Ladies Encouragement

Valerie (S ) is the daughter of missionary parents Jim and Elisabeth Elliot.  Jim was killed while attempting to reach the Waorani Indians in Ecuador in 1956.  Valerie was 10 months old, but her mother stayed with the Quichua Indians whom Jim and she first worked with, until the opportunity was given to go to the tribe her husband had tried to reach. Taking her 3 1/2 yr. old daughter with her through the Amazon jungle to live with the Waorani was a matter of obedience and an answer to many prayers.  Valerie loved living in the jungle, and learned a 3rd language while playing with the children.  They left Ecuador when Elisabeth felt Valerie needed an American public education, (back when those schools were basically decent!). They lived in NH until Elisabeth married Addison Leitch, a Presbyterian preacher and professor, and moved to MA where he could teach at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.  Valerie graduated from Wheaton College in IL and married Walt Shepard, also a Presbyterian pastor.  The Lord gave them 8 children, whom they homeschooled most of their elementary and high school years. Valerie has taught Bible studies, led prayer groups, and loved learning hospitality as their family grew.  They are now without children at home, have 11 grandchildren, and Walt has retired from 45 years in the ministry. They live in Long Beach, MS. She has written 2 books, one on her jungle childhood, named Pilipinto’s Happiness (to be published by June of 2022) and Devotedly, the love story of her parents.