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The Five Martyrs of Ecuador

Jim Elliot and his four coworkers (Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, and Pete Fleming) went to Ecuador to bring the gospel to an unreached tribe. Tragically, they were speared to death by the locals and became martyrs for the faith. When the attack occurred, though they carried guns, they did not fight back—only fired into the air to warn—because the natives are not ready for heaven,  they were.[1]

After their sacrifice, Jim Elliot’s wife and a relative of another martyr courageously continued the mission in Ecuador. Motivated by love and forgiveness, they entered the very tribe that had killed their loved ones and lived among them. Eventually, most of the tribe came to believe in Jesus.[2]

One of the men who had personally killed a missionary was named Mincaye. He later repented, came to faith in Christ, and experienced a radical transformation—eventually becoming a pastor.[3]


  1. Trevin Wax, “Guns and Martyrdom,” Desiring God, January 6, 2016, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/guns-and-martyrdom.
  2. “Jim Elliot,” Wikipedia, last modified April 1, 2025, accessed July 24, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliot.
  3. “Mincaye,” Wikipedia, last modified July 2025, accessed July 24, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mincaye.
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