"What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should go perish."
Matthew 18:12-14
The pioneer circuit riders pressed through many dangerous and difficult circumstances to bring the gospel and plant churches all throughout North America. In fact statistics say that before 1840, most circuit preachers died before their 30th birthday!