Book Review - End of the Spear
Saturday, February 25th, 2006
When I was a young believer the story of the five missionaries martyred in Ecuador by the savage Auca Indians captivated me. I read most of the books written by Elisabeth Eliot about her husband Jim, one of the five. I was amazed and humbled at how God’s sovereignty, grace, and life-changing power could so radically change lives of the family of the murdered missionaries as well as those of the Indians. It seemed unfathomable to me that the women left behind in their families’ deaths could go to the very tribe who did the killing to serve and love them. What amazing grace! That story changed my thinking and my life. In this book, Steve Saint has picked up where much of the details are left behind in many of the previous books written. End of the Spear details the modern-day story of where the Indians are today and the journey of faith taken by Mr. Saint, whose dad Nate was the missionary pilot killed by the Waodani (Aucas). The book describes the courageous determination and struggle of the Indians to be independent as they confront the 21st Century and begin to leave their Stone Age existence. Woven throughout you get a glimpse of the heart of Steve Saint, the hidden pain that comes out over losing his dad at age five, his other-worldly love for his dad’s killers, his tender heart as a husband and father, as well as the role of suffering in the maturity of his life and family.
Saint describes what his life was like growing up in Ecuador with the Waodani tribe. Remarkably, his testimony is not about the certain anguish and suffering he must have known at such a young age, but rather the adventures of learning about and becoming a part of an ancient culture and people who have become his family. We see how young Saint adapts to the “simple” life of cae (doing); he learns to hunt, fish, and gather like the other Waodani boys. Interwoven are funny anecdotes that illustrate the clash of cultures like understanding the differences between shame and nakedness. The Waodani do not have the shame of being naked because they had no concept of clothing as covering. Rather their G-strings serve a more functional purpose as any hunter running through the jungle after their prey would know.
The epic struggle in the book is with modern culture itself. Saint tells of returning to the tribe after years of learning how to live in North America and having five successful businesses. He returns at the request of the Waodani who want him to come live with them in order to teach them to be independent. Here we see all the things that we take for granted, like good health care, automobiles, and an unlimited supply of food in “food houses” (grocery stores). The Waodani have none of these. They have been reduced to a complete beggar-welfare society through the seemingly benevolent efforts of aid organizations and missionaries. Mr. Saint and his family live with the tribe and show them how to live in a “modern” world, establishing schools, health care, and even teaching them to fly an aircraft, the Waodani’s most powerful link to the outside world.
Throughout the telling of this struggle, we see the Saint family and their hardships for sure, but moreover, we see the transformation of their fear of leaving a comfortable life behind to a life of service and sacrificial love. As you read their story, you always have the gnawing realization in the back of your mind that the Saint family is pouring out their lives for the very people that murdered their dad and grandfather.
The story in the book closes with the Saint family returning back to the United States after one-and-a-half years of living with the tribe. Realizing their presence with the tribe has become a hindrance to their independence, the Saints again rip apart their family roots so that the Waodani can make decisions for themselves without filtering their actions through the lens of whether or not it will please their beloved Babae (Steve Saint).
Amazingly, the story continues today. Mr. Saint has established an organization called i-tec, Indigenous People’s Technology and Education Center whose mission is:
Serving the “Hidden” Church
I-TEC supports the Great Commission by assisting the “hidden” church in its journey toward independence under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
One of the great barriers that has prevented indigenous churches from growing to maturity is their continuing dependence on the welfare of outsiders. A native church that relies on the leadership, technology, and financial support of foreign missionaries rarely can stand on its own when that support is withdrawn.
We are convinced from the Scriptures, however, that goal of the Great Commission is to establish churches that are self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating.
Who We Are, I-TEC
This is truly a remarkable story; this book is difficult to put down. You will laugh, cry, and marvel at God’s gracious transformational power. I read it in three days and I’m sure it can be read in one sitting. You’ll be encouraged by reading this. Prayerfully, it will spur you to action in God’s kingdom.
Tags: Books, book_reviews, Christian, End-of-the-Spear, faith, gospel, missions, Spiritual
