Luis Robles from Ecuador has been engaged in mission work since he was 15 years old, and now, as a Divine Word Missionary student, he is spending time in the SVD AUS Province, opening himself up to a different culture and experience.

Luis, aged 26, is in Australia as part of the SVD’s Overseas Training Program (OTP) and says he is enjoying everything he does and “trying to make memories”.

Born in the city of Cuenca in the province of Azuay, Luis is the eldest of four brothers and comes from a farming family.

“When I was a teenager, 15-years-old to be specific, I joined a missionary group that belongs to the SVD in Ecuador, which works especially with young people,” he says.

“With this group, I participated in several missions for three years, mainly on weekends, because during the week I attended classes at my high school.

“Finally, on September 2, 2011, I joined the SVD formation house in Quito.”

Luis completed his two-year postulancy in Quito and then his novitiate in Asuncion, Paraguay, before beginning his philosophy and theology studies in Cordoba, Argentina in 2015.

“In 2019 I interrupted my studies in order to do my OTP experience and I arrived in the Australia Province in March last year,” he says.

Luis says he originally thought of going somewhere in Africa for his OTP, but then found that all of his classmates were headed there as well.

“So I changed my options because I wanted to have a different experience with a different reality, culture and traditions,” he says.

“Also, I read information about the Australian Province before leaving Argentina and realised that there is an important pastoral ministry with the indigenous peoples of this land. When I read that, I didn’t hesitate to choose Australia to do my OTP.”

Luis spent the first seven months of his OTP experience in Melbourne at the SVD’s Dorish Maru College (DMC) formation house, learning English.

“So far, I can say that I have enjoyed my time here,” he says.

“My main goal was to learn the language, but I also had other activities as a member of the DMC community. I enjoyed my time with all the brothers in Box Hill, and I’m grateful to them because they all helped me a lot with my English.”

After his English studies, Luis moved to the SVD’s Marsfield community in Sydney to complete his pastoral year, spending time with the Cana communities.

Cana Communities began as De Porres House in 1975 and has continued under the name Cana Communities Inc since 1995. Working in inner-Sydney, the organisation has set up a number of overnight shelters and homes. Since 2011, Cana has operated a Farm at Orchard Hills in the western suburbs of Sydney. At Cana Farm, people have the opportunity to learn and work in a supportive, caring environment.

Cana Communities’ primary purpose is to provide relief from poverty, suffering, destitution and helplessness for people struggling with mental illness, addiction, homelessness, loneliness and other factors that alienate them from society.

“It isn’t the first time that I’ve worked in this type of context, but of course, it has a different culture and background. I have to say it’s a challenge, but I believe I’m managing it.

“I’m getting close to the people who go to Cana. Obviously everyone goes there with a different situation and reality of life, but I like being there with them as one of them. I already have some friends, which is really good.”

Luis says that when he goes to Cana he has to leave aside all his academic studies.

“Because if I am going to see them with all my studies of ethics, morals, philosophy, theology and more, everything will be wrong in their lives. But if I leave all that behind, my encounter with them is fully the most human,” he says.

“So far, I’m very happy.”