We had the song and preach fest this afternoon in our church. We do this every 5th Sunday of the month. The last time we had it was last April. Hubby didn’t preach that time because he wasn’t prepared. This time he signed up and he prepared his message. He was the first one to go up the pulpit and preach. It was supposed to be a 5 minute message for each preacher but my hubby had preach longer than that. Imagine, he prepared a 3 page message and he just shortened it to 1 page but still he didn’t make it for 5 minutes. He preached maybe around 10-15 minutes. Oh well, it’s good he was the first one who preached. His message was entitled "Savior’s Light House" and his text verse is found in Matthew 5:14-16.

There were 6 preachers in our church who preached tonight and all the messages were good and it blessed my heart. In between the preaching was the singing. It was a good night and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in our church tonight. There was one mother who came in for the first time and she went to the altar and prayed. I’m sure she was moved with the messages and the songs. After the program, we all went to the dining hall and eat. We had lots of foods and desserts. It was really a good night, a night intended to praise and worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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Last Sunday morning, most of the people in our church were asking me how did my citizenship interview go? I told them that it went alright and I have answered all the questions and I passed it. They were all so happy and they congratulated me. I thanked them for all their prayers. If you have read in my previous post, I wrote there that I had requested my church to pray for me and they did. During the evening service last Sunday, Pastor Turner had announced in the church that I passed my citizenship interview and he congratulated me. I really didn’t expect that he will do that and I was elated. Bro. Allen told me to inform him when will be my oath ceremony because he wanted to attend. He said he will not go to work that day because he wanted to cheer for me when I will swear in and say the Oath Of Allegiance. My friend Ann told me that she already asked her mom-in-law to bake a cake for me for that day and decorate it with US flags. It’s so sweet of her.

Well, I’m still waiting for the USCIS to notify me when will be the schedule of my oath ceremony. The past few days I have been gathering information on how to acquire a dual citizenship. This will be the next step that I gonna do after I will get my US citizenship and US passport. I want to retain my Philippine citizenship because hubby and I are planning to go back there in God’s perfect time. I already printed the form in applying for a dual citizenship and when the time comes, I’ll file it to the Philippine Consulate in Houston. I’m glad that they honor dual citizenship in my country.

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Hey guys! I went for my citizenship test and interview this morning in Dallas. My interview time was scheduled at 9:55 AM. My hubby and I arrived in Dallas 45 minutes earlier because we spent the night at the house of our friends, Bro. Jesse and Ms. Sue in Alvarado. It was only a 48 minute drive to Dallas. There were many people who were waiting for their turn to be interviewed and tested when we arrived. It took me like forever waiting for my name to be called. Of course I was anxious of what would be the questions that they gonna asked me. But I have studied the reviewer that they gave me when I had my finger prints taken and I memorized all of it. I was confident that I can answer all the questions. By the way, weeks before my interview, I’ve been praying to God that I can pass the test and interview and that I will have a good and kind interviewing officer. I also requested my church to pray for my citizenship interview.

When it’s time for my name to be called, I went in and the interviewing officer looks like Asian. He was smiling to me and he looks so kind. While he was interviewing me, I saw his full name in his certificate hanging on the wall. I told him his name was a popular name in the Philippines. It was a name of one of our past presidents. He smiled and he said, maybe that’s his grandpa. Then he told me that he was born in the Philippines and he is a Filipino. A coincidence? No, I believe it’s an answer to my prayer that God will give me a good and kind interviewing officer. Then it’s time for the test and he asked me questions and I answered all of them correctly and quickly. After the 6th question, he stopped. Then he tested me to read and write. After that he told me, I passed the test. But he asked me to submit a police clearance through mail because my fingerprints was not processed. Remember I blogged here a few weeks ago that I had my fingerprints taken twice because the computer can’t read my fingerprints and still they weren’t able to process it the 2nd time. They said my fingerprints are worn out or better to say they’re not easy to see. So after I will send them the police clearance, then they will notify me when will be my oath ceremony.

So that’s it guys. I’m finally done with my citizenship interview and test and I passed it with flying colors. The test and interview lasted for twenty three minutes. Thank you Lord!!!

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This morning, hubby and I accompanied Mary Ann to Fort Worth for her biometrics. She had asked my hubby to drive for her because Jeff had to go to work. So the three of us went there and we arrived at La Gran Plaza Mall at 11:00 AM. She went in at the CIS office and asked if she can have her finger prints taken but they told her to wait for her scheduled time which is 12:00 noon. So we roamed around the mall and I saw a pair of sandals that caught my eye and I bought it. Whew! Me and my addiction of buying footwears. I’m still waiting for the 2 pairs of sandals and 1 pair of shoes that I bought online. There goes my blogging money again.


Then at exactly 12:00 noon they let in Mary Ann in and had her biometrics taken. It only took 15 minutes and she was done. Since we were already in Fort Worth, we decided to dropped by at Botanic Garden and have some picture taking. It was my 3rd time to go there and it was Ann’s 1st time to see the garden. The garden don’t have that much flowers as before. We just walked a little bit, took some photos and we left.

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Our friends Arlene and Raul are moving to Japan two weeks from now. They are good friends of ours and hubby and I will surely gonna miss them. I told them before that I will miss the supply of crappy fish from Raul and most of all their friendship. Arlene also had given me some of her clothes in the past and some of it are still brand new with the price tags still intact. She gave me signature bags and shoes too.

Then last weekend, they came in our house and they gave us 2 balikbayan boxes and two bags full of clothes. I sorted it out yesterday and those clothes are still in very good condition and mostly signature clothes too for me and my hubby. Some are still brand new with the price tags still intact. There are also a couple of ladies shoes, hair iron and curl and a nice display frame. I will send some of it to my family in the Philippines. I told Arlene that it’s like I’ve been to a big garage
sale with all the stuffs that they gave us. They’re really a blessing to us and I pray that the good Lord will guide and protect them as they go to Japan. We told them to keep in touch with us even when they’re already in another country.

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