I have wrote in my other blogs that I finally sworn in as a US citizen last October 2nd in Arlington Convention Center. My church family who had been wanting to attend were not able to go because it was not held here in our city. It was more than 2 hours drive and my hubby and I went to spend the night at Shelly’s house in Cleburne because it’s a closer drive rather than from here in our place.

I told my church family that we will just celebrate after my oath ceremony. So tomorrow, we will have my citizenship party in our church’s dining hall right after our evening service. I made a lot of lumpia already because everybody in our church love it. Ann’s mom-in-law made a cake and she decorated it with US flags. It really looks neat! I just put it in our refrigerator and I’ll bring it to church tomorrow. Ms. Marsha will also make a cake and she said some of our church members will bring food. I’m excited for tomorrow’s celebration.

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More than a week ago, I called the office of our congressman here in our city. I talked to the secretary who is in charge of the immigration paper works. I asked her to follow up in the office of the USCIS when will be the schedule of my oath ceremony. It’s been 3 months since I had my citizenship interview and I passed it. I already submitted all the police clearance from the 3 cities where I resided for the past 5 years that they required me to submit since the FBI can’t read my finger prints. But I haven’t heard from the USCIS since then. It’s not my fault that they can’t read it after two times of going to their office to have my finger prints taken. Maybe they need to update their computers so they will have no problem. It had caused me delay to swear in. The long wait was killing me.

This morning, I heard the postman dropped the mails in the mailbox on our porch so I went out to get them. Most were shopping catalogs, I got 3 of them mind you. These companies want my money and they are enticing me to shop from them online. Well, I got some mails too and guess what? I was so happy when I saw the mail from the USCIS. I quickly went inside and opened the mail. It was written there the schedule of my oath ceremony! At last, after a very long wait, I will finally swear in as a US Citizen on October 2 at Arlington, more than 2 hours drive from our place. I called my hubby right away and informed him about it. Both of us were so happy. Then I called the secretary of our congressman and thank her for helping me follow up my papers. I was so grateful to her and she was so happy for me too. I called her September 16 to follow-up my case and the letter from the USCIS was dated September 19. It was so quick, huh! I told the secretary that I should have called her earlier so I didn’t have to wait that long. This is the 2nd time that she helped me. The first time was 3 years ago when I was waiting for the approval of the the removal of my conditional status. It took me forever to wait that time but after I called the congressman’s secretary, it didn’t take long and then I received the approval of my application.

My hubby and I have been praying daily that I will get my naturalization certificate soon and God answered our prayers. After I will get my citizenship certificate, I will apply for a US passport. Next I’m going to apply for a dual citizenship and then we’ll go back to the Philippines and start a ministry there for the Lord. Hubby and I believe with all our hearts that God will grant us our hearts’ desire in His perfect time. We are also praying that God will send us a buyer of our house. I believe that all things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

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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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I've got mail yesterday from the USCIS and guess what? My interview for my citizenship is scheduled on June 18. I didn’t expect it to be that soon. I just had my finger prints re-taken last April 15 and in less than 2 weeks, here comes their mail for my interview schedule. I thought the CIS is backlogged because last year before their fees skyrocketed, a lot of people filed for their citizenship. I’ve been praying to God that my application will be processed soon. My passport will expire next month and I will wait for my citizenship to be done before I will get a US passport. Then we will go back to the Philippines, God’s willing. We have our plans to work for the Lord there and my hubby and I have been praying about it. The Lord knows our hearts’ desire and we just cling to His promises. "All things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. I need to review for the interview and I pray that I will pass it.

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I got a mail today from the USCIS informing me that my fingerprints appointment is on April 15. I was already wondering when I got their previous mail stating there that my appointment is April 5 and it falls on a Saturday. I asked my hubby if they are open on the weekends. I know that federal offices are close on the weekends. Another error from them? Instead of April 15 they wrote April 5 in their previous mail? The time is the same though 8:00 AM. Hubby and I are supposed to leave this afternoon to go to Alvarado but we canceled it now because of the change of schedule. It’s good the mail arrived on time.

I’m so glad because hubby and I will be able to attend the Creation Seminar in our church tonight, tomorrow morning and on Sunday. All things work together for good to those who love God…

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We’ll be going to Alvarado this afternoon when hubby gets off from work. My appointment for fingerprints at the USCIS will be tomorrow at 8:00 AM. I have to wake up early tomorrow and it’s a 25 minutes drive from Alvarado to Fort Worth. If only it’s the same distance from here then we will just be driving tomorrow. Anyways, I hope and pray that the outcome of my fingerprints this time will be alright.

