“When We Could No Longer Stand It”

ENGAGE partner, Louis, recently went on a field visit to a remote area in the southeastern part of his country. He went to meet believers to learn about their trials and encourage them in the Word of God. Several missionaries under Louis’ leadership are serving in this region, preaching the gospel and discipling believers.

Travel to reach his destination was difficult as it had been raining for two days straight. When he arrived, heavy rains continued for another 4 days which prevented him from visiting all the 27 believing families in that region. He was, however, able to visit some of them.

Louis already knew about the challenges the church was facing. He knew he needed to go to visit them. Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica resonates here. Paul writes, “Therefore, when we could no longer stand it, we thought it was better to be left alone in Athens. And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith, so that no one will be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this” (1 Thess 3:1-3, italics added).

There are a number of oppositions to healthy growth of the church in the area. One disheartening reality is something that ENGAGE has seen in a number of areas where we work. One mission organization has come into the region and has been involved in offering money or other benefits to people if they join their church. Often this is referred to as “sheep stealing”. Some of the believers who were part of the fellowship of the ministry Louis is overseeing were “taken” by this organization. The reason these “sheep stealers” do this is to give a false sense of church growth so their ministry can boast of numerical growth. Sometimes missionaries are given incentives from the overseeing organization if their ministry is thriving and so they resort to carnal methods to carry out their work. Tragically, this is more prevalent than we might want to imagine. Louis mourns this reality yet remains confident in God’s sovereignty; he writes: “Anyway, the Lord knows everything.”

Another challenge that the church is facing is pressure from the majority religious community. Some of the believers have left the fellowship of the church and have returned to their former faith background. Persecution, and even some material incentives, are the reason some have left the church to practice Islam again. One praise report that Louis shared with us is that some who have done that have repented and returned to the fellowship of believers. A few of those were present in the home where Louis stayed for 4 days.

A third challenge is related to the second. The situation in the area had become very difficult since the beginning of August. A number of houses were torched and a few people were killed by angry mobsters.

The purpose for the trip was to go and “strengthen and encourage [them] concerning [their] faith” (1 Thess 3:2). Louis joyfully shared that he believed the time together was fruitful. He focused on holding out to them the grace that is in Christ from the Word of God.