Daughter of famous missionaries to speak in Rockville on October 5

As part of a week-long missions conference, Union Church will host a rare presentation by Valerie Elliot Shepard on Wednesday, October 5 at 7 p.m. The event will be held in the sanctuary, located at 3 Elm Street in the historic Rockville section of town. Admission is free and open to the public.

Now living in North Carolina, Valerie was born in Shell Mera, Ecuador, the only daughter of her famous Christian missionary parents, Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. In the 1950s, the family was assigned to serve as missionaries to the Quechua people in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador. While attempting to reach the violent Huaorani tribe, Jim Elliot and four of his colleagues were speared to death. Widow Elisabeth and daughter Valerie continued to live with the Quechua people until they were invited to live with the Huaorani, the same tribe that had killed Jim. The women lived with these indigenous people for two years in safety and contentment. Elisabeth and another missionary, Rachel Saint, learned to speak the Huaorani language and translated the story of Jesus for them. Most tribe members became Christians and said they would not kill anymore.

In 1963, Elisabeth and Valerie returned to the United States. Elisabeth's inspiring influence on generations of people through print, broadcast and personal testimony continues to resonate, even after her death in 2015. Four years later, Valerie released a book about her parents, Devotedly: The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot.

For more details, please contact Union Church at 860.875.2559, visit the church Facebook page, or visit www.UnionChurch.community.