Nate Saint was born in 1923. When he was seven he took his first plane ride with his brother Sam, who would eventually become a commercial pilot for American Airlines. While in the airplane he discovered a love of flying. His family was somewhat unusual. His brothers made a sleeping patio on the roof of their home, and his dad built a roller coaster in the backyard. When he joined the army he was stationed in Las Vegas NV, but was transferred to several other locations over the years. A leg injury from a sledding accident caused him some problems while he was in the army. About a year before he was discharged, he almost died while climbing a mountain in Yosemite National Park. After that incident he learned to live life to the fullest.[1][page needed]When Nate was asked by a friend to fix a plane somewhere in Mexico, he finally agreed. After he repaired the plane, he discovered a need for his skill in the field of mission-work and also a new awareness of the value of missions. After going to Wheaton College, Nate married Marjorie Farris (commonly called Marj) in 1948 and eventually moved to Shell Mera, Ecuador. Here, Nate built his family a house which would also serve as a guesthouse and a radio center with the other missionary.
In September 1955, Nate was joined by his teammates, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian. Saint finally found a [Huaorani also known as Aucas] settlement while searching by air. To reach the tribe, Saint and the team lowered gifts to the Huaorani in a bucket tied to the plane. The Huaorani were widely feared by other Ecuadorians, because they combined a desire to be left alone with a willingness to use force. They attacked and killed any intruders without provocation. Nevertheless, the tribe was excited on receiving the gifts and gave some gifts back. Finally, the missionaries decided to try to meet the Huaorani on the ground; and, on January 3, 1956, using the beach as a landing strip, they set up camp four miles from the Huaorani settlement. Their initial contact was encouraging; however, on Sunday, January 8, 1956, the entire team was killed on the beach (known as "Palm Beach") when armed Huaorani met and speared them.[3] Nate Saint was the first of the five missionaries to be speared to death.
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