Frt. Hoang Do, SVD
Spanish Lessons
A Journey of Leaving the Familiar to Find God’s Plan
By Frt. Hoang Do, SVD
Moving to Madrid has been an exciting and challenging adventure.
For me, being a missionary has always meant stepping away from the familiar to follow God’s call. As the plane landed in a country I had only heard about from my Spanish teacher at Divine Word College or seen in pictures and videos online, I felt a mix of excitement and fear.
Stepping out of the airport, I realized I was no longer in Vietnam, where I had returned for a short visit during the summer, nor in the United States, where I lived for the past eight years. I was somewhere entirely new, carrying a swirl of emotions inside me. Honestly, that feeling of excitement mixed with uncertainty has stayed with me, day after day, even now as I sit and reflect while writing this.
The journey begins
My journey here began with a retreat in Fatima, Portugal, a place I never imagined I would visit. Every year, the Spain and Portugal provinces of our congregation gather for a retreat, hosted alternately by each province. Last year, it was held in Fatima to mark 75 years of our presence in Portugal.
Slowly I begin to realize that this was not just a random stop on my journey, but it was part of God’s greater plan for me. Fatima became the starting point for my cross-cultural experience. It was where my faith was deepened and my heart was opened to all the new experiences waiting ahead.
One of the first challenges after returning to Madrid was learning Spanish. It hasn’t always been easy, but even the struggle has taught me something important about mission: It begins with a true and active listening, with patience, openness and a desire to understand.
Spanish has become more than just vocabulary and grammar, but a doorway into a whole new world. As language and culture are so deeply connected, learning Spanish has allowed me to truly be present with people here. I realize that I can’t really share the Gospel if I haven’t first listened to people’s stories, their joys, their struggles and their hearts in their own language.
Being in a new country also has taught me that mission isn’t just about learning the language or the culture. It’s also about being welcomed into a new community. Living and working alongside other missionaries has made all the difference. Their presence, support and wisdom remind me that I’m not alone on this path. I’m constantly learning, and I’m trying to stay open, humble and ready to learn from everyone around me.
One of the most powerful parts of my journey has been visiting sacred places, including cathedrals, monasteries, churches and chapels. Walking into these spaces, I feel deeply connected to those who have prayed there before me as well as those who pray there with me. It’s a powerful reminder that our faith is both ancient and still so alive today.
I’ll never forget spending Holy Week in Zamora. I had heard about Spain’s Holy Week celebrations, but seeing them in person was something else entirely. As I stood among the crowds, watching the “pasos,” the beautiful processions telling the story of Jesus’ Passion, I felt so close to him. It was an experience that moved me deeply.
As I write this, I’m filled with a growing sense of hope that has been nurtured here during my time in Spain. It’s a hope rooted in faith, in the people I’ve met and in the living Church around me. Pope Francis’s words for the Jubilee Year 2025 have stayed in my heart: “Hope is the virtue that inspires us and keeps us moving forward.”
In a world so full of pain, division and uncertainty, being a missionary today means carrying hope—a hope that says: “You’re not alone. God is with you.”
Mission isn’t always about preaching or doing grand things. More often, it’s simply about being present, walking with people, feeling their struggles, sharing their joys and faith, and trusting that God is already at work in every encounter. I’ve come to firmly believe something I once learned only in books and theology courses: that being a missionary isn’t just about bringing the Gospel, but also about discovering it is already alive in people’s day-to-day existence, their traditions and their hearts.
A world hungry for hope
My time in Spain is shaping me. It’s teaching me to slow down, to really listen and to be open to change. I’m still learning, still growing. And in a world so hungry for hope, I pray that my life and my presence always point to the one who is the true and lasting hope, Christ himself.
Frt. Hoang Do SVD was born in Vietnam and moved to the United States in 2016. Just six months after arriving, he was introduced to Divine Word Missionaries and eventually joined them. After completing his second year of theology studies at the Chicago Theological Union, he traveled to Madrid to spend two years in the Cross-Cultural Training Program.
This article is courtesy of the Divine Word Missionaries Mission Office in Techny, Illinois.
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