Where are the Other Four?

Jesus said, "Were not ten healed?
Where are the other nine?" - Luke 17:17

Tara and I were chatting yesterday about talking with people at our Soup Kitchen. I am concerned with their salvation, but not every one of them is as concerned about their welfare as I am! Some are just not ready and/or willing to accept Jesus at this time. So we continue to build relationship and pray for them.

In the last couple of months, 5 people were saved, but of those 5, only 1 is still around and/or attending the corps. Two moved away to Virginia, 1 we have no idea what happened to him and 1 has only been seen once since! What a poor record- 1/5th.

I was bemoaning this fact until Tara brought up the above verse and related it to discipling. Perhaps 1 out of 5 is not so bad after all! Still, I pray for a better record and more effectiveness in our witness with our Soup Kitchen friends.

Even though not everyone is ready at this moment to deal with God, we press forward in developing relationship with them. One day, we believe they will come to the end of their rope. One day, we believe they will give up on everything else, but remember their friend down at The Salvation Army, who seems to have it together (at least most of the time!).

Besides, I don't like thinking of these people as "notches" in our belts of evangelism. They are people Jesus loves. I want to know them and get into relationship with them so that it's more than just getting them to recite the Sinner's Prayer and then forget about them.

What's more important- "Salvations" or Relationships? I think a salvation does not necessarily lead to a relationship, but a relationship will lead to a salvation (I know, they both should, but I'm talking about how it actually happens).

What do you think?