STEVE SAINT

'Stephen Farris Saint' (born January 30, 1951) is an American Ecuadorian business entrepreneur, pilot, and author. He is famous for being the son of Nate Saint, a missionary pilot who was killed in 1956, as well as for living and working among the Huaorani tribe of eastern Ecuador.

Contents

Early Life

Later Life

Public Life

Works

References

Early Life

Steve Saint was born in Quito, Ecuador at a mission hospital. He was the second of Nate and Marj Saint's 3 children. He has an older sister, Kathy, and a younger brother, Philip. Steve's family lived for many years in Shell Mera, Ecuador, where his father was a missionary pilot. In 1956, Steve was 4 years old (almost 5) when his father, along with 4 other missionaries, were killed by Huaorani Indians in an effort to make peaceful contact with them. (See Operation Auca.)
After his father's death, the Saint family moved to Quito where Steve attended school. It was during this time that Steve's aunt Rachel and Elisabeth Elliot successfully made peaceful contact with the Huaorani and were living with them in the jungle. When Steve was 10 years old, his family started to live with them during the summers. When he was 13, he was baptised in the Curaray River by Kimo and Dyuwi, two of his father's killers who had converted to Christianity.
After graduating high school in Quito, Saint moved to the United States to attend Wheaton College where he received a B.A. in economics. Soon after graduation, he returned to Ecuador and worked for a time as a tour guide. It was there that he met and married his wife Ginny who was from Minnesota and visiting Ecuador on a short-term musical mission team.

Later Life

Shortly after the birth of their first child, the Saints returned to the United States and lived in Minnesota where Steve pursued a career in business. Steve was successful as a business man and was always a large supporter of Christian missionary efforts.
In 1994, Rachel Saint died in Ecuador after spending a lifetime with the Huaorani. Saint immediately traveled to Ecuador to help burry her. It was then that the Huaorani asked him to move his family down to live with them. After thinking the decision over with his family, he decided to accept the tribes invitation, moving to the jungle in 1995. Saint worked with the Huaorni to improve their living conditions by building a community center, and generally helping them to become more self dependent.
In July 2000, his daughter Stephenie died suddenly of a brain hemorrage.
Today, Steve and Ginny live in Ocala, Florida, and continue to make regular trips to Ecuador.

Public Life

Steve appeared in and narrated the 2005 documentary ''Beyond the Gates of Splendor'' (a short segment of which also appeared in the end credits of the 2006 film ''End of the Spear''). The film ''End of the Spear'' is based on a book he wrote of the same name. He was heavily involved in the production of the film.
He has also authored several books including ''The Great Omission'' and ''End of the Spear'' (written in connection with the release of the ''End of the Spear'' film).
Steve has been especially close with Mincaye, one of the "Palm Beach" attackers. He and Mincaye have made several appearances together in television interviews and at Christian concerts.

Works

★ Did They Have to Die?, Christianity Today (September 16, 1996).

★ ''Jungle Pilot: The Story Continues'' (1997), epilogue to the updated edition of ''Jungle Pilot: The Gripping Story of the Life and Witness of Nate Saint, Martyred Missionary to Ecuador'' by Russell T. Hitt, origianlly published 1957.

★ The Unfinished Mission to the Aucas, Christianity Today (March 3, 1998).

★ ''The Great Omission: Fulfilling Christ's Commission Completely'' (2001).

★ ''End of the Spear'' (2005).

★ ''Walking His Trail'' (2007), ISBN 978-1-4143-1376-4.

References

★ Stephen F. Saint Biographical Information

★ Hitt, Russell T. ''Jungle Pilot''

★ End of the Spear, , Steve, Saint, Saltriver, 2005, ISBN 0-8423-8488-X