Made for the Journey: One Missionary's First Year in the Jungles of Ecuador

Made for the Journey by Elizabeth Elliot is an account of her first year as a missionary to Ecuador. I've read it before as it was previously published as These Strange Ashes.

Elliot started her missionary full of excitement and triumphal expectation. She was heading out the jungle to attempt to learn the Colorado Indian language in order to reduce it to writing and translate the Bible into that language. There is a note of underlying criticism throughout of the 'traditional' missionary way of doing things. Having started her work, she fights to have success in even figuring out the language. She combats laziness in herself, but does start making some progress with the language. Then everything falls apart. People die, in tragic ways, show more including her main language informant. She has difficulty continuing the study, but does have a good amount of language information to leave with those who would stay while she moved on to different work. And then, after she leaves, the suitcase she entrusted to the missionary left behind with all (yes, ALL) of the language information is stolen and never recovered. All of her work seemingly for nothing.

Elliot grappled with the thought, does God actually want these people saved? She came face to face with the sovereignty of God. As she comments, "Faith's most severe tests come not when we see nothing but when we see a stunning array of evidence that seems to prove our faith vain." Now, I want to note here that though Elliot seems to believe in the overall sovereignty of God, she seems to have some trouble with the particular sovereignty of God, God's work inside of us. At the beginning of the book, in contemplating mankind she says, "Why did He give them in the first place freedom of will, power to choose, when surely He knew that their choices would be evil?...The power to exercise the will has been delegated to us and God will not usurp it." But God does usurp our wills. Changing someone into a completely new person is a very drastic act, a very personally invasive act. When we become Christians God changes our will, He makes us New Creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), we are taken out of slavery to sin and we become the slaves of God(Romans 6:22). I think that Elliot unconsciously acknowledges this in her writings as she seems to contradict herself in places.

There are a few other things I had trouble with, for instance, she talks about the hard part of a missionary trying to figure out how to convert people to Christianity without changing their culture. I don't completely understand this fear of changing the culture of those we witness to. Yes, we don’t want to convert people to our ethnic culture, but the culture of those who convert to Christianity will inevitably change. For instance, If people have a culture where they do not wear clothes, they will find in the Bible that God is the One who instituted the wearing of clothing. They will realize that wearing clothing is an acknowledgement of humanity's fallenness. That after the Fall, public nakedness is presented in the Bible as a shameful thing. Even after we become Christians, though our inner man is renewed, our outward flesh is not yet glorified (2 Cor 4:16, Rom 8:10-11,23). Though, interestingly, it looks as though clothing will be worn even in the New Heaven and new earth (Rev 6:11, 7:9). Any practice of any particular culture that is not in accordance with God's will, will disappear in the lives of people who grow in Christlikeness. And that's not a bad thing.

That said, I still really liked this book. I just needed to get those things out of my system. Elliot writes very, very well and really pulls you into the account. You feel as though you are in the jungle with her, experiencing her excitement, exhaustion and confusion. You can "see" and "feel", as it were, the jungle around you and the strange sites and the different people she comes in contact with, her descriptions are so vivid. She portrays clearly her own bewilderment with the acts of God in her work as a missionary, but then pulls the perspective back to submission to God's sovereignty and rightness, whether or not one sees the "why" or the "rightness" of things, we believe in the righteousness of the God who allowed them and so submit. I'll end with a quote from the book, "Faith, prayer, and obedience are our requirements. We are not offered in exchange immunity and exemption from the world's woes. What we are offered has to do with another world altogether."

