By Matthew Chua*

I arrived in Mexico City two weeks ago not knowing what to expect, and two weeks later, each day is still overflowing with surprises.  My first few days in Casa Manuel were an interesting mix of handling the language barrier, receiving welcoming gestures yet with the still unfamiliar awkwardness, and with not knowing what will happen next for each part of the day up to dinner time each day.

The last part probably had to be the most frustrating part about being here; everything happened as it came and I just had to go with the flow otherwise my more Asian, as well as Bostonian, instincts of being in control of my time would cause unbearable inner turmoil.

Now, I am undergoing intensive Spanish classes, and for Ronald and me, the only breaks we have from Spanish lessons are when we sleep. And I have started teaching English to two of the young aspirants here as well, so that makes my day feel more fruitful. Everyone from the cook, Alvira, to the Assumptionist brothers at the house of Casa Manuel and San Andres and even the dogs at both houses have been very welcoming. It is interesting to see how things happen here. Like how they had a fiesta for Carlos Ascensio’s first profession of vows until 3am and made him wear the toy jewelry of a princess and made him take turns to dance with all the eagerly waiting elderly ladies.  I am really looking forward to the Mission in Veracruz in July, as a couple of the guys in the house are from Veracruz. They came into contact with the Assumptionists through the previous Summer Mission and decided to join the community. They have told me how beautiful it is there and how the work we will be doing there is nothing short of spectacular. For me, it sounds like the romantic missionary ideal I’ve always had: out in the mountains solely for one’s faith and going door to door preaching or talking to people about God and also visiting sick people in the hospitals to give communion.

A picture paints a thousand words, so here are a few pictures and their short descriptions that broadly paint a picture of my time here so far in Mexico City.

Everyday continues to be full of surprises. Twice so far I had to dress in religious vestments; one for the monthly donations of Casa Manuel’s formation program at the Emparatriz Parish and the other for Carlos’s Profession of Vows. The beautiful views of the city and of the mountains, the warmth and curiosity of people here when I meet them, seeing the unique nature of religious devotion in Mexico and all the sights, colors, sounds and smells continue to brighten each day.

*Matthew Chua is a resident of the Assumptionist Center in Brighton, MA and a student at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. After deciding not to go home to Singapore, China for the summer, Matthew expressed a desire to work with the Assumptionists and serve in one of their missions. While two options were a possibility, that is, Mexico or the Philippines, the former has become a reality. In addition to serving the church in Mexico with the community, he also works with the Assumptionist candidates in improving their English.