Friday, January 15, 2010
An Introduction to Jim and Elisabeth Elliot
Jim Elliot was a simple man from a simple home, with a relatively normal background. He then left all of this behind when he decided to become a missionary in one of the most dangerous places in the world. Along with four of his fellow missionaries and friends he risked his life to reach out to the Huaorani Tribe in the jungles of Ecuador. After making some progress communicating with the tribe Elliot and his friends were killed by the tribe in a sudden attack. The story however does not end there. Elliot’s wife along with the wives of other missionaries picked up where their husbands left off. They did not give up on the Huaorani people, nor did they condemn them, or blame them. Instead they continued the effort to bring the people the message of The Bible. After many years of living in the jungle with the tribe, and with the help of God, they were able to convert the tribe to Christianity, and they are now a non-violent people. Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, Peter Fleming, Nate Saint, their wives, and their family’s, all made a difference.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Early Life of Jim Elliot
The Early Life of Jim Elliot
by Alison DeFiore
"God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus." ~ Jim Elliot
On October 8, 1927, Jim Elliot was born in Portland, Oregon. His parents were Fred and Clara Elliot, and he was their third child. He had two older siblings: Herbert and Robert. Later, a sister was born, named Jane. Mr. Elliot was an Evangelist. Mrs. Elliot ran a chiropractic business. It was a simple but enjoyable life. Fred and Clara loved inviting missionaries to their house, so their presence was a constant contributor to the household’s environment. When Jim was eight years of age, he decided to accept Jesus into his heart and dedicate his life to Him (Jim Elliot) Jim continued on, excelling at school and attending Benson Polytechnic High School. He concentrated on architectural drawing. During his high school years, Elliot participated in football and was considered a talented actor. When he was a senior, he was elected the class president. (Jim Elliot)
After graduating, Elliot went Wheaton College on a scholarship to major in Greek. He chose that college because his brother recommended it. While at college, Jim worked part time and joined the varsity wrestling team for all four years. He also enjoyed preaching to youth groups in Wheaton. At one point, he found a statistic that deeply affected him. It was: "There is one Christian worker for every 50,000 people in foreign lands, while there is one to every 500 in the United States." (Jim Elliot) This statement caused him to reevaluate his plans and consider his dream on mission work more seriously. He ended up spending a year in Mexico with a missionary family. While there, he learned Spanish. Elliot also found the love of his life, Elizabeth, at Wheaton and courted her for his junior and senior year. She was a year older than him and also wanted to be a missionary. At the time of her graduation, they agreed to live separately for a while and pray over their relationship. Jim still had one year left of college and spent the summer of 1948 as the elected president of Foreign Missionary Fellowship. Jim finished college and graduated in 1949 with high honors.
After college, Jim returned to his home and occupied his time with odd jobs and studying the Bible. He also continued to preach whenever he found an audience. Elliot also traveled to Norman, OK in June of 1950. There he worked with a former missionary. This missionary had worked with Quechua Indians of Ecuador and taught Jim about their reputation for violence. (Jim Elliot) Jim continued his relationship with Elizabeth and even joined her at a linguistics school for a period. While Jim travelled to work with youths in Indiana and Illonois, he kept in touch with Elizabeth through letters and visits. He also joined two friends to work on a radio broadcast series called “The March of Truth.” (Jim Elliot) Finally Jim set off to Ecuador to work as a missionary.
by Alison DeFiore
"God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus." ~ Jim Elliot
On October 8, 1927, Jim Elliot was born in Portland, Oregon. His parents were Fred and Clara Elliot, and he was their third child. He had two older siblings: Herbert and Robert. Later, a sister was born, named Jane. Mr. Elliot was an Evangelist. Mrs. Elliot ran a chiropractic business. It was a simple but enjoyable life. Fred and Clara loved inviting missionaries to their house, so their presence was a constant contributor to the household’s environment. When Jim was eight years of age, he decided to accept Jesus into his heart and dedicate his life to Him (Jim Elliot) Jim continued on, excelling at school and attending Benson Polytechnic High School. He concentrated on architectural drawing. During his high school years, Elliot participated in football and was considered a talented actor. When he was a senior, he was elected the class president. (Jim Elliot)
After graduating, Elliot went Wheaton College on a scholarship to major in Greek. He chose that college because his brother recommended it. While at college, Jim worked part time and joined the varsity wrestling team for all four years. He also enjoyed preaching to youth groups in Wheaton. At one point, he found a statistic that deeply affected him. It was: "There is one Christian worker for every 50,000 people in foreign lands, while there is one to every 500 in the United States." (Jim Elliot) This statement caused him to reevaluate his plans and consider his dream on mission work more seriously. He ended up spending a year in Mexico with a missionary family. While there, he learned Spanish. Elliot also found the love of his life, Elizabeth, at Wheaton and courted her for his junior and senior year. She was a year older than him and also wanted to be a missionary. At the time of her graduation, they agreed to live separately for a while and pray over their relationship. Jim still had one year left of college and spent the summer of 1948 as the elected president of Foreign Missionary Fellowship. Jim finished college and graduated in 1949 with high honors.
After college, Jim returned to his home and occupied his time with odd jobs and studying the Bible. He also continued to preach whenever he found an audience. Elliot also traveled to Norman, OK in June of 1950. There he worked with a former missionary. This missionary had worked with Quechua Indians of Ecuador and taught Jim about their reputation for violence. (Jim Elliot) Jim continued his relationship with Elizabeth and even joined her at a linguistics school for a period. While Jim travelled to work with youths in Indiana and Illonois, he kept in touch with Elizabeth through letters and visits. He also joined two friends to work on a radio broadcast series called “The March of Truth.” (Jim Elliot) Finally Jim set off to Ecuador to work as a missionary.
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