I was a bit apprehensive to return to West Dallas and Wesley-Ranking community center. I worked here for two years, 1995-1997, and left 28 years ago. These were impactful years. At 22 years old, all I wanted to do was find some place, some community, lower economic, and serve. I was naive, idealistic, and innocent. I was placed at Wesley-Rankin through the United Methodist US-2 program. As I arrived, seeing the bars on the windows, the barb wire on the fences, the dilapidated homes, and graffiti everywhere, I was frightened, wondering what I had gotten myself into. I didn’t just work here, this was to be the neighborhood I lived. I pulled up to the house on Obenchain, unpacked, and that night clutched my dog, Bailey, tight as I slept. First impressions are often wrong impressions. Here in West Dallas, I discovered real community, great people, and an active God.

I came here to be the youth leader at a community center that did have an after-school program for elementary age, but no youth group. I was starting from scratch, and surprisingly, soon roughly 15 junior high boys started coming. They frightened all the girls away so 9 months later, an only girls group got started that quickly became 8-10. As the youth program grew, Ernie Cote and I started a mentoring group called Compadres where we paired each of our junior high boys with mentors. The mentors came out of nowhere as a chance meeting with a Dallas reporter created an article in the Dallas Morning newspaper.

These were extremely likable youth with difficult lives. We took them camping (they were excited to see cows but nervous about sleeping a night in the woods), on college visits, to sporting events, retreats, and taught them about faith, life skills, and let them know that they belonged here.

At the community center, I also worked with amazing people Kathy, Joanne, Irma, Maria, Samuel, Shawn, Ernie, and Sarah, our inspirational leader. I will never forget Sarah’s passion and commitment to west Dallas. In fact, everyone’s dedication, humor, and friendship made this a wonderful place to serve God. Sadly, a few of the staff have passed, and all have moved on. Thankfully two nights ago, I was able to have dinner with Ernie, Maria, Juan, Irma, and Skinny, and they have not changed a bit. Still wonderful people, with great humor and dedicated lives.

So now, here I am 28 years later coming back, what should I expect? The people (the staff) have changed, the mission and dedication, the same. Yesterday, I got to volunteer for the seniors program, and it felt like old times except I was a volunteer (and much older myself). I played bingo, had conversation (still struggled with Spanish), and ate Tostadas. I wondered Wesley-Ranking grounds and the neighborhood. All while memories kept flooding back. The years were not easy. I saw blatant prejudices against the Latino people of West Dallas. Sadly, this also came from within the Church. Youth came to me with their problems and they were not like things I dealt with. Gangs, poverty, and a belief that there was not hope in their future shaped many of their lives. Many of the youth had wonderful families, but the times were still tough. Bricks were thrown at my house, my car stolen (and burned), the local gang inhabited the vacant house two doors down from mine, and I am pretty sure one neighbor sold drugs, but despite it all, we were living real life together. I truly did see God here more than my middle-class upbringing, and I did learn more here about what it means to be a community of support, care, dedication, and love. If someone’s house needed work, they did not call a construction company. On Saturday the neighbors would gather at the house and work. It was like a good old-fashion Amish barn raising in the middle of Dallas. Each week a neighbor invited the entire street to his house on Fridays to kick back and fellowship. Sadly, as an outsider I was not invited. However, I remember when it first happened. After about 6 months, the party next door was in full swing. I could hear the music and see the fellowship. A moment later, I get a knock on my door. I opened it to no one there, but a plate of food sitting at my doorstep. The first small act to include me as part of the neighborhood. In many ways the best of what church is meant to be I saw most clearly first through a community surrounding Wesley-Ranking community center.

And in the end, this is why I came back. In fact, yesterday I met Juan, the “Older Adult Program Manager.” He asked me that specific question and besides knowing that these were two impactful years, I did not have a very eloquent answer. But now I think I do. I came back to remember who God is and how God works. Much of life today pulls us apart even families. But the Christian life is a shared life with God and each other, and we can only truly discover the real abundance of life when we live such a shared life with passion to serve. This time in Dallas reminded me that life is about mission, God’s mission and to serve. Joy is most often known when you live God’s mission to serve. God’s love for those seniors in West Dallas (and all of West Dallas) is immense. We are God’s people wherever we are. Let us not overlook people or the opportunity to live the messiness of life together in God. Yes, the world is imperfect with many bad things occurring, but it’s also good. When we try to eradicate the imperfect, we actually often add to the world’s imperfection. On the flip side, when we live imperfect lives together in God’s grace we somehow grow and become whole. This is not to say that we should not fight against injustice, greed, violence, drugs, or hate. We do with our words and our lives as an alternative to all these things. If I am honest, and many times we don’t like to be honest especially with ourselves. However, if I am honest, I struggle with stereotypes, insecurities, distrust and suspicion of the other. For some reason, the seed of this is in all of us and it’s best to be aware. God’s great answer in Christ, who broke down all dividing walls to enable peace, is life together through Christ. Again, don’t overlook others. Live real life together, and let God’s grace abound.