Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive. Luke 20:38

Then the thief said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’ Luke 23: 42-43

Finding his grave was a challenge. The rain did not help either. We did not have much information except that he was buried in this particular cemetery. It was in a neighborhood in the eastern part of the city. This is a huge city and the eastern part is almost like a foreign country for all of us. Usually, it is difficult to get our young people anywhere beyond the limited geographic area where they sleep and hang out. They don’t like taking the bus nor the subway train. They get a little claustrophobic. However, today was different. They were willing to step out of their comfort zone. It was necessary. We were all stepping out of our comfort zone.

Over the years, many of our homeless youth have died. The amazing thing is that this is the first time they wanted to go to the grave site. They wanted to say a proper goodbye to Wanderson. Our young people have matured. Before they were just kids. Death was a tragic event but the reality of it did not hit them hard. Now they are older. Their relationships become more meaningful. They understand that these relationships help them get anchored in life. Wanderson’s sudden departure shook their world profoundly. They needed some sort of closure. They asked us to organize their trip to the cemetery.

It was a small group. Bruno, Gabriel, Daniel and an elderly lady who decided a few years ago to become Wanderson’s unofficial godmother. She owns a bed and breakfast where Wanderson worked and helped out every now and then. We did not notice his disappearance at first because all of us imagined that he was at her place. Wanderson has been in the streets since he was twelve. He avoided being involved in any crime. Consequently, he never spent any time away from the streets like some of the youth who were frequently detained in the juvenile detention center. Even when he stayed with his “godmother” at the bed and breakfast, it was only for a few days. All his strong relationships were formed in the streets; it wasn’t just with the other homeless young people. He had strong ties with everyone who worked in the street. He wasn’t really a dynamic person. Actually, he was a reserved taciturn person. The truth be told, he was always sniffing paint thinner. Part of this was due to his limited mental capabilities. Wanderson was a little special. His family placed him in the state orphanage because they were too poor. Maybe there were other reasons but none of them were malicious. Unfortunately, for Wanderson and many of our homeless youth, it was a sign of rejection. He never overcame this rejection like almost all our youth. They can overcome almost all kinds of abuse but rejection strikes them deep in their souls. Over the years, he had very minimal contact with his family. In fact, they were unaware of his passing, The police were not able to get in touch with them. They knew of his passing through us.

When Wanderson disappeared, no one was too worried. We thought he was at the bed and breakfast. Then we noticed his prolonged absence. We called his “godmother” and she informed us that he had not appeared there for weeks. Finally, Mary and I had to file a missing person report. We had his birth certificate and we also brought a recent photo. Later in the evening on the same day, the police got in touch with us and informed us that Wanderson had passed away. He died of natural causes. Apparently, he was walking in the streets and collapsed. A passer by called the ambulance and they managed to revive him once but his heart eventually stopped beating before they got to the hospital. He was brought directly to the morgue. This was why we did not have any records of him in the hospitals. We went to the hospitals first before going to the police. The death report stated that no drugs nor violence were involved. His body just gave up after living all those years in the streets homeless. Unfortunately, this is quite common for most of the children and teens who become homeless at a young age. Wanderson was only 25. We have known him since 2014.

Mary helped teach him how to read. Some one from Florida sent us a book in Portuguese. I can’t recall the title but it was a book about Aesop’s fables. It was the first and only book Wanderson had read in its entirety. Perhaps it sounds like nothing for most people but for Wanderson and us, it was a great achievement. However, it wasn’t just about achieving something. It was the time spent together. I remember that there were some people from Florida who corresponded with him. One Christmas, he bought a Christmas card with money he got from begging to send to the person with whom he was corresponding. Wanderson was complex. Sometimes he was moody and aloof but, at the same time, he was open to people who showed love and attention. It was like a contradiction. Well, our homeless youth are complex. We take them as they are.

At the cemetery, we had to find the administrative office first to find out where exactly he was buried. It was no easy task. Nothing is easy here especially when you are poor in this city. Our homeless youth are the poorest of the poor. It took the administrator a while to find the exact lot where he was buried. When we got there, there was nothing. It was a small section with brown dirt. There was no plaque, no tombstone; just brown dirt. There was a man was sitting in a makeshift tent. We asked him if we were in the right place. He made some phone calls and then pointed to an area and told us that Wanderson was buried somewhere around there. He informed us that in order to conserve space, they bury people in layers. Wanderson was buried between two people. Then the man tried to convince us to pay for a plaque which he will do for a good price. I told him that we were there to mourn and he left us alone.

The young people brought several candles and his “godmother” brought some flowers. She even had a bar of chocolate. It was Wanderson’s favorite chocolate. We had a photo of Wanderson with Daniel and myself at a museum we visited. All three of us were laughing. It was the way we want to remember him. We placed the photo on the ground and the lit the candles. I opened the Book of Common Prayer and did a simple memorial service for him. Then I asked each person to take a moment at the grave site alone to say a prayer and our farewell to Wanderson. Of all our years in this ministry, this is the first time we have done anything of this sort. It is good for all them to know that we are here for these moments too.

We left the cemetery feeling a lot better than when we went there. We felt like we gave Wanderson a proper goodbye. He died alone in the streets. However, we wanted to have something religious even if it was just for ourselves. Wanderson was someone special to us. He did not leave this world like an invisible person. He left us with good memories. He remains alive in us through this memories. Thankfully, we also have hope. We have a King who inclines His ears to those who are forgotten and rejected in this world. This King is willing to listen and accept those whom the world throws away like the good thief at the Cross. Wanderson was always open to people who showed him love. Many times, he was held back by his intellectual challenges but it did not prevent him from showing that he was open to receive love and kindness.

We left the cemetery with the burning hope that one day we don’t have rely just on our memories to be with him.