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WAREHAM UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

Preachers' Rota ~ March

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March 5 Martyn Neads (Holy Communion)
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March 12 Tricia Knapp
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March 19 Margaret Leivesley
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March 26 Elizabeth Haynes

TRUSTING IN G0D

Five missionaries, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot, Roger Yoderian,
and Peter Fleming, decided in the early 1950’s to attempt to bring the
good news of the Gospel to the Auca (meaning savage) tribe, about
1,300 strong living in the jungle in Ecuador. They were known as Aucas
(though actually named Waorani or Huaorani) because of their warlike
behaviour: they killed members of other tribes, and even families and
individuals within their own tribe.

To prepare for this the missionaries spent some time with friendly tribes
learning common phrases so as to be able to communicate with the
Huaorani.

So in 1956 with Nate Saint at the controls of a Piper airplane they made
several flying trips over the jungle where they knew the tribe to be.

Eventually, having spotted them from the air they decided to make
contact. They lowered a rope with a bucket on the end containing gifts
To make it possible for the Huaorani to get the gifts from a moving
airplane they flew in a tight circle over the spot where the Huaorani
were: it was like an upturned cone with the base being the circle the
plane was making, and the apex of the cone the bucket with the gifts.
The Huaorani took the gifts and eventually responded with gifts of
their own.

After these encouraging contacts the missionaries thought it was time
to meet the Huaorani face to face. They spotted a group of about ten
making their way to the Curaway river. They entered the river, and faced
the jungle from which they expected the Huaorani to appear, singing their
favourite hymn:

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