Elisabeth Elliot
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| Born: | December 21 1926  Belgium |
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| Occupation: | Missionary Author Public speaker |
| Nationality: | 
American |
| Genres: | Biography Christian living |
| Debut works: | Through Gates of Splendor |
| Spouse: | Jim Elliot (Oct 8, 1953 – Jan 8, 1956) Addison Leitch (1969 – 73) Lars Gren (1977 – present) |
| Children: | Valerie Elliot Shepard (b. 1955) |
| Relations: | Philip E. Howard Jr. Katherine Gillingham Howard |
| Influences: | Amy Carmichael |
| Influenced: | Joshua Harris |
| Website: | www.elisabethelliot.org |
Elisabeth Elliot Gren (née Howard; born December 21, 1926) is a Christian author and evangelist. Her first husband, Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956 while attempting to make missionary contact with the Huaorani of eastern Ecuador. She later spent two years as a missionary to the tribe members who killed her husband. Returning to the United States after many years in South America, she became widely known as the author of over twenty books and as a speaker in constant demand.
Biography
Born Elisabeth Howard in Belgium, her family included her missionary parents, four brothers and one sister. Elisabeth's brother Thomas Howard is also an author.
The family moved to Pennsylvania when she was a few months old. She has lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and in Moorestown, New Jersey. She studied Koine Greek at Wheaton College, where she met Jim Elliot. The two went individually to Ecuador to work with the Quechua Indians and married in 1953 in the city of Quito, Ecuador. Their daughter, Valerie (born 1955), was 10 months old when Jim was killed. She continued her work with the Quechua for two more years.
Two Huaorani women living among the Quechua, including one named Dayuma, taught the Huao language to Mrs. Elliott and fellow missionary Rachel Saint. When Dayuma returned to the Huaorani, she created an opening for contact by the missionaries. In October 1958, Mrs. Elliot went to live with the Huaorani with her three year old daughter Valerie and Rachel Saint.
The Huaorani gave Elisabeth the tribal name Gikari, Huao for "Woodpecker". She later returned to the Quechua and worked with them until she returned to the US in 1963.
In 1969, Elisabeth married Addison Leitch, professor of theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. Leitch died in 1973. In 1977, she married Lars Gren, a seminary student who had been boarding at her house. The Grens afterwards worked and traveled together.
In the mid 1970s she served as one of the stylistic consultants for the New International Version of the Bible (NIV) committee. She appears on the NIV's list of contributors.[1]
In the past few years, Mr. and Mrs. Gren have stopped traveling but continue to keep in touch with the public through their newsletters and website.
Books
- Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot, 1958
- Through Gates of Splendor (1957)
- Passion and Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under God's Control
- Let Me Be a Woman
- Quest for Love
- The Savage My Kinsman
- The Journals of Jim Elliot
- Discipline: The Glad Surrender
- Love Has a Price Tag
- The Mark of a Man
- Keep a Quiet Heart
- A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael
- Furnace of the Lord: Reflections on the Redemption of The Holy City, 1969
- Path Through Suffering: Discovering the Relationship Between God's Mercy and Our Pain
- The Path of Loneliness: Finding Your Way Through the Wilderness to God
- No Graven Image
- Secure in the Everlasting Arms
- The Music of His Promises: Listening to God with Love, Trust, and Obedience
- The Shaping of a Christian Family
- God's Guidance: A Slow and Certain Light
- Taking Flight: Wisdom for Your Journey
Portrayals of Elisabeth Elliott
- In 2003, a musical based on the story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, entitled Love Above All, was staged at the Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore. This musical was staged a second time in 2007 at the University Cultural Centre, Singapore.
- In the 2006 film, End of the Spear, she was portrayed by actress Beth Bailey.
External links
- Elisabeth Elliot's home page.
- An Interview with Elisabeth Elliot on the website for the musical Love Above All - The Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot.
| Operation Auca | |
|---|---|
| People | Nate Saint •
Jim Elliot • Pete Fleming •
Ed McCully • Roger Youderian Frank Drown • Elisabeth Elliot • Rachel Saint • Steve Saint • Dayuma • Mincaye • Huaorani Tribe |
| Places | Shell Mera • Shandia • Arajuno • Curaray River |
| Books | Through Gates of Splendor • End of the Spear |
| Films | Through Gates of Splendor (1967) • Beyond the Gates of Splendor (2004) • End of the Spear (2006) |
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