11/14/11
Peter Mills
Through Gates of Splendor

Throughout the New Testiment, there are many references of Jesus giving instructions to the disciples. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20) Through Gates of Splendor, written by Elisabeth Elliot and published by Living Books, is an awe-inspiring book about five missionaries trying to preach the gospel to a hostile group of Indians called the Aucas. Just like Jesus said to the disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” (Mark 16:15) these missionaries go deep into the jungle of Ecuador so they can preach to the Aucas living there. This group of Indians has killed many people, but that doesn’t stop the missionaries from doing the Lord’s work. The Apostle Paul said, “I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:23-24)These missionaries know it might cost them their lives, but that’s a risk worth taking to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Throughout the book, the missionaries were as careful as they could be. Before they tried to talk to the Indians, they dropped gifts from their plane and shouted friendly phrases in the Auca language. After they had dropped gifts for weeks, they then planned to land and try to communicate with the Aucas. Something went terribly wrong, for they were all brutally murdered. It could have been that their mistake lay in one of their gifts. It could have been that they grew nervous from the missionaries pointing their cameras at them and taking pictures. We will never know why the Aucas thought the missionaries were dangerous. But later on, one of the missionaries’ wives worked with the Aucas and they told her that they had killed the missionaries because they thought they were cannibals.

I myself haven’t gotten the chance to go on a mission trip yet, but I have done many service projects in Boy Scouts, such as helping a couple move, working with friends on a conservation project, and acquiring food for the needy. My troop and I once helped a family move. First, we went to their old house and transferred their belongings into the truck we were using. We then drove a couple hours to their new house and set up all of their stuff. I have also helped many of my fellow Scouts complete the requirements for eagle, the final rank in Scouts. One of the requirements is to do a large service project. I’ve helped built a fence, benches, install water logs, and a few other things. Finally, there is a Scout program called, “Scouting for food”. We drive around neighborhoods putting plastic bags on doorhandles, with instructions of what to do. We then return a week later and pick up the plastic bags, now filled up with food. We then give the food to the church that charters our troop, and they give the food to the needy.

We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. To do this, we must preach the gospel to people who are lost. We must also help those who are in need of practical things, such as food, and be an example for them. In this way we can point a lost, dying world to our Savior.