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My hubby and I will be going out of town tomorrow until Wednesday. We’ll be visiting my step-kids in Alvarado. I have also an appointment for finger printing for my citizenship application. INS had sent me a mail last Friday acknowledging that they received my application. Then the next day, I got another mail from them and I’m scheduled for finger printing in Fort Worth on Tuesday. It’s about 25 minutes drive from Alvarado so it’s a double purpose vacation actually. I just hope that my application for citizenship will be processed sooner so I can apply for a US passport. My Philippine passport will be expiring on May this year. I’m really praying about it.

So I will have 4 days break from blogging and from this computer. If I’ll go on vacation, I will just enjoy and forget this blogging for a while. See ya folks.

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Seems like it’s been ages since I updated this blog. I seldom get opportunities for this blog that’s why my main focus is in My Online Journal blog because that’s where I get lots of opps. Then there are other blogs of mine too to update. It’s really time-consuming to have lots of blogs. But I’m having fun though.

I finally sent the papers for my citizenship last January 31. It took me a while to do it. One reason is the money. Then a friend of mine volunteered to loan me the money a few months ago but hubby and I were waiting to file after we sell the house so I will not have to change my address in the INS. No buyer of the house yet so I decided to file my application. I heard it will take 6 months to wait. Tonight, Wayne called from Iowa and he talked to his dad. After they talked, hubby told me that he’s supposed to send money so I can file my citizenship but hubby told him that I already sent the application together with the payment more than a week ago. I told hubby though that he should have told him that we’re still saving money so we can pay my friend who loaned us the money for my application fee. We really need the money right now that’s why I don’t understand my hubby why he didn’t tell it to his son. Hubby was bashful again or maybe it’s his ego. I really don’t know. Sometimes it’s hard to comprehend Americans.

I am still waiting for the IRS to send me the acknowledgment receipt of the forms and fee that I sent them. Not sure though if they will.

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I just found out yesterday when I checked their website that USCIS had raised the application fee for US citizenship. Would you believe that they raised it from $300 dollars to $675. That’s more than a 100% increased! Oh my! No wonder there’s a bunch of illegal aliens here, they can hardly afford the fee. How much more now? CIS will really make a lot of money just for those fees alone and it takes them a long time to process the papers too. I am planning to file for my citizenship next month but the fee really make me sick. Can hardly afford it.

Since I began filing my papers to become a lawful permanent resident in this country, it already cost us a lot of money. This is the prize to acquire a US citizenship, money! It’s all about the money! I got disgusted in my own country about the graft and corruption in the government and now I’m disgusted with the way they do it here too. Wala na bang matinong gobyerno sa mundo? My only consolation now is I know that I’m just passing through in this world. My citizenship is in heaven. My name was written in the Book of Life the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Praise God for that!

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nThe day after Christmas my hubby and I went to the Immigration office in Dallas with Robert, Shelly and Josh to take care of my papers to lift the conditional status of my permanent residency here in the US. Robert drove for us. Imagine, I filed the form last May 22 and it got approved Dec 5. They’re too slow in processing papers. It says in the letter that I have to appear in there office to present my passport and submit 3 photos. It was not stated that I have to make an appointment before going there so we decided to go after Christmas since it’s a shorter trip going to Dallas from Alvarado rather than coming from Wichita Falls. There were quite a few people in the line when we got there.

When it was my turn the lady in the window asked me if I got an appointment and I told her no because it did not say in the letter to make an appointment before going there. She said I have to make an appointment in the Infopass thru the internet and they’ve been doing that for 3 years now. I know that they have this Infopass to make an appointment but since it did not say in the letter I decided not to. I already felt disappointed at that time, then she asked me where I came from and I told her from Wichita Falls. She asked how far is it and my husband answered maybe about 200 miles. She then wanted to see an ID as a proof of our address so my hubby showed her his driver’s license. So she let us in because we came from a far place. Oh man! I was glad that she finally let me in. All the rest in the line had to come back.

Just after I got in, my number was called so I went to the window. The lady only asked me 2 photos but in the letter it said 3 photos. That’s a waste of money for the photos since Walgreens do it by 2’s or by 4’s so we paid for 4 photos. Then after everything is done, they got my signature, fingerprints and my old greencard and marked my passport the lady in the window told me that they will mail my greencard good for 10 years within 3 to 6 months. Isn’t that too long to wait and to think that everything here is computerized? They’re slow as turtles. The good thing is I still can travel outside the US because they marked my passport but I don’t intend to unless I get my new greencard. After everything is done Robert drove us back but we stopped for lunch in a fastfood restaurant in Euless and Robert paid our lunch. Robert by the way is Shelly’s husband and he makes good and delicious beef jerky and I really like it.

I was really glad that everything went on smoothly and our trip to Dallas didn’t go to nothing. I thank God for that because the night before, I prayed that we will accomplish our purpose in going there and that everything will go smoothly. To God be the glory…

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