"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." -Jim Elliot
Shell, Ecuador holds a very special place in my heart. It also holds a major piece of history in ministry for Christians around the world. In 1956, five missionaries, Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian ventured into the jungle to minister to the Waorani people. They were speared to death on the beach where they landed their plane leaving their families behind. Their deaths were not the end of the story. Two years after the men's deaths Rachel Saint (Nate's sister) and Elisabeth Elliot (Jim's wife) and her daughter Valerie went into the same jungle and lived among the Waorani people. Much was positively done during this time but the greatest was the conversion of a number of the Waorani people. Today, there are a number of missionaries that live in Shell and still travel into the jungle to continue to relationships that were made year ago.
In January of 2019 a group of students and myself traveled to Shell to help the current missionaries who live there. CENTA, a new ministry meaning "Center" is being developed to aid the Waorani people in learning skills needed to begin living out of the jungle if they choose. Over 10 days our team built a foundation for a workshop where men could learn skills for construction. To play soccer with and work alongside the grandchildren of the men that speared the five missionaries was quite the gift.
The photos under the title "The Work" are unedited. This is done intentionally to show the rawness of work done, the people, and land involved. Personally, I think this way is more beautiful.