‘Forever grateful’: 7 notable mothers of Christian history

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, May 09, 2021

Elisabeth Elliot

In the 1950s, Elisabeth Elliot’s husband was one of five missionaries brutally murdered by the Auca tribe of Ecuador. At the time, her daughter was only 10 months old.

In response to the killing of her husband, Elliot decided to live with the Auca tribe for two years and was part of the successful effort to introduce Christianity to the once violent community.

Elliot also wrote multiple books, among them Through Gates of Splendor, Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot, and The Savage My Kinsman.

Upon her death in 2015, many prominent Christian leaders, as well as her alma mater Wheaton College, publicly gave their condolences and spoke about her witness.

“Other than my parents & Rick, no one has had a greater impact on my life than Elisabeth Elliott,” stated Kay Warren, wife of Pastor Rick Warren, at the time. “Forever grateful.”