scarcity

Is scarcity the opposite of plenty? Seems like it would be. I’ve been thinking about this word lately, though maybe not in the traditional sense. Certainly, most places you look in a third world country, you see scarcity, lack. But aside from the physical reality of not having enough, there’s a fear involved—I don’t have enough, only a little, and it’s dwindling . . . what comes next?

This is a reality I have never faced. But I have come to see that it extends past food and water and health and education and opportunities and money. It extends to churches as well.

I have been so blessed working with churches here in Tulear. Though the groups are small, they are extremely committed. The church I go to each Sunday is actually mostly youth. Since the church was started a few years ago, they have never had a pastor, though they have had various strong leaders. The youth have assumed responsibilities for so many things: Sunday school for the kids, leading the services, the choir, preparing the Lord’s Supper each week . . . and recently they, with the help of an adult leader, have begun an outreach visiting program every Saturday afternoon.

These youth are like youth in the USA: they study, they work, and they face countless cultural and familial pressures to turn away from their faith and to other pursuits. But they continue to persevere, to try to hold each other accountable as a group, and took look forward to new opportunities and possibilities with hope.

But sometimes it is really tough. Eagerness wanes, or someone is sick, or a few people leave for a little while, and we start to feel the uneasy threat of scarcity—the realization that if people drop out of leadership or membership, there seems to be no one to take their places.

The waxing and waning seems to be a normal cycle for this church, though we all still find it unsettling. But there’s always hope. I’ve felt some anxiety for them over the last few weeks, but really this is my own lack of faith. As some people leave, new leaders are emerging with fresh excitement. We were able, last year, to host a volunteer team from the US who poured encouragement into the youth for a week, and I know that was a blessing to them. We’re hoping this year to do a True Love Waits program. Also, the youth want to take trips into the forest area where I work, or to Tana for a Baptist youth camp. And I’m so excited to see the fruits of the group’s new outreach visiting, both in their lives and the lives of the people they visit. I think they are on the brink of new growth, and I’m excited to see it! Join me in praying for God’s blessings and abundance to pour out on this committed church!