Our 5th Son

Since moving to Lesotho our entire family has been very aware of how drastically different the American culture is from the Basotho culture. However, there are times when this dichotomy still takes our breath away.

Our friend Rex reminded us once again today just how drastically different his reality is from ours and how truly blessed we are to know him. Rex spends most of his life with our family.  He lives directly behind us in a tiny one-bedroom apartment, where he shares a bedroom with his parents. His father works at the prison and his mother is a teacher in another village. She is gone for a month at a time and comes home only for one weekend at the end of each month. He is a typical Basotho child, left to his own for much of the day...everyday. 

Rex turns 13-years-old this Friday, and up until today nobody was planning a party for him. In fact, his mother will not even be home and his father will be busy all day as well. I don't think he has ever had a birthday party, but this year, as he becomes a teenager he will celebrate! 

Our boys were devastated when they heard nobody was planning to make their friend's birthday special, so they started planning. We are going to throw Rex's first EVER birthday party! He will have presents, cake, ice cream, and games. We asked him if he'd like to invite his parents. He just looked down and said, "They would not come." 

I told Rex that we love him and will do all we can to make his day special. His beautiful, dark eyes danced, he flashed his handsome smile, bowed his head and quietly replied, "Thank You." 

We did not think we were in need of another young boy to care for, and it requires effort to be part of Rex's life. There is risk involved in loving Rex, but it is a risk we have decided as a family we are willing to take. In human terms we do a great deal for this little boy, but little did we know how desperately we needed him in our lives. He is a living, breathing reminder of the simplest joys in life, and a constant conviction of all we took for granted. Oh, how we praise GOD for bringing Rex to our gate everyday, and for allowing us to love him like the 5th son we never knew we needed!