Hajja Salesjana July-September 2019

9 H AJJA S ALESJANA All photos in this article by Shaun & Chantelle Xuereb the boys to bed. Nonetheless, both Shawn and myself agree that this experience gave us the most profound satisfaction. The warm hugs the boys shared with us; the fact that we were teaching them real-life values, like honesty and generosity; the knowledge that we gave them a sense of home, such as when reading bed-time stories to them; the joy of giving something as simple as clothes to someone who truly needed them… all these emotion-laden moments have left us with a sense of fulfilment that is very hard to express in words. The weekends we shared with the boys were also something we will keep close to our heart. On some weekends we organised outings for them, so that like children in home settings, they could enjoy life to the full outside the residential care. With these boys, we shared the most awesome of adventures. We swam in thermal baths and climbed Mount Chimborazo, the highest volcano in Ecuador. We also went to game parks and ate the largest Chinese dish we ever set our eyes on. It was so funny to compete with the boys who could eat the most rice, and to have the smallest 9-year-old win the competition! When it was time to say goodbye to these boys, and to Ecuador, our hearts broke. Parting with the children and people we had worked with throughout the past year was one of the hardest moments of our lives. The notion of returning to our ‘normal’ lives in Malta seemed daunting, and maybe we have not yet settled down fully, even though we have been here since February 2018. However, we have no regrets. Our year of travel and volunteering was truly a gift from God, where we were given the chance to spread love and joy among so many people. Moreover, it brought us closer as a young married couple and strengthened our belief in the importance of voluntary work. Indeed, now we know, more than ever before, that when you donate your time and energy to those who need it, your heart feels truly complete. As the saying goes, ‘giving is receiving’, and Shawn and I could not urge people enough to go and experience this truth for themselves!