When part of the front wall of the new mud brick church at Maji Moto Outstation
in Iramba Parish in Tanzania fell down in a storm, the Christians did nothing to
repair it.  On my third visit I wanted to gently and indirectly prod them.  So
rather than directly challenge them with a question like "When are you going to
repair the church wall?" or worse criticize them with a statement like "You are
too lazy to fix the church wall," I said: "Each time in the last two months that
I have visited here I think of the proverb If you do not fill up a crack, you
will have to build a wall."  The congregation laughed.  The Christians
themselves immediately saw my point.  After the Eucharistic celebration they
arranged that on two days of the following week they would repair the wall. 

           
And they did!