“And people who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives… and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted.”
Born on August 30, 1923, Nathanael Saint – or “Nate” – would grow up to be the most famous missionary pilot who had ever lived. From his childhood, he loved to fly and dreamed of being an airline pilot like his older brother.
Nate Saint began taking flying lessons when he was in high school and served as a pilot in World War II. He enrolled in Wheaton College, but eventually quit school to join the Mission Aviation Fellowship.
In 1948, Nate Saint and his wife Marge established an air base in an abandoned oil exploration camp. They were then able to supply nearby missionaries with medicine, mail, and needed supplies. They served God’s servants.
While returning from one particular flight to Quito, Saint got caught in some dangerous air currents and the plane crashed. The Lord preserved his life, and he considered it one of God’s ways of humbling him.
It was his humility, combined with his understanding of the risks involved, that made him just the right missionary pilot to work with Jim Elliot. In September 1955, Saint joined a team of men whose goal was to reach the Huaorani settlement. Saint discovered the settlement from the air, and the team began dropping baskets of gifts to the natives. After three months of air contact – Saint was piloting the plane – the whole team went to camp on the shore and to meet with the people on the ground.
The meetings started well, but they did not end as planned. There were misunderstandings that led to hostility, and all five of the team members were speared and killed by angry villagers.
Their story received international attention, and the men were heralded as martyrs for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nate Saint was among those five martyrs. Through his personal testimony, he inspired many workers to join in missionary aviation efforts, risking their own lives for the sake of the Gospel.
What are you doing with the time that you have? Are you humbly spending the time and talents and other resources God has given you for Him, or for your own dreams and plans? Are God’s priorities important to you, or do you have your own priorities?
Matthew 10:39 – “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”