A M artyr’s D iary by Richard Pittman, Wycliffe Bible Translators
You Thought Evil Against Me . . . “ T IT ' l w o o d , w e n e e d y o u r h e l p .” A doctor in the cancer JL i biology research laboratory of the University of Minnesota was speaking. “We need to know the time cycle of bodily functions of mice, but we do not have the apparatus for the job. Can you build it for us?” Elwood Jacobsen, whose Minnesota degree was in electrical engineering, had never built such apparatus before, but he was game to try. “ I’ll have a go at it, Sir,” he replied. With published results of the research behind them, the cancer lab men asked Jacobsen to continue on the team. But Elwood had other skills as well. A lifelong interest in languages, whetted by a summer in his an cestral home in Norway, led him to add B.A. and M.A. degrees in comparative literature, which required ex tensive reading in French, German, and Norwegian. Studies in descriptive linguistics at the University of North Dakota branch of the Summer Institute of Lin guistics rounded out nicely this blend of science and language. But then came The Question. A scientist knows there is something bigger than himself. A writer may know that there is something better than himself. And even a hard- headed engineer need be no stranger to the emotions of gratitude and indebtedness. For Elwood, the “ some thing bigger” was God. The something better was the book men call the Bible. And the debt was, for Jesus’ sake, to those who cannot learn without fear or malice because they do not yet have peace with God through Christ. Others had freely helped train him. Why should he not help train others? He saw no sacrifice in using his science and language to make alphabets, books and Scriptures for men who had none. A University of Minnesota Bachelor of Science in nursing, Vumell Newgard, felt the same way. A happy marriage followed and united plans came true.
To a Filipino engineer — Gaspar Makil — and his American wife, Josephine, similar love had come—not only mutual love, but also love, for the Lord. Soon both teams were in Viet Nam studying a tongue they were learning to love. Months rolled by. Progress was good. Hopes rose high as they planned their goal— to give to the tribes the Word of God. A March language survey project, which included driving the Makils back home after Saigon medical care, was all in the day’s work for Elwood. Vumell was needed to stay with Jean Day while Colin Day and Elwood did the survey. Baby Kari and the four Makil children en joyed the outing which the trip provided. Road condi tions were good. The busy main-line highway had been thought safe for many months. Even a wave to a stop by the military that day did not seem hard to take. They thought it was a checkpoint. Many other cars had stopped. They greeted the armed men courteously and followed instructions without com plaint. Requests to demonstrate an electric shaver and show how to start the Land Rover were gallantly obeyed. But without warning their hosts, the Viet Cong, shot them down — Gaspar and Elwood and 4-months’-old Janie Makil. Three-year-old Thomas Makil fell with a bullet in his leg. Those who crucified Jesus thought to silence Him. But it could not be. “I am he that liveth, and was dead . . .” Gaspar and Elwood’s testimonies glow now with a light which none can dim. Some selections from Elwood’s diary for the six months before that fatal March 4, 1963, are eloquent testimony of a man who walked with God: . . . But God Meant It For Good . . . Oct. 31st: In Psalm 78:32-40, 52-57, 70-72, and in other parts of the Psalm there is an interesting account of
Mr. and Mrs. Elwood Jacobsen
Mrs. Josephine Makil
Mr. Gaspar Makil
14
THE KING 'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs