Mexico: Report from Boys Town - 26 Jul 2006
By Kelly Greene
One afternoon, I took a small
group into Boys Town to visit with my friends. Sarah, a hair stylist from Tulsa, came that afternoon with the tools of
her trade that afternoon. We created an
impromptu beauty shop right at the entrance of my favorite crack bar, La
Paloma. It was beautiful to see these
women having their hair done, just like normal women. It was such a hit that we returned the
following two days. The next day, we
came armed with materials for manicures and pedicures as well as hairstyling.
It was so precious to see the girls from Boys Town
sitting in chairs, while my friends so selflessly washed and scrubbed their
feet. They laughed together and talked about highlights and nail polish
colors.
It was a beautiful Gospel being
preached with love and service.
The
girls in Boys Town knew it, too.
- One girl, named Aidee, literally started crying as one of us massaged her hand before painting her nails.
- Another woman, Yolanda, wept as her hair was
being washed. She said to me, “It feels
like God is washing my hair. Before
today, I didn’t think God existed.
Today, I know He does. I don’t
want to do drugs anymore.” She went on
later to tell someone she used to be “one of us,” meaning she used to
distribute food and clothing to the poor with her church. One day she felt like God left her, and she
left Him. She’s been in Boys Town
ever since.
She even cut a mullet for
Jesus that day! Jose Luis sat himself
down in that chair with his long, black curls past the middle of his back and
began to describe the haircut he desired…it was, indeed, a mullet - business in
the front and a party in the back!
Apparently, Sarah had done a few mullets back in the 80’s, because she
sure didn’t waste anytime. The grin on
Jose Luis’ face when she finished said it all.
Later that night, I returned
with a few friends to visit Aidee. She was
getting ready for work that night when we found her in her room. She simply began to weep. She told us how her mother was probably
praying for her right at that moment, and how she knew that God wanted to use
her life. She’s 25 years old and wants to
return to her family in order to put her life back together.
The truth is…
I have to tell you, it’s
really hot here. It’s not very pretty in
terms of lush, green landscape to look at. People are different in a border town, and I think it may take a lifetime
to grow accustomed to their ways. But at
the end of each day, I don’t really think so much about all of that. I think how amazing it is that Jesus invites
us – sinners, inconsistent, simple-minded - into establishing His kingdom on
earth by serving and loving the forgotten ones.
Scrubbing the feet of a prostitute and cutting a mullet for a crack
addict and hugging a girl who simply misses her praying mother sound simple,
but it’s the Kingdom
of Heaven come to
earth. And while some days I think about
it, the truth is, I wouldn’t trade any of this for lush, green landscape any
day.
I’ve found Jesus here.
Thank you for being a huge
part of this in prayer and support and friendship. I couldn’t do any of it without you!
Kelly Greene
God bless you,
The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have
heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have
longed for me to do. The Lord’s promises
are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. Therefore, Lord, we know you will protect the
oppressed…” Psalm 12:5-7a