It was a difficult balance, in African urban ministry, to try to help all-comers who turned to the Church for counsel or assistance -- while protecting oneself from overload -- and maintaining other, central aspects of ministry. Often one thinks: "That's it for today. My counselling is done. My last meeting's over. I'm exhausted." Then unexpectedly, more people turn up for help or counsel. OBSERVATION: This was part of my solution: I gave congregants an hour of my time with appointments, and all-comers a compacted kind of counsel and help: five or ten minutes of sincere input, then I was tough about moving on. I felt that this worked -- and in spite of busyness and weariness, I told myself: "Where else could one serve like this?"
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