Many thanks to the folks at Revell Reads (A division of Baker Publishing Group) for sending me a free review copy of this book! (My review did not have to be favorable) show less

I read Ms. Elliot’s first book, “Through the Gates of Splendor” when I was in my mid-twenties. From that very first book, I found a great respect for her and her writings. She does more than just put words on a page. They go deep into you and teach you spiritual lessons, also reaching you on a deep emotional level. I have never read any of her books that I have not walked away with something life-changing. Therefore I was excited to read this book.
Her spiritual strength and close relationship with God is shown in following His calling to be a missionary in the jungles of Ecuador as a young woman. I guess it is my own stereotype but I picture those serving on mission fields as older. Even with her maturity venturing out so young, show more had to make it even more of an eye opening experience.
Culture shock does not even begin to describe her experiences there. The Colorados Indians did not request they come there and introduce Christ. It wasn’t like a visiting preacher coming for a revival and hospitality abounding. I don’t think we realize all the sacrifices God’s servants make to do his work is such remote places. She brought it all to life, not just existing there but the gamut of emotions that she felt.
In each chapter of the book you are a companion to Elizabeth as you walk beside her experiencing different parts of her work and all she saw and did. My favorite chapter was “Jungle Housekeeping”. All food and drinking water was a laborious task, not just from obtaining it but also to protect themselves against nasty diseases and parasites. And there is more. They had to live in primitive, dirty places forever prey to wild animals and un-American bugs. Travel was precarious at best and they were oddities as white women in the strange land. They faced death and medical emergencies in the most primitive conditions and which they had no training for. To add to all the work and distractions she had to learn the language not only to communicate but to write a Bible for the Colorados. They had no written language!
As I put myself in her place I felt exhausted, discouraged and at times frightened. Yet she and her fellow missionaries served with all their hearts. Here Christians in America have conveniences and comforts beyond what they need, yet if problems arise or busy times, their church attendance suffers! Shame on us! This is an incredible read you won’t want to miss.
I received this book from Revell Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have stated are my own. show less

While I’ve heard of Elisabeth Elliot and knew a bit of her story, I had not read anything written by her until picking up Made for the Journey: One Missionary’s First Year in the Jungles of Ecuador—and oh, I’m glad I read this one. Elliot details her early missionary experience, and she does not hesitate to show her struggles, doubts, flaws, confusion, etc. It is not easy to remain on a journey when nothing seems to go as anticipated, but through it all, she still gains a better picture of who God is and how He works.

I appreciate Elliot’s honesty (and touches of humor) in Made for the Journey. It helps to bring this iconic Christian woman to life in vivid detail, and I couldn’t help feeling encouraged by her words.

Thanks to show more Revell Reads, I received a complimentary copy of Made for the Journey and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. show less

In this book by beloved missionary Elisabeth Elliot we get to walk in her shoes as she first experiences Ecuador for the first time, and she makes you feel like we are there with her.
We soon see all we take for granted, from running water to a meal, and not getting dry to living with creepy crawlies. From having a church service to competing with another church, you would never think that would happen.
All the while I’m reading I could see God’s hand on her life, and sweet but hard time, but a real page turner for me.

I received this book through Revel Reads, and was not required to give a positive review.

In this deeply personal account of her first year as a missionary, Elisabeth Elliot shares the challenges she faced as she worked in the jungles of Ecuador to bring the Word of God to a people virtually untouched by the outside world. With fascinating detail, she captures the stark realities of life in the jungle, the difficulties she encountered while developing a written language for the tribe, and her confusion when God didn't "cooperate" with her efforts to accomplish what she believed was His will.



More than just a memoir, Made for the Journey is a beautifully crafted and deeply personal reflection on the important questions of life and a remarkable testimony to authentic Christian obedience to an unfathomable God.



My Thoughts: First show more written in 2004 as "These Strange Ashes"; this book give s the account of Elizabeth Elliot's first year as a missionary. Well written and very insightful, it gives the reader a closer glimpse of a woman who devoted her life to missions and serving God.



This is an enjoyable read and gives a comprehensive look at what a missionary can face in a foreign country.



It's a book of encouragement to those who are thinking or looking into following God's call to taking His word out into the world.



This is a book that all will enjoy show less

Nice, easy, and informative audio. I pretty much enjoy anything on Elisabeth Elliot.