Watch Through Gates of Splendor

Through Gates of Splendor is a 2002 documentary film that chronicles the story of five American missionaries who were killed while trying to evangelize the Waodani people of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador in 1956. The film is based on the book of the same name written by one of the missionaries' wives, Elisabeth Elliot. The film begins with an introduction to the five missionaries - Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian. It then provides an overview of the Waodani people and their way of life. The Waodani were a violent tribe that engaged in frequent warfare and revenge killings.

The film then tells the story of how the missionaries came to be interested in evangelizing the Waodani people. They were initially intrigued by the Waodani's reputation for violence and sought to share the message of Jesus with them.

The missionaries used planes to drop gifts and supplies to the Waodani from the air in order to establish a relationship with the tribe. They eventually landed their planes near the Waodani village and began to make contact with them.

At first, the Waodani were suspicious of the outsiders, but the missionaries persisted in their efforts to establish a relationship with them. They even invited some of the Waodani to join them in a meal and used this as an opportunity to share the Christian message with them.

However, the missionaries' efforts ultimately ended in tragedy. On January 8, 1956, the Waodani attacked the missionaries and killed all five of them. The news of their deaths shocked the world and the event became known as "Operation Auca" (Auca being a pejorative term for the Waodani).

The film goes on to show the aftermath of the missionaries' deaths. Elisabeth Elliot, who was married to Jim Elliot, continued to work with the Waodani and eventually won many of them over to Christianity. Her work inspired numerous other Christian missionaries to reach out to the Waodani and other indigenous groups in the Amazon rainforest.

Through Gates of Splendor is a moving and powerful tribute to the bravery and faith of the five American missionaries who died trying to share the Christian message with the Waodani people. The film does an excellent job of portraying the complexity of the situation and the challenges that the missionaries faced while trying to make contact with the Waodani.

The documentary features interviews with many of the surviving members of the missionary team as well as with Waodani people who were involved in the events of Operation Auca. These interviews provide valuable insights into the thoughts and feelings of those involved in the story.

The film also makes effective use of archival footage and photographs to bring the story to life. The footage of the missionaries interacting with the Waodani is particularly powerful and provides a glimpse into a world that is very different from our own.

Overall, Through Gates of Splendor is an excellent documentary that tells an inspiring story of faith, courage, and sacrifice. It shows how even in the face of great danger, these missionaries were willing to put their lives on the line in order to share the Christian message with the Waodani people. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in missionary work or the history of Christianity in the Amazon rainforest.

Through Gates of Splendor is a documentary with a runtime of 35 minutes.