Birth: 1933
Home Calling:-
Native Place: Kanashen
Country: Guyana
Place of Vision : Guyana & Brazil
Elka was the leader of a ferocious Amazonian tribe called Wai Wai, who is known for leading many other tribes in Brazil Jungles to Christ. The Wai Wai people were superstitious people and feared the jungle spirits. Elka, a man of strength and stature became the leader of that tribe at the age of 20. However, he was convinced that the spirits were calling him to become a witch doctor. He learned the ways of the forest and somehow cunningly healed the sick people by summoning the spirits. Yet, he couldn’t heal his own constant fear of death.
Elka hated white foreign men. He greeted them with smiles, yet poisoned their drinks and clubbed them to death. But one day missionaries, Neil and Bob Hawkins arrived there with gifts. They told them that Jesus loved the Wai Wai people and has died for them. This kind of love was new to the Wai Wai, who loved only for what they would get in return. Although Elka laughed at them at first he was glad to hear about the hope after death.
Elka accepted to help in translating the Bible into the local language in return for gifts. One day as he was translating the verse “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…We love him because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:18), those words stirred his heart. He confessed his sins and asked God to make him a new person. His family mocked him about his conversion but soon noticed the changed life of Elka. Soon, the entire tribe followed the footsteps of their leader and accepted Jesus as their Saviour.
When one of the Hawkins brothers lost their voice, Elka started preaching in his place. Soon, he felt the burden to share Jesus with other tribes. He traveled to neighboring jungles in Guyana and preached the gospel to his enemy tribes. The gospel of Christ turned a witch doctor into a missionary and through him, the lives of many tribes changed.
