A stranger lives on our fridge.

Shortly after Bronson turned one, I started looking for a child to sponsor in honor of him, hoping that as our family grew, so would the number of children we sponsor. On World Vision’s site, I was able to find a boy who shared Bronson’s exact birthday.

Shortly thereafter, Joshua stuck to our fridge.

When we received the initial package of information, Bronson sat on my lap while I opened the envelope. We looked at the map; I read the brochure; we learned about Joshua’s life. He was nearly one and half, just like Bronson. And when Bronson held the 2 x 3 photo of him, he grinned. He gave the photo a kiss before I placed a magnet on the little boy’s chest, keeping him at the forefront of our minds.

Sometimes we pray for Joshua. We’ve colored pictures for him, sent him stickers for Easter, his 2nd birthday and Christmas.

When an updated photo arrived, Joshua was wearing a Diego baseball shirt. This delighted Bronson – clearly they were friends, sharing a love of baseball.

A few days later, Bronson asked me if the house across the street was Joshua’s. Since they are friends, he thought he should go over for a visit. He recently made friends with a boy at another house across the street; so naturally, he thought Joshua would be close by, too. I explained that Joshua lived far away, that we couldn’t see him. Maybe someday when he was big he could meet Joshua, but for now we’d only write letters and send pictures.

He asked about Joshua’s house. I told him Joshua’s house was smaller than ours, that we had a lot of wonderful things – good food, warm house, clean water, lots of space for him to run, cozy beds. I told him Joshua’s family wanted to give Joshua all these things, too, and that’s why we’re friends with Joshua, to help, to understand, to personally connect.

It seemed like the right amount to explain. There’s so much he can’t understand right now, so much he shouldn’t understand (yet) about the inequalities of the world, the fears so many children and parents live with.

But sponsoring Joshua isn’t about statistics or facts or global problems. It’s about connecting two boys. It’s about exposing Bronson to a child just like him. Recognizing similarities comes far more naturally to kids. To Bronson, Joshua is just like him. He runs and jumps and plays ball and goes fishing. He has parents and siblings.

We recently received a video to provide a better glimpse into Joshua’s days. Bronson watched the video five times a row, and Oli danced to the music.

In a world filled with towering adults, kids instantly recognize their sameness – they’re the short ones. The little guys band together. We’re just giving him the opportunity to band together with a boy far away, and hopefully, it’ll make both their lives better.

(Note: We plan on finding another boy to sponsor who shares Oli’s birthday soon.)

Want to sponsor a child, too? Click here to change a child’s life today!