Saturday, Jan. 11 was a special evening for the Lost Boys of DFW, who celebrated their "birthdays" at a local church.  

The "Lost Boys" (though now men) fled horrific conditions in south Sudan as a result of a civil war in the 1980s that killed two million civilians. 

While many girls were killed, raped, or taken into slavery, 30,000 orphaned boys escaped Sudan to travel to Ethiopia, then to a refugee camp in Kenya, where 4,000 boys were finally aided by the U.S. government and safety transported stateside. Now, 100 of the "Lost Boys," named after the Peter Pan story, reside throughout Dallas-Fort Worth, with some in Arlington, Irving, Las Colinas, Irving and East Dallas.

According to Deanna Charles, who works with Friends of the Lost Boys of DFW, "[the Lost Boys] did not know their birth dates, so the U.S. government assigned them all birthdays of Jan. 1."

To aid these men in their pursuit of acclimating to American life, the Friends of the Lost Boys organization does everything from providing college scholarships to giving the men and their families access to basic household items such as towels and bedding. 

And, they have been throwing a "birthday party" for the Lost Boys, their wives and children for the last four years.

The event, held at Highland Park Presbyterian Church this year, featured a catered dinner and fellowship, a motivational talk, and an opportunity for the Lost Boys to shop through the pop-up "store" set up at the church. 

Through donations provided by the Highland Park Friends of the Lost Boys club as well as the local Young Men's Service League, the Sudanese men and families had the chance to receive several "birthday gifts" like new shoes, clothes, bedding, food and household items in the "store."

"We have had 54 guys graduate from college and have about ten more to help," Friends of the Lost Boys DFW President Dawn West said.

12-year Dallas resident and "Lost Boy" James Adol now spends time volunteering with the nonprofit, speaking at various engagements in the area about his time growing up in Africa and the dangerous conditions from which he fled.

Adol, married with a one- and four-year-old, said he couldn't have received his accounting undergraduate degree from UT-Dallas without the help of Friends of the Lost Boys. He is still, however, searching for work. Other men work at places like Tom Thumb and Home Depot, or local hospitals.

The Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of Friends of the Lost Boys has been a "huge help," according to the man. "We didn't have the opportunity to do anything [in Sudan, specially Bol, where the Dinka tribe lives]," Adol said. 

"Ther's still war there," he said, even though the nation achieved independence two years ago. Adol's uncle is fighting in the war, and he hasn't seen his mother, who is staying in a Sudanese refugee camp, in two years. He's not sure whether or not his grandmother is safe.

When asked what he might be doing if he were still in south Sudan, Adol simply said he didn't know. Despite the tough time adjusting to life in America, he said there's one thing that keeps him going: "determination."

Another refugee from south Sudan, Susan, said she has been stateside for less than a month. She was able to come to the States through her husband, Barnabas, who has now been in Dallas for ten years working as a registered nurse.

Susan's first goal in the U.S. is to pursue education because of the opportunities it offers. Leaving behind her mother, father, sister and six brothers, she said she is interested in nursing. 

She uses Skype to keep in touch with her family and hopes to travel back to Kenya where her family currently resides within the next two years, but still says "it's hard."

Susan said people in Dallas have been "good" and "accepting" so far. She and her husband go to church in their free time, and she wants to earn a degree as soon as she can.

The young woman's biggest goal? "To be successful in life." 

Soon after we spoke, Susan and her husband, along with several of the Lost Boys and their families, were going to shop in the "store" nearby. 'Are you excited to shop?' I asked.

"Very excited," Susan said, with a big, bold smile.

For more information on Friends of the Lost Boys DFW and to donate, click here.