End of the Spear: An Amazing Story Births An Amazing Movie

From the remote jungles of Ecuador to the big screen, a classic Christian testimony marks its 50th anniversary through a new seeker sensitive feature film hitting theaters nationwide in January.

On a hot Amazon morning in January 1956, five young missionaries set out to make peaceful contact with one of the world’s most notoriously violent tribes. Instead, they entered the world of Christian martyrdom and established a classic Christian testimony that has survived for five decades. Today, the story is being brought to life with broad market appeal through an unlikely medium: the bright lights of Hollywood.

Nearly 50 years after the deaths of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian, Every Tribe Entertainment is bringing the story behind their martyrdom — including the tribe’s perspective — to the big screen in End of the Spear.

The full-length, big budget movie releases in theaters nationwide in January 2006, marking the first time the full story has been told on the big screen. It’s an impressive first film for Every Tribe Entertainment — an Oklahoma City-based film studio formed to create quality entertainment for general market audiences that inspires hope through truth.

Willow had a chance recently to screen the finished version of the movie, and we were impressed by the quality of the storytelling as well as its immediate usefulness in sharing the love of Christ in a seeker-sensitive way. The movie does not preach at all. In fact, God is only mentioned a handful of times. But make no mistake about it, His fingerprints are in every scene. The film creates a unique opportunity for Christians to invite their seeking friends, and leaves lots of open-ended questions that can spur spiritually significant conversations afterwards.

The story was what compelled Executive Producer Mart Green to not just make a movie, but start a production company: a big undertaking for anyone, let alone an entrepreneur and retailer by trade who had never before stepped foot inside a theater.

“I grew up in a strict church and we just didn’t go to movies. But today, movies are an important communications vehicle. End of the Spear is the ultimate reality show — a true story that is beyond anything you could imagine and in order to engage culture we have to be relevant. I felt God calling me to make a movie of this story, so I did.”

Many Christians are familiar with the story that made international headlines in 1956 when the five missionaries were violently speared to death by the Waodani Indians, then known as the “Aucas.” The story has been documented in many books over the years, the most popular of which was Elisabeth Elliot’s Through Gates of Splendor. What many people don’t know is the rest of the story — and the tribe’s perspective — which is told in End of the Spear.

Shortly after the spearings, Nate Saint’s sister, Rachel Saint, and Elisabeth Elliot, the widow of slain missionary Jim Elliot, moved into the jungle to live among the tribe and share the gospel with them. God used these women to share His Word with the tribe, teach them a peaceful way of life, and ultimately reduce their homicide rate from 60 percent to nearly zero.

Steve Saint, who was five at the time of the spearings, has limited memories of his father, Nate, who served as the pilot for the missionaries. Though he clearly remembers his mother telling him his hero was never coming home again, there was no single moment of forgiveness for the Saint family.

“I never had to forgive the Waodani for my father’s death,” Saint said. “It never occurred to me that I should forgive them for doing something they clearly didn’t know was wrong. Spearings had been their way of life for so long; they didn’t know there was a better way to live. Ironically, the fact that my father was speared to death gave me a common bond with nearly everyone in the Waodani tribe.”

Steve grew up knowing the men who had killed his father and came to love them as family, to be baptized by their hands and, most importantly, to be embraced as a Waodani son.

“As my father’s oldest son, I would be responsible for avenging his death in the Waodani way of life,” Saint said. “For my own protection, Aunt Rachel warned me to never ask for specifics. While I knew some of the men I lived among were responsible for my dad’s death, it was not something I ever gave much consideration. I blended into the Waodani way of life and came to deeply love the Waodani people. It was easy to understand why my aunt chose to stay among them for her entire life.”

After growing up in Ecuador and spending a great deal of time in the jungle with the Waodani, Steve moved to the United States to attend college. He became a successful businessman and settled down with his wife to raise four children, although he still visited the Waodani frequently over the years. Steve’s Aunt Rachel died in 1994, after nearly 40 years of living with the tribe. Steve returned to the jungles of Ecuador to attend her funeral. After Rachel’s burial, the tribe presented Steve with an unexpected request: the Waodani wanted him and his family to take Rachel’s place in their tribe.

After much prayer, the Saint family made a giant leap of faith and accepted the offer. Steve moved with his wife and four children into the depths of the Amazon jungle. During this time, his children grew especially close to an aging Waodani warrior named Mincaye. Today, they call him maemae, which means grandfather in Wao Tedido. Mincaye had taken Steve in as his own “son” years before, so his affection for Steve’s children came naturally.

Most people who hear this story are amazed to learn that Mincaye is also one of the Waodani warriors who years before participated in the spearing raid that killed Steve’s father. He personally speared Nate Saint to death that day in 1956. Today, Mincaye is a leader of the Waodani church.

“We acted badly, badly, until they brought us God’s carvings,” Mincaye said. “Then, seeing His carvings (the Bible) and following His good trail, now we live happily and in peace.”

With the release of End of the Spear in theaters nationwide in January — the 50th anniversary of the spearings — Christians and church leaders will have the opportunity to use this story to reach out to others. The film combines drama and adventure on par with any other Hollywood film with a Christian message of forgiveness and reconciliation — without force feeding it to people — that is sure to appeal to a broad range of movie goers, Christians, and non-Christians alike. Some have compared it to Chariots of Fire for its truth-based, inspiring story. Others view it as a film to take their neighbor or friend to. Everyone should be encouraged to go to their local theater in January to support this powerful film.

Marvin Williams, pastor of Tabernacle Community Church, a WCA Member Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., is renting a local theater on opening weekend for End of the Spear, just as their church did for The Passion of the Christ. They also plan to show a special church version of the documentary of the story, titled Beyond the Gates of Splendor, during a church service this fall. A church version of Beyond the Gates of Splendor is available to pastors by calling (800) 695-9847 or visiting www.beyondthegatesthemovie.com. The full-length DVD version of the documentary is available in stores.

“I get excited every time I tell someone about this story and this film project. It’s the ultimate evangelism tool because when you see the movie, you feel like you’re seeing the best of Hollywood, but then you ask yourself ‘can this be true?’ Williams explained. “That’s the window we need as in-the-world Christians to connect with people — through storytelling and tools like TV and movies. This movie is great on its own merits, but the fact that it’s a true story of reconciliation and Christ's love is what's so unique.

In the book version of End of the Spear, a true story releasing in December, author Steve Saint provides a compelling look into the story that began with the Waodani spearing raid that killed the five missionaries in the Amazon jungle. A skilled storyteller, Saint builds from the story presented to audiences on the movie screen with even more information about his relationship with the Waodani. Published by Tyndale, the book retails for $22.99 and will be available nationwide.