A Testimony of Forgiveness

1/28/2025

Written By: Paige Wassel

In 1955, missionaries Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCully began dropping supplies by airplane to the Waodani tribe in Ecuador’s Amazonian jungle, hoping to minister to this isolated tribe. Despite a promising first contact, all five were speared to death by members of the tribe in January 1956.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Jim’s wife Elisabeth continued working with the Quichua tribe nearby, where she met two Waodani women that lived with her and taught her their language. Two years after her husband’s death, Elisabeth, her daughter Valerie, and Rachel Saint (Nate Saint’s sister) went to live with the very tribe that had killed their loved ones, sharing the gospel and leading many to Christ. Elisabeth and Rachel created a writing system for the Waodani language—which only existed in oral form at the time—aiding the tribe’s education and planting the seeds for a New Testament translated in Waodani years later.

To the world, these women’s actions likely seemed inconceivable and perhaps even foolish. But to Elisabeth and Rachel, they were living out their belief that they should love others as Christ loved them, forgiving wrongs against them as they had been forgiven by God.

Our human nature urges us to cling to the idea that we have certain rights—to an apology, to retaliation, to keep a record of wrongs, to be vindicated. But to truly follow Christ we must follow his example, laying down our rights so that we can extend the same lavish love and limitless grace that has been given to us. In doing so, we also give up the outcome of the offense to God and release ourselves from the weight of clinging to it.

As Elisabeth Elliott reflected on her radio program, “Gateway to Joy,”:

“Forgiveness is a grace. It’s not something that we can do by ourselves. But Christ stands ready to present you with all the grace that you’re willing to receive so that you in turn can present that grace and forgiveness to someone else. The life of Jesus insists on loving, and still goes on invading our lives, still delivering us from bondage to hate, still offering us supernatural love and forgiveness.”

Forgiveness defined Elisabeth Elliott’s faith, and it can define ours as well. When we put forgiveness in practice, we offer those around us a glimpse of the Father’s unconceivable love.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” – Colossians 3:12-14.