Discovery Carries a Piece of Missionary History

From WORLD:

The shuttle Discovery carries a piece of important missionary history into space, thanks to mission (and mission-minded) astronaut Patrick Forrester. The shuttle launch is set for Thursday morning, after being scrubbed repeatedly since Tuesday for weather and for mechanical issues involving a drain valve.

When Discovery does take off, on board and headed for the International Space Station is a battery box from the Piper AP-14 flown by Nate Saint, the missionary pilot murdered along with Jim Elliot and four others by Waodani Indians on a sandbar in Ecuador in 1956.

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“Bringing attention to and renewing interest in missions would be a great result of this experience,” said Forrester, who was born in El Paso, Texas, the year after the martyrdoms. “My deepest intent is to honor Nate Saint, the Saint family, and all missionaries around the world.”