When people come to know the Lord in places where there aren't established churches they face many new challenges, and one of the biggest is that there aren't other believers with whom to have fellowship. Usually, in the beginning only a family or maybe even only one or two members of a family are saved. They have no "church" to attend, where they could get some support and Christian fellowship. We, as missionaries, try to encourage and help them, but we cannot be there all the time.
Usually there are opposing forces...friends, even family...that tempt them to revert back to the old life. Sure, it's like that in the U. S. too, but at least there are churches to attend where a person can worship, study, and socialize with believers. But, what if there aren't any other believers?
Can you imagine what it is like to have no Christian friends...no church to attend...no one to give you encouragement? Your "friends" and family are constantly trying to get you to "come back" to them. (meaning, of course, do what they do.)
Because some of these new believers are the only believers in their village, they are asked to be leaders in reaching other people. They want to, but it is added burden. Sometimes, in the face of constant temptation, they stumble. It doesn't matter what...But when it happens the non-believers are glad, and Satan laughs. Most of them repent, recoup, and go on. But always the work suffers, and it takes a while to overcome the failure.
Often there are family members that shake their head and say they knew it wasn't real. This new "religion" doesn't work (any better than the old one did). An example is one of our leaders who confessed to us recently that he had had a couple of beers with some old cronies. He was deeply sorrowful that he had disappointed his family and us, but knew that the worst thing was that he had failed God. However...wisely, he also knows that it is done and he accepts the forgiveness of the Lord and must go on. Most of his family accepts his confession with forgiveness, but one daughter is having a hard time coming to that place of forgiveness. Here is a case of a family being the only believers around and having no one to give them encouragement or support.
Please pray for these leaders. Pray that they will be strong in the face of temptation and that they will be filled with God's Spirit and able to stand, even alone.
