Ecuador Visit With MAF

As we prepare for our trip to Ecuador (August 24-September 10) we have been studying the culture and history of Ecuador, and particularly the history of MAF in Ecuador.

MAF recently celebrated its 70-year anniversary.  From humble beginnings with one airplane, MAF has grown steadily to an organization with over 100 airplanes that transported 90,000 passengers and 8 million pounds of cargo last year.

Curaray River

One of the earliest missions by the organization involved the support of a 1956 outreach to the Waorani (Auca) people of Eastern Ecuador by American missionaries Ed McCully, Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Roger Youderian and MAF pilot Nate Saint. As you probably know, the five were killed by the Waorani a few days after contacting the tribe on the bank of the Curaray River. Within a few years after these were killed, the sister of Nate Saint, Rachel, and widow of Jim Elliot, Elizabeth, returned to the same tribe that killed the missionaries. Their forgiveness and selfless efforts supported their message about Christ's love.  As a result, seven of the nine killers and many others from the tribe eventually came to Christ. They began to walk a "new trail" of forgiveness that saved the Waorani people from extinction.

Mincaye Sitting in an Alas de Socorro Airplane

This fascinating story, dramatized in the movie End of the Spear, has also been the subject of several books, including an excellent book written by Elizabeth Elliot, Through The Gates of Splendor.  It is both humbling and inspiring to read the statements and letters by the five missionaries.  Most notable is Nate Saint's statement explaining that if the Waorani attacked them, they would not fight back because he and the other missionaries were ready for heaven but the Waorani were not.

The flight program in Ecuador in recent years has been taken over by the local affiliate of MAF, called Alas de Socorro (translation: "wings of relief").  There is an active effort to continue to minister among the Waorani in Ecuador.  It will be a fascinating learning experience to visit the same locations as these events of 70 years ago.  At the same time, we will see the currents efforts of God's people to share the Love of Jesus with those in both spiritual and physical need.

We would be very appreciative of your support of our trip both through prayer and financially.  To date, we have raised approximately one-third of the money necessary to fund the trip.  Donations made in our support to MAF are tax deductible.