Photograph of Nate Saint with beard sent along with his application to Wheaton College. Handwritten on the back of the photo: “The beard was ‘made in Mexico' and will not be brought to Wheaton, if I’m fortunate as to be accepted.” Black and white photograph, 3-1/2” x 2-1/4”.

Nate Saint, 1923-1956

Nathanael Saint, known to friends and family as Kelly or Nate, was born the seventh of eight children on August 30, 1923. When he was fourteen, Nate suffered in bed for several months with osteomyelitis. Although he had already committed himself to Christ, it was during this period of confinement that he made a pledge to God: if he survived, he would turn over his whole life to God’s work.

In 1941, he entered the Air Service, serving briefly at LaGuardia airport in New York, before joining the Air Corps at nineteen. He spent three years in the Army but was prevented from flying shortly before the end of his cadet training by a flare of his childhood osteomyelitis. After hearing a missionary testimony during his service in Detroit, Nate shifted his plans from commercial flying to missions’ work. In January of 1945, he submitted his application to the Christian Airmen’s Missionary Fellowship (later Mission Aviation Fellowship). In 1946, after being discharged from the Army, Nate headed straight to Mexico on an emergency call for help with one of MAF’s planes, spending six months learning the language and the work of missionary aviation.

Returning to the U.S., Nate attended Wheaton College from January to December of 1947, gaining a basic education in theology and meeting Marjorie Farris. Nate and Marjorie married on Valentine’s Day, 1948, and set out for Ecuador with MAF in September. Their three children, Kathy (1949), Steve (1951), and Philip (1954), were all born in Ecuador. From their tiny house in Shell Mera, Nate and Majorie established a strategic base for outreach across the Oriente region.

After an attack by the isolated and feared Waorani on some nearby Quichua Indians, Nate felt stirred to attempt outreach to the tribe that had never heard the gospel. As he got to know fellow missionaries Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCully, the desire only increased. When he and Ed spotted an Waorani settlement in the eastern jungle during a routine flight, “Operation Auca” was launched. After several months of dropping gifts to the Waorani village, Nate Saint joined the other three men and a fourth, Roger Youderian, in a mission to directly contact the Waorani. On January 6, 1956, the men met three Waorani Indians at a camp near the Curaray River. On January 8, they were speared to death.

On New Year's Eve 1944, Saint read an article about the Christian Airmen's Missionary Fellowship's (CAMF) plans to provide aviation services to foreign missions and he subsequently wrote to CAMF to express his desire to join them. CAMF soon became Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) and Saint flew for them in Mexico and Ecuador. Handwritten and signed letter. Paper, 5" x 7", 5 pages.
Letter from Nate Saint to CAMF (PDF)
Prayer letter sent by Nate and Marj Saint to the supporters of their ministry. Most missionaries sent these out regularly, sometimes monthly. This letter is unusual in being almost completely graphic, showing Nate’s increased flying hours. Paper, 8.5" x 11", 1 page.
Saint prayer letter to supporters
Conquering Jungle Barriers
Nate Saint’s testimony submitted with his application to Wheaton College. He describes his upbringing in a Pennsylvania home, where despite “careful Christian home training” he associated with rough groups. Then, as the result of “a weary mother’s prayers and father’s careful training” he converted to Christ. Handwritten testimony on onionskin paper. 8-1/2” x 11”, three pages, one side each.
Testimony For Wheaton College (PDF)
Nate Saint’s application for admission to Wheaton College with handwritten responses. Asked about his attitude toward Jesus, he replies, “The attitude that would be expected from a hell-deserving sinner, pardoned, forgiven, justified by a wonderful savior. I lack comprehension of such love!” Paper, 6” x 9”, 2 pages on single sheet.
Application To Wheaton College (PDF)
Photograph of Nate Saint with beard sent along with his application to Wheaton College. Handwritten on the back of the photo: “The beard was ‘made in Mexico' and will not be brought to Wheaton, if I’m fortunate as to be accepted.” Black and white photograph, 3-1/2” x 2-1/4”.
Photograph of Nate Saint with beard
Photograph of the MAF base at Shell Mera from above, including part of the airstrip and the home of Nate and Marj Saint. Image used in filmstrip <i>Unforgettable Friday</i>, which tells the story of Nate Saint and his family, missionary work with Mission Aviation Fellowship and involvement in Operation Auca. Filmstrip was developed by Marj Saint and MAF in late 1956.
Aerial Photograph of Shell Mera
Letter from Nate Saint to MAF central office about his experiments with a new method for establishing contact with the ground while flying using what he called a "bucket drop," December 1952.
Letter from Nate Saint to MAF