Love so Amazing - The Missionary Biography of Bert and Colleen Elliot by Gilbert Gleason

Bert Elliot is the brother of martyred missionary Jim Elliot.

I often spoke of Bert and Colleen from the platform as examples of stick-to-it-tiveness, godly self-sacrifice, and simple perseverance in jungle heat, mildew, mud, and rain in the high Andes, humbly ministering to lonely people.
—Elisabeth Elliot, sister-in-law, author of "Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot"

Twentieth-century martyr Jim Elliot wrote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

How many ways might followers of Jesus demonstrate the truth of this wisdom? The lives of brothers Jim and Bert Elliot show us two of those ways, one through Jim’s intense loyalty and short life, the other—at the heart of this new book—through Bert’s and his wife, Colleen’s, long decades of joyful faithfulness.

Generations have been inspired by Jim and Elisabeth Elliot’s lives and writings. Love So Amazing invites new generations into the further journeys of the Elliot family. Bert and Colleen introduced Jesus and His love to thousands in northern Peru’s jungles, mountains, and coastal cities. For nearly two-thirds of a century they affectionately cared for people’s physical and spiritual needs, soothed and healed sectarian rifts, and planted and shepherded more than 150 local churches across hundreds of miles.

Bert and Colleen serve as the right kind of examples for “average” followers of Jesus, proving that, for most of us, substantial, supernatural impact is achieved through simple daily faithfulness, listening to Jesus and loving people in His name. The relatively few martyrs for Jesus spark bonfires of faith; the rest of us—the majority of God’s servants—feed the slow, steady flames of faithfulness that spread one precious life at a time. While they admire Jim, they can realistically picture themselves emulating Bert.

About the Author
Gilbert A. Gleason is a nephew by marriage to Bert and Colleen, and served as their pastor for a large portion of their adult lives. He benefitted personally from their friendship, support, and mentoring. And he in turn served and supported them, primarily by giving encouragement and assistance on the home front and through hands-on experience during his several visits to the ministry front lines in Peru. He is married to Sue, the niece of Bert and Colleen. They have three adult children and four grandchildren.