An American missionary was killed while attempting to reach an isolated tribe to convert them to Christianity.
27-year-old John Allen Chau was a devout Christian who believed it was up to him to convert residents of a remote Indian island to Christianity.
The tribe in question is located on North Sentinel Island and is protected from outsiders by the government in hopes to protect the isolated locals from diseases and outside influence.
According to the reports, Chau paid several local fishermen to take him in proximity to the island despite not being allowed to approach the protected tribe that has always lived cut off from the rest of the world.
It is said that Chau was greeted by a volley of arrows the moment he set foot on the island. Despite the warning, he kept on walking toward the tribesmen until he was shot down.
The tribesmen then tied a rope around the man’s neck and dragged his body away, the fishermen who accepted the bribe to take him to the island said.
While the Indian police have since launched a murder case, there is no way to prosecute any member of the tribe as they are protected by the law. The fishermen connected to the man’s transportation to the island, however, have been arrested.
A friend of Chau has now spoken out and revealed that the young man was determined to spread Christianity on the remote island despite being aware of the dangers he could face along the way.
“I saw him reading some Christian literature and I’m a Christian and we started talking. He mentioned that he wanted to go to these islands, the islands where he has now died,” Neil MacLeod from Scotland said.
He also suggested that the young man had been planning his trip for at least three years.
“I had heard of these islands and I know how dangerous they are, so I was surprised by that. He recognized the dangers of traveling there, but I think he had a sense of call,” MacLeod added.
“This was something he was working on for three years. He was committed to going there. In his view, he was trying to help these people.
“There are islands that are nearby and he was making relationships and connections to help him get to the islands.”
MacLeod branded the young man as a “magnetic, lovely character” who was always a delight to be around thanks to his friendly aura.
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