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. DuringWorld 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.
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