Ciao Pato!

We presented Pato with a card and the news the other night…This crazy-goofy, always laughing-speaking-spanglish-personality-futbol player is going home tomorrow to Argentina after a group of us pulled together and raised $1400 in one week (mom, you donated money by the way =).
Pato hasn’t been home since his freshman year at Midcontinet in Kentucky. I met him last year at Hope in California as he was a transfer on the men’s soccer team. AND NOW he is here with the hopester squad that moved to Chicago.
Fernando accidentally leaked the news the night before we presented him with the e-ticket, but all is well - and it was Fernando’s birthday so we couldn’t give him a hard time. Pato cried and was incredibly grateful, and with the little English he knows he attempted a speech, “I don’t understand it why people would do this for me. Thank you, I am blessed.”
To be honest I didn’t think we were gonna pull it off. It was Cristian’s idea. Then Ashleigh and I hit up all the dorms to collect money - we obtained over $300 the first night. Serena’s boyfriend Chris was fronting the money to buy the ticket until we could pay him off. Thank you to everyone who donated! And thanks to all those who prayed! Pato saw a little bit of Christ this week, and he witnessed how God works through prayer. Pretty sweet.