Hearts In Motion: David meeting his sponsor

In March David had the opportunity to meet his sponsor and long time support in a different way then he had in the years past.

Scroll down and read about Leeanne's experience!

"The first time I saw David was our first trip to Guatemala with HIM in April 2006. I saw him at the hospital - he had come in for a cleft lip repair. He was one of the cutest kids I'd ever seen!! I took a great picture of him, and when I got home, I enlarged it and put it on my wall. He became my "poster boy." The following year he came back to the hospital for us to fix his cleft palate. The minute I saw him, I immediately recognized him and was very excited to see him again, and I was thrilled at how handsome he was after his lip repair!!! I took another photo of him, and put that with the first photo when I got home. Unfortunately, he got sick and we couldn't do his surgery in 2007. David returned in 2008 for his palate repair. Again, I recognized my "poster boy," hugged him and his mother, got another picture to add to my wall collection, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to assist with his surgery. Just before our HIM trip in 2009, my daughter, Lauren, in setting up the sponsorship program, called me to say that one of the children needing sponsorship looked familiar, and she thought he may have been my poster boy. She sent me pictures, and sure enough, I immediately recognized David!! Words cannot express how thrilled I was to have found him yet again, and to have the awesome opportunity to make him a long term part of our lives by sponsoring him. March 21, 2009- I had the thrilling experience to meet David (and his mom) again - only now he was our official sponsored child! A beautiful, loving, affectionate and sweet 4 year old! I got to give him simple gifts of new shoes, clothes and some toys, and he gave me the priceless gifts of warm hugs and a child's love! I hope David will forever be a part of our lives."

-Leeanne Patterson