Sãu Paulo: The three boys were the same age, but Bruno was the only one who had watched some of the free movies in the list we were checking. Among them was the famous “The Bicycle Thief,” directed by Vittorio De Sica.

I had never seen the movie, but Bruno had, and he didn’t like it. He told us there was too much hype ahead of time, and the movie didn’t live up to it. I know the story because it’s one all movie buffs like to discuss, but I’ve never found it interesting enough to watch. Bruno related the basic plotline to the other two boys, Lucas and Victor, who had never even heard of this movie.

It was strange to see all three of them standing side-by-side, discussing movies. They were the same age but from three different social classes. Lucas comes from an upper-middle-class family. Victor’s family is also middle-class, and Bruno lives in the streets. All three have the desire to learn, but only two have family and friends to inspire and motivate them to pursue their aspirations.

Bruno has been in the streets since he was 16. He has no contact with his family and never talks about them. When it comes to self-improvement, he’s on his own, with no family to stand behind his pursuits. Yet none of this has stifled his desire to learn.

Bruno, always dressed the same way, has worn the same torn, tattered polo shirt for a few months. It is covered with so much dirt that we can’t identify its original color. His hands and feet are also covered with dirt, and he carries an equally filthy blanket with him all the time.

I gave him one of my polo shirts, which he accepted gleefully. However, he never uses it. Instead, he keeps it in his back pack, which he is never seen without. Here, he also stores what is perhaps his most precious possession: an old, tattered notebook containing the names of all the movies he has seen or would like to see. These are mostly American movies with titles translated into Portuguese. But Bruno wants to know their original names in English and asks Mary to translate them. We believe he invented this as a method for learning English, and we are impressed by how far he has come.

Bruno is by far the most intelligent and interesting homeless young adult we have met, but no one would guess it by looking at him. He is able to speak knowledgeably about movies and politics. He formulates his ideas in a logical manner, and his vocabulary is impressive. We are amazed at the things he knows.

But Bruno also sniffs paint thinner more than the other children or teens we meet. He uses about a half-liter per day, he says, and we believe it. He tells us the only times he doesn’t use it are when he is watching a movie or spending time with us. I guess the movies serve as a form of escape that takes away the need for substance abuse. And only recently has he stopped sniffing in our presence. I used to have a hard time getting him to stop using during an activity; instead, he would leave our group. But now, things have changed. We enjoy talking with him, and he always has a big smile followed by a question about something he has read or heard.

Bruno has never asked us for anything. Even when he was hurt, he didn’t ask Mary to perform first aid. But he recently asked if we could buy him an English-Portuguese dictionary. I had an old one in the house and gave it to him. He received it happily and hugged us, which was unusual, since we think his filthy attire is a defense mechanism to avoid physical contact.

We often see Bruno with Ruan and Felipe. About a week ago, Ruan asked if we could teach him to read and write, which surprised us since we hadn’t realized he was illiterate. He comes from one of the worst neighborhoods in the center. We know he went to school for a few years before running away to the streets, but sending him back to the school now won’t help him. We told him we would try to find a literacy program for him, and he said he was willing to start right away. Bruno sat next to Ruan throughout this conversation and mentioned that although Ruan had been asking for his help, he didn’t feel confident enough to get him started.

Not long after that, Felipe asked us if we could also help him with his writing because he lacked confidence and wanted to practice. This was the first time he had requested anything of this sort. So suddenly, three of our homeless teens have been inspired to learn and study. Bruno, Ruan, and Felipe have discovered a context in which learning is useful. If we told them, “Education will guarantee you a better future,” they would agree with us but most likely do nothing about it, since they don’t think about their future often. However, they care about relationships. They see that our relationship with Bruno is growing because there is a deeper exchange between us, and they want to move beyond games and coloring books.

Perhaps Bruno has shown all of us that learning can enhance a relationship and make it richer. He wants to learn for the sole purpose of discovering new and wonderful things so he can share them with those he loves. Ruan and Felipe witnessed this, and now they want to discover the joy of learning for its own sake, too.

To read more about São Paulo Mercy Ministry, please visit www.spmercyministry.com.