End of the Spear

Last night Tim, Chi-Yam and I watched The End of the Spear on DVD. It was the story of the five missionaries who were trying to make contact with the remote Waudoni (Auca) tribe back in 1955-56. After an initial friendly contact, they were speared to death. Later, Rachel Saint (sister of one of the martyrs who was the pilot Nate Saint) and Elisabeth Elliot (widow of Jim Elliot) met some Auca women and went back to live with them to share the love of God and faith and forgiveness.

It was quite a moving story and even though I'm very familiar with it and have actually been to some of the places where it was filmed, I was still moved. I remember in 1978 listening to Rachel Saint tell a group of us college students about her experiences with the Aucas. I was then a summer missionary at HCJB Radio Station in Quito, Ecuador.

At one point early on in the movie, little Steve Saint asks his father if he will defend himself if attacked by the Aucas. His father replies, "We can't kill the Waudoni. They aren't yet ready for heaven. We are."

Steve Saint goes back to the jungle as a boy and later as a man. The one who speared his father later comes to faith and becomes like a father to him and a grandfather to his children. Some of the out takes of the movie show the real Steve Saint and Mincayani (his Waudoni father) in the United States. Mincayani marvels at the stores filled with food, and how you can go to a line to take your food, and someone smiles at you and you take the food with no effort. Steve tries to explain that, "Well, I have to give them something for the food (a credit card)," but Mincayani retorts, "But they give it right back to you!"

It's worth a look if you get a chance. There is some violence, due to the nature of the story, so little children might not do well to watch. But it is such an amazing story of God's love and redemption and his power to work change in the human heart.

Till next time,


Suzi