyrs of the ages. These books are inspirational as well as challenging. Be prepared for them to change your perspective, and perhaps your life for ever!

Whole experience from the old days of die Eliots and friends.. such a treasure

This is a story that took place at the time of my birth, and it is moving, inspiring and challenging in equal measure. The love these men showed to the Auca Indians and the ultimate sacrifice they gave to try to bring the Gospel of the love of Christ to them is a story that has lived with me all my life. And even more so, the forgiveness of the wives left behind, especially Elisabeth Elliot - going into the jungle and taking her child to live with the tribe that had murdered her husband and seek to share God's love with them. Read the sequel 'The Savage my Kinsman' - both of these books show real Christianity in action.

Good package and good book.

Good delivered promptly.

Gut geschrieben mit Tiefgang. Die Lebens Geschichte fünf Männer und deren Frauen die Umkehr von ein ganze Stamm eingeleitet haben - von Töten zu Retten, von Böse zu Gutem. Die Männer haben alles gegeben, auch Ihr Leben, ein Preis nicht zu hoch für ein Ewigkeit mit der, der alles bezahlt hat für uns verlorene Menschen.