Jim Elliot was a missionary down in Ecuador. His whole life statement was “He is no fool who gives up what he can’t keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Just that statement alone is a powerful testimony and lesson. Many lessons could be drawn from Jim Elliot’s life, but consider his entire life as a lesson. When he first arrived at his mission field the local Indian children asked, “Do the white men ever get tired of white paper?” Jim was constantly writing everything about his environment down. He was always reading his bible for guiding in this new uncertain environment. Even when he and his fellow missionaries were contemplating an encounter with savage Auca, Jim relied on prayer. He said, “If God wills that we go through, He will provide the way, and the means to do so.”

While Jim Elliot was in Ecuador he ministered to the Auca, Quichua, and the Jivaros. The Auca were savage killers. They killed both white men and Quichua. Everyone was advising that Jim and the other missionaries should stay out of their way. This didn’t faze Jim though, him and the other missionaries made regular gift drops over the Auca main village. God blessed their efforts and every day the Auca seemed to become more acceptant of these white men. The Quichua were the first Indians that Jim came in contact with when he was down in Ecuador. They were also the most help to Jim and the other missionaries when it came to building and scouting. Jim spent a limited time with the Jivaros; the Jivaros were cared for by Jim’s friend Roger Youdarian. Later when Jim and the other missionaries went to meet the Auca, Roger came along as one of those missionaries.

Sadly Jim Elliot’s life was cut short when he was killed by the Auca on January 1. Jim and four other men, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, Roger Youdarian, and Pete Flemming were savagely murdered with lances by the Auca after trying to reach them with the gospel. For the past months before their actual landing on Palm Beach, (the place where Jim and the other missionaries were killed) Jim and Nate made routine gift drops to the Auca. They dropped them clothing, machetes, and small trinkets, along with pots, pans, and other cooking utensils. Jim always seemed to have a spirit for the unsaved. He wouldn’t let anything stand in the way of reaching a new tribe for Christ.

After a while, the Auca seemed friendly enough to have a “face to face” meeting. With several weeks of planning Jim and the four other missionaries decided it was time. So after several trips to Palm Beach they were all accounted for.  Five days later three Auca came out of the jungle, a man and two women. They talked through the night and when the men woke the next morning the Indians were gone. After radioing in to their wives, they planned to go meet the Auca at their village. Hours went past and no radio contact could be made with them. When a day had past, search parties were sent in for them. All five of them were found dead, speared to death by the Auca.

The greatest lesson that I learned from Jim Elliot’s life would be his faith. He knew that the Auca hated white men, and were murderers. He knew that they had never been successfully reached with the gospel before. He knew that all other tribes near the Auca feared them. Despite warnings and pleadings from his fellow Indian friends he desired to follow God’s will for the Auca. Every white man that came in contact with the Auca was either killed or narrowly escaped. Regardless of the danger, Jim offered his life for God’s service unreservedly. Jim desired passionately that a savage, murderous,  pagan tribe come to recognize Christ. I sometimes don’t even care that my friends are doing something erroneous.

Another great lesson of Jim’s life can be summed up in his mission statement of “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” When I think of how many things I’m holding onto that in a year will be spent it’s poignant. Jim held on to his faith, which is something he could never lose. Even though he paid the ultimate price, his faith is still secure, and has never been taken from him.

A lesson learned of great importance in the book was not from Jim, but from the wives of all the missionaries. When their husbands suggested going in and reaching the Auca, they didn’t try to persuade them out of it, even though it was dangerous. When Jim and the other missionaries were killed, they didn’t blame God or the Auca. They were content in knowing that their husbands were doing God’s will.

If you look at their entire lives you see a lesson. They gave up homes in America to come and live in Ecuador. Living in tin houses with constant danger from elements, Indians, and natural dangers all because God told them too.