A São Paulo visitor is welcomed as a friend

“Michelle!” Bruno shouted across the street as I sat on the steps outside Praça da Sé Cathedral. He gave me a warm hug and said he had missed me.

I first met Bruno five weeks before when we played Uno and talked. He immediately put me at ease and welcomed me as one of the family. I was so touched that he remembered me after my absence of five weeks. He was instantly ready to open his arms and include me in his day and life, even though we didn’t know each other well. I remember one of the first things that struck me about Bruno was his kind eyes. He has been through a lot, but it hasn’t extinguished his kindness.

Through staying with Stephen and Mary and going out on the streets with them, I learned a lot about what true hospitality looks like. They welcomed me into their home, supported me, and showed me love in so many ways. Likewise, the street kids welcomed me as soon as they met me and treated me with respect and kindness. Even though I was a stranger who couldn’t speak their language well, they patiently waited for me to struggle through basic Portuguese sentences. They accepted my presence and treated me like either a regular street worker or a friend, but not a random visitor.

Their acceptance was a testament to Stephen and Mary’s work. They have built strong relationships with the kids and are friends with them. In fact, they introduced me as “our friend from England.” Friends meeting friends.

The respect the street kids have for Stephen and Mary is obvious. It’s clear these two have offered them safety and proved themselves to be trustworthy. I got all the benefits of being Stephen and Mary’s friend, as the street children’s respect for them meant I received a warm welcome.

The safety of the trusting relationships Stephen and Mary have offered the children was most evident in one moment on my last day with them. Alex was the only child with us. He turned 16 that week but looks and acts much younger. Stephen had a children’s Bible with him, and Alex wanted him to read from it. As Stephen read, Alex was very engaged and interested. Lying on his side, he edged closer to Stephen, leaning over his arm, watching the words Stephen read and looking at the picture. He was physically close to Stephen, listening and enjoying the story, completely safe. It reminded me of a child listening to his father read him a bedtime story. Alex felt safe with Stephen and Mary, and it showed in his body language and interactions with them.

It was a beautiful moment of innocence and safety for a child who lives and sleeps on the street. It’s hard to reconcile it with the other experiences I had of Alex over the week, like when I saw him do drugs, or when he showed us where he had slept the night before, pointing matter-of-factly at a bundle of dirty blankets on the street in the center of São Paulo.

I remember Stephen talking about family during the week. He said he and Mary go out on the street as a family and they invite the kids to be part of their family.

Every day I saw the street kids come and find Stephen and Mary on the steps. They came knowing they would be accepted and that Stephen and Mary would be happy to see them. Sometimes they just talked or colored. More often they wanted to play Uno, and there was a lot of laughter and friendly competition. Some of the kids came by for a brief talk and a hug and kiss. Others stayed all afternoon.

There is a family reunion every day on the steps of Praça da Sé. It’s an odd-looking family. Sometimes it’s big, and sometimes it’s small. It’s not always accepted or understood by onlookers, but it’s a family nonetheless.

And Jesus sits right in the middle.