When Elisabeth heard that her husband, Jim Elliot, had been killed by the very people he had been trying to save, a million thoughts must have rushed into her head. The one thought that did not come to he newly widowed missionary's mind was "I give up." Through the difficulties of the following years, Elisabeth Elliot showed perseverance, forgiveness, and courage; valuable traits that have inspired me to help others.

Before and after Jim's death, Elisabeth was an outstanding model of perseverance. She lived deep in a jungle in Ecuador, evangelizing to primitive and often violent native tribes. Shortly after the Auca tribe killed her husband, she studied their customs and language to eliminate the cultural gap. She persevered for years, never giving up on her mission to save the souls of the Auca. As a result, I have learned to never give up, even when the future seems bleak or the task seems pointless I can also encourage my friends to persevere by being an exemplar of this very important trait.

Elisabeth has also shown an unbelievable amount of forgiveness. She forgave the Auca villagers for killing her husband and strove to improve her relationship with them. She did not hold a grudge or seek revenge from Jim's killers; she just wanted the Auca to learn about their Maker and have a personal relationship with Him. If Elisabeth could do all this for a wild tribe in Ecuador, surely I can learn to forgive my friends, family, and even total srangers.

Courage is the final and most important trait that Elisabeth Elliot possesses. Without courage, she could not have persevered for years in a dangerous jungle. She must have possessed courage to forgive murderers and strangers. Courage is what filled in the gaps of her road to success, giving support and making her bumpy life a little smoother. Elisabeth's courageous spirit has ignited a desire in my heart to help others and bring the gospel to foreign nations, and her story has inspired many more to do the same.

Elisabeth Elliot is a courageous, persevering, and forgiving woman who has inluenced me greatly. Her missionary work set an example for me. It has inspired my family to become missionaries and, as of 2010, evangelize in 9 countries. Because of her influence on me, I can, in turn, influence others to be more courageous, morepersevering, and more forgiving. The world would certainly be a darker place if Elisabeth Elliot had not shown such remarkable attributes. Even though there are many famous courageous women besides her, I believe that what she did was more important than breaking records in the sky like Earhart or defending African Americans like Rosa Parks. She reached out to those that the world had forgotten, and she touched their lives, leaving a mark that will last for eternity Because of her, the world and I are forever changed.