Jim Elliot to Elisabeth Howard, Oct. 1952

My father and mother were writing fast and furiously across the Andes mountains, first while she was still in Quito, in October of 1952, praying about going to the western jungles, and he from a Quichua settlement in the Amazon jungle.  Here's a small excerpt, after she had written to say she thinks that she's supposed to go to the Colorado Indians in San Miguel.

"The needing of a place to rest. Could it be that we are crossing the same river, but far enough apart to be at different depths, wisely kept so that we would not sink together? I seem to feel it all much more keenly out here. There comes a sighing even as I write." 

This is one year before they married in Quito, and the longing was intense, but they both still were completely committed to doing what God wanted before they would have the privilege of knowing when they would "be rewarded" with marriage.  Writing, seeing each other for very short periods of time, and sometimes talking in code on the radio, was quite distracting,  (or their work was distracted by their love!) but they continued working hard on the two languages. 

How we all need to be focused on what God wants us to be doing.....and my job this week is to finish my part of the writing or editing of Devotedly, the love story of my parents. 

It's coming out in  February and is now available for pre-order on Amazon!