![]() January 8th, 1956 – Death of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Roger Youderian, and Ed McCully by Auca spears. About two months ago, I was privileged to act in a small stage production of the play called “Bridge of Blood”. ![]() Jan 21, 2018 Across the Paddy Fields On a slow trek in northwest Vietnam, negotiating the lush greens and rich ethnic culture of Sapa. Across the Fields by Walter Crane. Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895. ![]() It is based on the story of Jim & Elisabeth Elliot and the four other couples that went with them to minister to the Auca Indians. The story became much more than a mere “story” in my life through being part of the play. I had known my whole life about the story, I knew it was a true story, it was impacting to hear the way they willingly gave everything to love these unloved people–to give even their very lives, and yetsomehow, it was still “just a story” to me in so many ways. I remember the first time I heard that Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint, Nate Saint’s sister, had gone back to the tribe that mercilessly killed their husband and brother. I was astounded that they would go back. They faced evil with the love of Jesus, and His name was glorified in that tribe. Some of the men who committed the murders became mighty preachers of the gospel and said that they couldn’t wait to go to heaven to be able to thank the men they killed for being willing to give their lives to share the grace of God with them. What love is this! What a mighty God is this! I played the part of Barbara Youderian in the play, and personally felt the grief as I watched “Roger” unknowingly, but willingly, go to his death for the sake of Christ. Before the men departed from the mission house to head out to meet up with the Aucas, they gathered together with their wives and sang We Rest On Thee. We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender! We go not forth alone against the foe; Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender, We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go. Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender, We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go. Yes, in Thy Name, O Captain of salvation! In Thy dear Name, all other names above; Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation, Our Prince of glory and our King of love. Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation, Our Prince of glory and our King of love. We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling, And needing more each day Thy grace to know: Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing, “We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.” Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing, “We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.” We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender! Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise; When passing through the gates of pearly splendor, Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days. When passing through the gates of pearly splendor, Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days. Tears filled my eyes when we sang this song together as we knelt on that stage, knowing what was next, feeling the grief already, I can’t properly describe how real it all became. The faith and trust they had in God became tangible, the wives and the struggles and strengths they went through in releasing their husbands to the care of a mighty and trustworthy God was brought blatantly before me. The reality that God WAS and IS mighty and trustworthy–even though I already knew the end of the story, and it wasn’t what they were expecting. I stood in center stage and chokingly read these lines from the pages of Barbara Youderian’s journal: Tonight the captain told us of finding the bodies in the river. God gave me this verse two days ago. Psalm 48:14, “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” As I came face-to-face with the news of Rog’s death, my heart was filled with praise. He was worthy of his homegoing. Help me, Lord, to be both mommy and daddy. I’ve explained to Beth that Daddy is now in heaven living with Jesus, but she can’t understand why he won’t come down and play with her once in a while. I wrote a letter to the mission family, trying to explain the peace I have. I want to be free of self-pity. It is a tool of Satan to rot away a life.
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