Hazardous landings and sudden storms are routine for highly skilled missionary pilots. Here a cow pasture serves as an airstrip. The surrounding dense jungle and mountainous terrain leave no room for error. — (MAF Photo) CONQUERING JUNGLE BARRIERS
the message of Christianity. These two valiant missionaries kept in con tact with the outside word by two- way radio and had their frugal neces sities of life flown in by plane. The character of heroism and dar ing in missionary work, though still useful, has been tested less often since the effective use of radio and aviation in missionary work began. Teamed together they make available instant communication and rapid access to vast areas otherwise unreachable. Five minutes in a plane covers a whole day’s jungle trek, while emer gency advice by radio can often save
fateful silence. While an anxious world waited, a hastily organized search party set out to Investigate. Among the first things that were found at the tragic site on the banks of the Curaray River was a small black box. It contained a radio trans ceiver which had been the last link between the living and those who died at the hands of the Aucas. Since then, in the same area, though in less hostile surroundings, two women, a sister and a widow of two of the slain men, have reduced parts of the Auca language to writ ing. Their hope is to teach the Aucas
I m a g in e yourself on a short flight from a small jungle outpost to an absolutely uncivilized tribe, n o t knowing what to expect. You’d won der about your reception and your chances of coming back alive. In just such a manner five courag eous young men set out to conquer the fierce Auca Indians of Ecuador with only one weapon—love. Early radio reports from the group indi cated that all was going well. Then suddenly at 3:10 p.m., January, 1956, a radio at their home base crackled, “ Here comes a group of Aucas we haven’t seen before.” and lapsed into
modern means move mountains
Here Paul Robinson, director of the missionary technical course at M oody Bible Institute, checks with Paul W er theimer, a flight instructor and manager of the Moody- Wooddale airport. — (Moody Photo)
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