Through Gates of Splendor. By Elizabeth Elliot
Summer is a great time for reading. And one of my favorite genres to read in the summer is biographies. Stories of fellow believers who have gone before us and have served the Lord faithfully encourage us to lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles to run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:1). One of the most well-known missionary stories is that of Jim Elliot and 4 others who dared to make contact with a stone-age tribe deep in the jungles of Ecuador. Their intent was to establish communication with this people group in order to get the Gospel to those who had never heard it. After several preliminary contacts, the men set out for a meeting with the tribesmen in January of 1956. On that fateful day, these 5 heralds of the Gospel were martyred for their faith in their attempt to proclaim the glories of Christ to the Auca Indians. Their story was recorded several months after their death by Jim Elliot’s wife, Elisabeth, and since then, Through Gates of Splendor has become a classic. If you’ve never read this gripping missionary biography, this summer would be a great time to do so!
Review submitted by Pastor Todd Dykstra