And as the lepers went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17: 14b-19

We always spot Prince first. It’s a sign that Alex is somewhere around. Prince is his latest canine friend. He hasn’t had much luck with dogs for the last few years. Thankfully, the last one did not die on him. Someone stole it from him. It is still tragic but the lesser of the two evils. It was a police officer who took his dog. We don’t know the details and decided to leave it at that. However, it doesn’t take long for Alex to get a new dog. In reality, they find him. It is the strangest thing. He attracts lost dogs, especially the ones that are independent. They voluntarily attach themselves to him. It is more like the adopt him. They take care of themselves and protect him at night.

As expected, Alex showed up but he was visibly upset. He shook our hands and told us that he is not in the right frame of mind to sit and talk with us at this present moment. Someone had upset him. He was very angry. He told us that he will come back when he feels more settled. Both Prince and Alex took off leaving us alone at the steps. We were a little surprised. Not with the fact that he was upset. Our children are always upset over something. However, Alex was able to express how he felt. He has come a long way. It is amazing that this is the same young teenager that we met about six years when he was barely thirteen.

Alex was a severely neglected child. He was always different from the other children. He almost behaved like he suffered from autism or Asperger’s syndrome. He hardly smiled and he never responded when asked him a question. He was completely oblivious to all social cues. He did not even know how to have a basic interaction with a regular person. Most people brushed him off as a rude child. Even the other homeless teens thought that he was strange. We initially felt the same way about him. He was definitely one of the most difficult boys in the streets. He never showed any gratitude whenever you did anything for him. He thought people were a means to an end. He lived off begging which did not help him change his views about people, initially.

Once he had a toothache that was making him extremely miserable. He asked for our help. We took him to the public health clinic but no one attended to his needs. He was homeless and the health care practitioners are not the most compassionate people. They tend to neglect the homeless population because they don’t like the way they smell or dress or for other trivial reasons. After several failed attempts trying to get service, we decided to pay for a private dentist out of our own pocket. It was quite expensive but the young man was in pain. We made an appointment at a private dental clinic. The dentist told us that Alex needed to extract two teeth which was going to cost more. She was not going to give us any discount even though Alex was homeless. Such is life. We agree to pay for the whole treatment. Everything went swiftly. She extracted both his teeth in less than ten minutes and Alex came out of the room smiling. His pain was gone. Then he just walked out of the clinic without saying thank you or even goodbye. He just walked away. Thankfully we have grown accustomed to his strange behavior. Nevertheless, we were still a little offended.

This was a few years ago. Alex gradually changed. He began to smile more. He started feeling comfortable talking to people. He was still awkward but people were patient with him. Eventually, he developed a habit of expressing appreciation and gratitude. At first, it was a mere formality. He did not really mean it, or least, it did not make any difference to him. He was saying these things more as a means to an end. Then, something started changing in him. He began to enjoy saying these things because he liked the response he got. People started talking to him more. He started developing a social life apart from the homeless youths among the business owners and store attendants in the city center. The security staff of the stores where he begged started treating him with affection. Sometimes they would even keep an eye on his things when he used the bathroom. Consequently, Alex became one of the most successful homeless teens. His bags were full of food and chocolates even though he doesn’t seem to like them. On his birthday, people would buy him a cake and give him presents. Alex learned something else. He learned to give what he received. He became aware of those who suffer. He was extremely sensitive to people who had physical challenges. I saw in several occasions helping homeless adults or giving them some of his food. He even wanted to buy special cards for the people with whom he corresponds from the States. We had to convince that it wasn’t necessary but he still insists. Alex has changed but he is still different from the rest. Now, the difference is not his awkwardness but his sense of gratitude. He has a genuine appreciation for the people God has put in His life. He still has a long way to go. All the neglect he suffered doesn’t go away so easily. However, he has found a way the road to healing.

When I read the above gospel story about the grateful leper, I saw Alex’s face immediately. He was once like the other nine who just walked away. Back then, he did not know that you don’t take people for granted. He did not have anyone in his early life to teach him this simple fact. Now, Alex has discovered that people like him for who he is. He is becoming to feel more like a genuine human being with a definite place in this world. As a result of this self-discovery, he has become more grateful. He says “thank you” not because it is the socially acceptable thing to say. He says it because he is grateful that his humanity is being restored each time someone shows him love even in the smallest way.

It is amazing that Alex is able to acknowledge how he feels today. He found the words to say, “I won’t be good company right now.” Even in this simple act, he has shown us that he believes that we deserve his best behavior. This is definitely a powerful transformation. For those who don’t know him, they might think that we are making too much of a simple gesture. However, we have seen him when he first came to the streets, we can hear angels singing and praising God because this young man has discovered something that he once lost. He has found the joy of living. We are glad that we are here to testify to this wonderful transformation. There is still a long journey ahead and we don’t mind it. We are truly grateful for what we have seen so far.