Nate Saint

Nate Saint
Born	(1923-08-30)August 30, 1923 near Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
Died	January 8, 1956(1956-01-08) (aged 32) Curaray River, Ecuador
Nationality	American
Education	Wheaton College
Occupation	Missionary pilot
Spouse(s)	Marjorie Saint (née Farris) (Feb. 14, 1948 – Jan. 8, 1956)
Children	Kathy Saint Drown Steve Saint (1951) Philip Saint
Parents	Lawrence Saint Katherine Saint

Nathanael "Nate" Saint (August 30, 1923 – January 8, 1956) was an evangelical Christian missionary pilot to Ecuador who, along with four others, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Waodani people through efforts known as Operation Auca.

Early life

Nate was born and raised near Hershey. His father, Lawrence Saint, was a designer of stained glass windows. The family attended prayer meetings and Sunday school every week, Sundays and Wednesdays. Nate was an avid flier from seven on, and he took flying lessons in high school. During World War II, he served in the United States Army, but was forced to leave the army because of an infection in his leg. He graduated from Wheaton College in 1947. In 1948, with his wife, Marjorie Farris, he began working in Ecuador, establishing an air base, and delivering supplies to local missionaries.

Death

In September 1955, Nate was joined by his teammates, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian. Saint finally found a Huaorani (also known as Aucas) settlement while searching by air. To reach the tribe, Saint and the team lowered gifts to the Huaorani in a bucket tied to the plane. The Huaorani were widely feared by other Ecuadoreans, because they combined a desire to be left alone with a willingness to use force. They attacked and killed any intruders without provocation. Nevertheless, the tribe was excited on receiving the gifts and gave some gifts back. Finally, the missionaries decided to try to meet the Huaorani on the ground; and, on January 3, 1956, using the beach as a landing strip, they set up camp four miles from the Auca settlement. Their initial contact was encouraging; however, on Sunday, January 8, 1956, the entire team was killed on the beach (known as "Palm Beach") when armed Huaorani met and speared them.

Legacy

Saint and the other four men became famous worldwide as a result. Life magazine published a 10-page photo essay on the story, which was also covered in Reader's Digest and many other publications. Today, a small school for missionary children in Shell, Ecuador, bears Nate Saint's name.

Rachel Saint, Nate's sister, continued the mission efforts to the Waodani, which eventually came to fruition.

In 1966, Marjorie (Marj) Farris Saint married Abe Van Der Puy, President of HCJB World Radio. Abe died in 2003; and Marj died in 2004, from cancer. She is buried in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, south of Ocala, Florida.

Nate's older son, Steve Saint, now works with the Waodani people and travels around the world, preaching the gospel, often accompanied by Mincaye, one of the Waorani who attacked the missionaries at Palm Beach. A documentary based on the story, Beyond the Gates of Splendor, was released in 2005. The following year, a feature film, End of the Spear, was released on January 20, a week and a half after the 50-year anniversary of the killings. Steve Saint also helped write Jungle Pilot based on his father's diary about his time in Ecuador and work with the Waorani Indians.

References

The reconstructed frame of Nate Saint's Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser is now on display at the headquarters of Mission Aviation Fellowship in Nampa, Idaho.

• Biographical sketch
• Jungle Pilot by Russell T. Hitt ISBN 978-1-57293-022-3
• End of the Spear by Steve Saint ISBN 978-0-8423-6439-3

External links

• Missionary Aviation Fellowship history
• Nate Saint Memorial School
• Five Missionary Martyrs
• Articles and Links about Nate Saint
• End of The Spear Movie