BRAZILIAN JUNE WITH THE VU FAMILY

The day dawned when I left the shores of India for Brazil. 15 May, Qatar Airways 523 GOX-DOH and 773 DOH-GRU. We reached on time at GRU airport, and Bro Rene and Nathan were there to take us to our respective homes. I was to stay with Mrs Vu for five days, then join the pilgrimage group and return to her house after the pilgrimage was over.

During those five days, I got to meet Mrs Branca, a Canadian friend of the Vu family. She was very warm and made me feel at home.

Mrs Vu is Vietnamese. She is a mother of six children, three of whom live with her while one married son is settled in Canada. Of the other two sons, one is a Heralds priest, Fr James Vu. The other had gone lobster fishing with his father Mr Huan Vu to some place in Canada.

I was alloted a single bedroom which had no windows. I think it was originally designed to be the pantry but later was furnished into a bedroom. They also had two other guest rooms, one with a double bed and the other with twin beds.

The weather being very cold, I was grateful that there were no windows and Mrs Vu also had in each room a dehumidifier to keep the room dry.

Living at the Vu residence made me appreciate the 'cell' that my children live in especially Nathan. As a child, I had a room all to myself (being an only child has its perks) so I craved for the solitude. For one month at the Vu residence, I got my childhood memories back.

The climb up to the Vu residence, as you can see, is quite steep. In May, the pathway wasn't done so it was muddy. Later, when I returned, it was done. Mrs Vu would climb up and down with ease like a young gazelle whereas I would be panting like an oversized elephant!

As I was a guest in their home, I requested Mrs Vu to cook her style of cooking so I could learn. She often made pho, a soup with chicken, rice noodles and vegetables. Very tasty and very nutritious. The Vietnamese cuisine is very simple; I tried out the soup when I stayed later with my daughter.

In those days, I also got to visit Contemplacao Marial with the Vu family. Mr Louie Sequeira Vaz took me to see their home in Parque Suica. Although I didn't know then, this was going to be our residence in July. God works in mysterious ways!

Here's how I lived at the Vu residence. I was so much inspired that when I returned home, I bought us a dehumidifier and got the small bedroom designed as a cell.

During those five days I also went with Mrs Vu and Mrs Branca daily for Mass in the morning to Monte Carmelo chapel. I caught glimpses of many sisters whom I had seen in videos (Heralds without Secrets channel) and felt connected to them in some strange way. Mrs Vu and Mrs Branca would recite the rosary as we walked to and from the chapel.

Mrs Branca also took me on walks inside the Condominio. There was a duck pond where we would sit to recite a couple of decades of the rosary before continuing our walk.

When the weather was sunny, I washed my clothes and hung them out to dry. The washrooms in the Vu residence were styled like hotel ones. Only thing missing was hot water from the sink tap.

The five days passed by so quickly; from May 20, I was in the pilgrimage house until 11 June.

I returned 11 June night, kind courtesy Sr Valerie, who dropped me off. I settled into my routine soon enough. Only difference was Mrs Branca wasn't there to chat with: she had left on 2 June for her home in Canada.

Mrs Vu is not the chatty type unlike her husband Mr Huan. So I experienced a kind of retreat atmosphere during the 20 days that I continued to live there. Her daughters were more communicative but alas! They were not always around. I took to reading the magazines and books written by Msgr Joao to pass my time. I really missed my routine in India during those days.

Thanks to a full fledged library of Heralds magazines and books in the Vu home, I was able to complete two books - Mary Most Holy Part One and New Insights on the Gospels (Advent Lent).

Mrs Vu does not cook continental cuisine so she had to improvise for me. She gave me either pho or bread with chicken paté for breakfast. On Sunday, I got invited to their home on the first floor for PIZZA.

I wanted to attend the Congress so I was determined to get enrolled in the Third Order, get the cape which was my passport to get admitted to the Congress. It took a while to get the form filled.

Then Fr Mario Beccar said that I must go to Aura Prophetarum for my cape. How to ask Mrs Vu to take me so far? So I asked Dona Lucilia. Next morning I was on my way to get the cape, keys and medallion!

That evening, I was officially made a Third Order member in a solemn ceremony at Nossa Procura during the Eucharistic celebration. June 17, my grandfather's birthday.

The next day was a very special day for me as my beloved daughter Charis was going to be 18 years old! I had brought her some gifts which I gave her after Mass in the evening.

In the afternoon, we went to Sierra de Canteira for lunch with the Sequeira Vaz family. They gifted her a birthday cake.

That evening we were invited to dinner with Fr Bandet. But, before that, we got a special tour of the fourth floor where the tailoring unit is and all the private chapels. I especially loved Fr Bandet's chapel because it had the baby Jesus.

A couple of days later, Mrs Vu took me into the city to make some purchases at the supermarket called Andorinha. I picked up some meats for my July stay at Parque Suica. She told me that I could invite my daughter home for lunch and cook something as they were going out on Sunday.

So I called Charis over but prepared a simple fare with the ingredients available in the pantry. There was a ripe avocado which I cut and served as dessert.

The next day, I saw the remaining avocado pulp taken upstairs and a raw avocado from the fruit basket also vanished. Strange behaviour towards a guest, I thought to myself! Maybe they didn't appreciate me helping myself to it without their permission.

That evening, a minor miracle took place. I was returning from my walk and prayed for a sign to confirm if Daniel should come to Brazil. I told Dona Lucilia to give me an avocado. I searched beneath a neighbour's tree, one that had over a dozen of them but no luck! So I thought, well, looks like Dan is not destined to become a First Order.

Just as I was reaching the kerb close to the Vu residence, I spotted a raw avocado! And later, another one! Boy, how I chuckled at the thought that here were two avocados straight from her tree. God works in mysterious ways, or should I say Dona Lucilia?

To help me with my predicament of where to stay in July (as the Vu family couldn't accomodate me), the Sequeira Vaz family agreed to renting out their place for the whole month of July for a very nominal amount. I went shopping again with them to stock the fridge and pantry. I guess I went overboard and bought way too much than I actually consumed. Anyway, better to have excess than to die of starvation!

We also had to get help to transport my belongings on D day (1 July) plus to go daily for Mass. This help came in the form of a gentle old lady, Dona Fabiola, who agreed to assist us for the entire month of July.

And so, on 1 July, early morning I made my way to Mass and returned with Dona Fabiola to bid farewell to the Vu family. I had to keep the money I wanted to pay Mrs Vu for my stay in the book I was reading (New Insights). Only when I was on my way to Parque Suica, I messaged her to look for it. She messaged back that I had paid too much. She returned 400 USD and kept the rest but even that she later gave away to a needy sister, she said.

And so ended June in Brazil. I'll tell you what we did in July in another blog post.

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