Do the Next Thing - Reflecting on the Lives of Elisabeth Elliot & Rachel Saint

An amazing woman is being buried while I sit and write this letter.  To the world she was Elisabeth, wife of martyr Jim Elliot, the woman who went in to live with the very people who speared her husband to death.

In that intriguing account of martyrdom, forgiveness and transformation there were 5 martyrs (Jim, my Dad Nate, Roger, Pete, & Ed). There were also 12 other key actors: 6 warriors, 4 lesser known widows, as well as Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint (Dad's sister).

I knew the last two, as "aunt" Betty and aunt Rachel. I loved and respected these two women who were almost complete opposites. Betty was tall & thin. She was formal and cerebral. Rachel was shorter and plump. She wasted little energy on graces but was tenacious. What they shared in common was an unswerving, almost mystical devotion to obeying God. I know this first hand because both aunt Betty and aunt Rachel took me to live with them when Mom had to be away from Ecuador on separate occasions. I also got to live with both of these aunts after they went to live with the Waodani (Aucas).

Imagine my astonishment when, I realized, as just a boy living with these two God fearing, Bible dedicated, Stevie Saint loving women - that they did not get along. They risked their lives together, lived in two jungle huts next to each other surrounded by people who spoke a strange language in a kill or be killed culture; and yet they rarely spoke to each other.

A 9 year old boy does not know much about interpersonal relationships but I felt something was out of order.  Just a couple years later aunt  Betty and her daughter Valerie left Ecuador to return to the United States.

My young mind thought everyone had to get along with everyone. I did not realize then, that God sometimes uses friction between people to carry out His plans. If Paul and Barnabas couldn't get along why did Rachel and Betty have to.

I had almost forgotten about this dilemma when in 1994 I helped the Waodani bury aunt Rachel near the common grave of my Dad and his 4 friends.  After burying auntie Rachel I found her very personal journals and began to read.

Aunt Rachel wrote that she and Dayumae concentrated on giving these Nomads of the Rain Forest Christ's gospel before the next spearing raid could send them into eternity. Aunt Betty was taking pictures of the mysterious, modestly naked Waodani who speared fellow Waodani they did not like on the least provocation, and sometimes buried those they did like, alive. Those pictures and observations gave an account of what God was doing to the world outside the Ecuadorian Amazon.

I asked my mother, who was a dear friend and confidant to both Betty and Rachel, why the hard feelings between these two amazing women were never resolved?  Mom gave me an answer that was not very satisfying.  I could tell that Mom did not know how to explain it.  I thought that was where it would stay, but God gave me a peek at what He might've been doing. In 1996.  Ginny and two of our children and I were living with the the Waodani. On a visit to the Capitol city, Quito,  I ran into aunt Betty with husband Lars, daughter Valerie, her husband Walt and their son Walter Jr. I offered to take them down to the jungle and to then fly them into Nemompade, the Waodani village where we were living.

Finding myself sitting with just aunt Betty one sultry afternoon, I mentioned to her that I had read aunt Rachels diaries. I frankly told her that I had always wondered why she and aunt Rachel could not get along. She became extremely animated and begged me to let her read Rachel's journals. I told her I would on one condition, that she would write her side of the story for me. She assured me we had a deal, but we never got around to it.

I have not taken you on this tour to leave you where Job was, sitting in the ashes scraping puss out of his boils. I do not pretend to know all of God's reasons, but what if these two spiritually discerning women who were both devoted to God had gotten along so well that aunt Betty had stayed in the jungles? Who would have riveted conference crowds like aunt Betty could? (Actually, aunt Rachel was a terrific speaker as well) Who would have loved, respected and admired the Waodani as much as aunt Rachel did? Who would have written 20 plus inspiring books as well as aunt Betty did? Who would have stormed through the halls of the Ecuadorian government until they created a Waodani reservation, like aunt Rachel did?  I could go on.

Aunt Rachel told me near the end of her life, "I loved the Lord Jesus with all my heart ... and just learned to persevere in doing whatever He gave me to do." Aunt Betty said, "when you don't know what to do (to please God) Just do the next thing." And, "Let God be God."

The body of one of these wonderful women I had the great privilege in knowing as "Aunt", is buried in a plywood box beside a little jungle river. The other one has just been lowered into the ground in Massachusetts. I am sure they have both received similar rewards; "Well done faithful daughter ..."  It once confused me that they didn't get along well down here. I am just sure they  will get along fine from here on out!

I take great consolation in knowing that God can use me just as I am?  Not only in spite of my warts, weaknesses, eccentricities and insecurities but sometimes because of them. So, let's go do "the next thing" "persevering" until God is done with us here!

Learn more about Steve Saint.