Bridge of Blood is based on Through Gates of Splendor and Shadow of the Almighty, two books written by Elisabeth Elliot.

The play was originally published in the 1988 book Two for Missions, which also included For This Cause, a drama about John and Betty Stam.

The first act of the play focuses on the background of the five missionaries, especially Jim Elliot and Nate Saint.

All the men and their wives eventually move to Ecuador as missionaries, and as the act is about to close, Saint discovers the "Aucas" from his plane.

The play then focuses for some time on the night of January 2, 1956, the day before the men left for Auca territory.