Sample Chapter

About

In 1956, Valerie’s young missionary father, Jim Elliot, and four of his friends make contact with members of a primitive Ecuadorian tribe. What happens next shocks the world! Three years later . . . Valerie is just a toddler when her mother, Elisabeth Elliot, receives a surprising invitation. As she teaches the Waorani about God’s “carvings,” they encounter the greatest gift of all.

Pilipinto is an amazing story of courage and redemption—but it is also the simple story of a young American girl as she grows up alongside the indigenous peoples of the 1950s Amazon jungle. The jungle, despite its dangers, becomes a delightful playground where Valerie learns to trust God’s hand and respect all His gifts.

Beautifully illustrated in watercolor and featuring vintage photographs and never before published pages from Elisabeth Elliot’s diary, Pilipinto is a child-appropriate introduction to several notable Christian heroes and heroines of the twentieth century—powerful models of faith who take selfless action for the kingdom of God.

Endorsements

“Young ones will learn about the Elliot family and their global influence, not only on the people of an ancient tribe but on Christians around the world. Thank you, Valerie, for telling your family’s remarkable story to yet another generation.”

–Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder, Joni and Friends International Disability Center

“Walk the trails with danger at every turn, join the tribe along with Valerie, and see firsthand how God embraces and encourages his loved ones. Valerie shares her heartwarming reminiscences with us in an engaging story that is perfect for family reading.”

–Donna Otto, Founder, Modern Homemakers

“Pilipinto is a gorgeously illustrated story of God’s presence in hard times and his grace in extraordinary jungle adventures, infused by Val’s sunny personality and bright faith.”

–Ellen Vaughn, Author, Becoming Elisabeth Elliot

The Author

Valerie Elliot Shepard

Speaker and author Valerie Elliot Shepard was born in Ecuador in 1955. The only daughter of martyred missionary Jim Elliot and missionary and author Elisabeth Elliot, she spent her early years living in the Amazon jungle with the Quichua and Waorani people. Valerie returned to the United States in 1963 and now lives in Long Beach, Mississippi, with her husband, Walter, a retired Presbyterian minister. They have eight children and eleven grandchildren.

More by Valerie Elliot Shepard