Did it all go up in smoke?

We stared at the pictures, horrified. Our home of 14 years in the Gende village in Papua New Guinea had been looted and then systematically dismantled and the pieces either taken or sold. Our office was also looked, then burned to the ground.

We were on home assignment in England in 2007 when we got word of what had happened. One family group who had disputes with other clans over land ownership took matters into their own hands and our house suffered the brunt of it. We had received threats before and so had appointed ten trusted men -- seven of whom were brothers in the Lord -- to watch our house. But when it came time to defend our property, they stood by and let it happen.

Did our hope of planting a strong tribal church just go up in smoke?

After six years of learning their culture and language, my husband, Paul, first taught Bible lessons to the Gende people in 2004. Many came to hear what we had to tell them. Some dropped out early because they wanted instant church and something to make them feel good. But we weren’t offering that. We were there to give them a firm foundation in God’s Word -- a foundation that would challenge their animistic beliefs and the mixed-up ideas about God they had received from other religious groups.

But while some stopped attending, other Gendes followed the teaching carefully. They accepted each morsel of truth as it came and believed it. These were the ones who eventually gave clear testimony of trusting in the death of Jesus Christ as payment for their sins. What joy it was to meet with those 20 or so adults and many of their children week by week. Some of these also quickly fell away, but the handful of faithful people who remained were worth as much to us as 200 -- and even more so to the Lord.

What a blessing it was to write and learn Gende worship songs, to fellowship together, to see their joy at learning new truths from God’s Word, to hear them pray for the first time ever, to work side-by-side at Bible translation, lesson preparation and literacy, and even to face persecution together.

But the devastating pictures we now held in our hands showed a different side to the story. Scattered literacy books, translated Bible portions, our girls’ toys and medical supplies lay rotting in the charred remains.

What were we to do now?

We decided to return to Papua New Guinea and assess the situation. The believers told us how they cried to God every day that we would return and continue teaching them God’s Word in their own language.

So that’s what we did. But it wasn’t easy by any means.

Some of the believers, even some who had been teaching in our absence, had fallen into sin. Other people were mad at us for how the police had pushed them around over the crime. Some were angry with us because the perpetrators had sworn at them and called them names. Still others were upset that we didn’t pay them the full amount for watching our house. And several of these -- including some of the most gifted ones in terms of helping us -- still keep away from us to this day because of guilt and shame.

Today three men attend meetings faithfully, one of whom helps teach on Sundays and is also teaching evangelistic Bible lessons to a small group in another village. Six faithful women and more than 30 children from babies to teens also attend the meetings.

Sometimes we feel that we’re just limping along. The progress is slow and sometimes even seems to be going backwards. But as brother Kunai said recently as he taught another group:

"Paul and Susan have planted good seed. There is nothing wrong with the seed. But how people receive it shows differently. In some lives, there is no fruit at all. Even some of Jesus’ own family did not receive the message. His own people, the Jews, rejected him. But the message went to the whole world and now I am bringing it to you."

And although we continue to face verbal abuse and, from time to time, threats, there are encouraging signs.

I am glad that Christ promised that He would build His church. Only He can bring beauty from these ashes in Papua New Guinea. And we who have the privilege of watching it happen will say, "It was worth it all."