Nate Saint

Nate Saint is known as the pioneer of modern missionary aviation. A gifted pilot and inventive mechanic, he used every skill at his disposal to bring the gospel to hard-to-reach places. His life is a testimony to the truth that God can use our passions, however ordinary they may seem, for eternal purposes.

Early Years: A Passion for Planes

Nate Saint was born in Pennsylvania on August 30, 1923, into a Christian home where the Bible was taught and missionary stories were shared. His childhood was marked by creativity, curiosity, and a natural gift for engineering. While growing up, his dad once built a roller coaster in his backyard, and his brothers created a sleeping patio on the roof. As a child, Saint not only built an eight-foot sailboat but also took apart his family’s car engine, only to put it back together again. These creative skills would be particularly valuable on the mission field.

When Saint was seven, he took a flight with his brother, Sam, who eventually became a commercial airline pilot. After that flight, Saint became fascinated with planes. He signed up for the US Army at the age of 19, hoping to serve as a pilot during World War II, but was grounded because of an infection in his leg.

Around this time, Saint learned about missionary aviation. When a friend asked him to repair a plane in Mexico, Saint witnessed firsthand how aviation could be used to advance the gospel by delivering missionaries, supplies, and emergency aid to remote locations. 

Mission Aviation

Following his time in the military, Saint attended Wheaton College, where he met Marjorie Ferris, who shared his heart for missions. They married and moved to Ecuador, where Saint helped open a base for the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). After arriving in Ecuador, Saint built a house for his family, which became not only a family home but also a radio center for missionary work.

Saint’s early missionary days were not easy, however. Early on, one of Saint’s planes crashed, breaking his back and putting him in a body cast for six months. Once he recovered, Saint continued to fly into remote jungle villages, transporting missionaries and delivering supplies. With few established airstrips, this was a hazardous job, but Saint innovated creative solutions to make landings possible. He experimented with the plane itself, stripping it down to its essential functions, making travel lighter and easier.

While delivering supplies to missionaries, Saint discovered another problem. Because landing strips were not always available for his plane, Saint often dropped supplies to missionaries from the air. Unfortunately, these packages regularly missed their targets, landing in trees or inaccessible areas, so Saint innovated again. He developed the spiraling-line technique, lowering a rope and bucket from a circling plane. The centripetal force kept the bucket steady enough to pinpoint more accurate deliveries. It was a breakthrough in missionary aviation that would later play a pivotal role in his missionary life.

The Unreached Aucas

In 1955, Saint joined four other missionaries with a common dream: to reach the Auca Indians. The Aucas were a remote tribe known for their violent behavior toward outsiders. Previous attempts to contact the tribe had resulted in tragedy. Still, the men felt compelled to bring the hope of the gospel to them. In reflecting on the danger, Saint wrote:

“As we weigh the future and seek the will of God, does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for just a few savages?... We realize that it is not the call of the needy thousands, rather it is the simple intimation of the prophetic Word that there shall be some from every tribe in His presence in the last day and in our hearts……May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was. May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of darkness.”

Initially, the missionaries sent gifts to the Aucas using the spiraling-line technique. Week after week, Saint lowered presents such as machetes, food, and even Polaroid pictures of themselves to build familiarity and trust. Over time, the Aucas started returning gifts of their own.

On January 3, 1956, the missionaries decided to visit the Aucas in person. Saint found a landing strip on the beach, and after making several trips for supplies, the five missionaries made camp at Palm Beach. They waited to see if anyone would engage with them.

A few days later, two women and a man emerged from the jungle. Their initial interaction was peaceful. They shared food, and Saint took the man for a ride in his plane. The missionaries were excited about the upcoming days. On Sunday, Saint radioed his wife, letting her know that they were expecting visitors and that he would report back by radio at 4:30 pm. 

But the call never came.

Several days later, a search team discovered Saint’s body, speared to death.

Saint’s Legacy

Nate Saint had a deep passion to reach the ends of the earth with the gospel. He used his passions and giftings to not only minister to the unreached, but also to support missionaries in the most remote of locations. His passion, ingenuity, and Christ-like compassion left an enduring legacy.

Though Saint died before seeing the fruit of his ministry to the Aucas, his legacy doesn’t end there. After his death, Saint’s family continued to pray for the Aucas. His sister, Rachel, lived among the Aucas for years, translating the Bible and sharing the gospel. His son also lived among the Aucas for a time. Through their ministry, many of the Aucas eventually came to faith, including six of the men involved in the attack.

Saint once asked, “Does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for just a few savages?” The answer from heaven resounds: yes. One day, there will be worshippers from every tribe, tongue, and nation gathered around the throne of Christ. Nate Saint lived and died with his vision fixed on that final goal.

Saint’s life reminds us that no skill is too small, and no calling is too ordinary to be used in God's mission. Whether aviation, medicine, carpentry, or teaching, every gift can become a tool in the hands of the Lord.

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