Elisabeth Elliot (1926 – 2015) was a Christian missionary who lived for two years among the Huaoroni tribe in eastern Ecuador (beginning in October 1958), along with her 3-year-old daughter, Valerie, and a fellow missionary, Rachel Saint. Elisabeth’s husband, Jim, and Rachel’s brother, Nate, had been speared to death by Huaoroni members in January 1956 while attempting to make contact with the tribe. Elisabeth’s book Made for the Journey: One Missionary’s First Year in the Jungles of Ecuador chronicles her first year as a missionary to the Huaoroni.

The book is extremely interesting; the author gives detailed information about her experiences and what her day-to-day life was like. Readers can learn what it was like for Elisabeth to live in this Eduadorian jungle, and they can also catch a glimpse into the thought process of a young missionary. We see what meals were like. We hear about the animals living nearby. We see the ups and downs of Elisabeth’s journey. We also learn more about Elisabeth’s husband, Jim, and we see the passion that they both shared for mission work in Ecuador. Through Elisabeth’s journals, we see her strength and perseverance.