Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian were young American missionaries who arrived in Ecuador between 1948 and 1953. Together with their wives —Elisabeth Elliot, Olive Fleming, Marilou McCully, Marj Saint, and Barbara Youderian—they were dedicated to converting the indigenous people of the Amazon basin to Christianity, and developing Christian churches in the area. The five men particularly desired to preach the Gospel to people they believed had never heard it.