For the past several months, I have spent my Tuesday mornings as a volunteer counselor at the Interconfessional Counseling Service (SICA in Portuguese) in downtown Porto Alegre. SICA was founded 40 years ago as a collaboration among Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian churches here in town. We offer free counseling to anyone who wants a listening ear, a friendly face, and spiritual advice. 
I enjoy volunteering in this ministry because of the interaction I have with clients, and also with counselors who come from other churches. I have quite a variety of clients: a mother and daughter who are recovering from abusive relationships; a husband and wife who are new in town and trying to settle down; an elderly lady who has eleven siblings and tries to keep all of them happy! I thank God for this valuable counseling experience and for the small yet significant role we can play in helping people find comfort in troubles, and solutions to their everyday problems.
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