Honoring Five Missionaries: 70 Years of Courage and Faith
Today, January 8, 2026, marks the 70th anniversary of the deaths of five devoted missionaries who gave their lives while serving Christ in Ecuador. Their courage, obedience, and unwavering faith continue to inspire believers around the world more than seven decades later.
Among these five missionaries was Jim Elliot, the husband of beloved Christian author Elisabeth Elliot. Through her writing, Elisabeth faithfully preserved the story of these men and bore witness to the cost—and the eternal value—of following Christ.
The Elisabeth Elliot Foundation has partnered with ONE Audiobooks to bring all of Elisabeth Elliot’s books to life in audio, including the powerful stories she wrote about these five missionaries and the legacy they left behind.
In remembrance of this anniversary, we are offering Elisabeth’s bestselling book, Through Gates of Splendor free to our listeners for the rest of the month, inviting you to hear the extraordinary true story of five men whose faith changed history.
In Through Gates of Splendor, Elisabeth Elliot—author of Let Me Be a Woman and A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael—recounts the story of five young missionaries who were brutally killed in Ecuador in 1956. Determined to share the Gospel, they traveled deep into the jungle to establish contact with the fierce and isolated Waorani tribe. Nearby, their wives gathered around a radio receiver, anxiously awaiting news of the historic encounter. The message they eventually received sent shock waves around the world and forever altered their lives.
This unforgettable account bears witness to the courage required to share the Gospel in the face of danger, the deep trust these families placed in God’s sovereignty, and the extraordinary choice to respond to violence with forgiveness.
We invite you to listen, remember, and be encouraged by the enduring legacy of faith left by these five missionaries, whose lives continue to point us to Christ.