I thought, "Yeah! Praise God if we get exactly what we ask for."
Then he continued, "And if I don't get a visa..."
"Oh no," I thought, "that would be terrible!"
Then he continued, "...PRAISE GOD!"
I felt so confused, why would he say "Praise God" with the same enthusiasm and conviction for if he didn't receive a visa as he would if he did. Something I learned about Marvin on that day is that he gives thanks to God no matter what.
On this day- August 18, 2015- we are so thankful! Marvin was sworn in as a citizen of the United States of America early this afternoon! PRAISE GOD! Not because things have gone exactly how we have planned, but because we have seen God's hand at work in our lives, our marriage, and Marvin's immigration process.
Here is what I can remember about this whole process:
1) October 2009 received 10yr visa with re-entry (shortly after the above conversation took place, the US actually revoked ALL Honduran visas due to the political instability in Honduras...we said Praise God and waited. A few months later, they started offering visas again and Marvin received the unimaginable!)
2) March 2010- applied to Homeland Security to approve us as fiancees (this is when we provided PROOF- phone bills, emails, pictures, travel dates, references, etc)
3) September 2010- Medical Exam in Tegucigalpa (received lots of shots!)
4) October 2010 fiancee visa interview #1 (turned down because a missing document)
5) November 2010 visa interview #2 APPROVED!
6) December 11, 2010 WEDDING in Hixson, TN
7) December 2010 another medical exam (he received even more shots!) and applied for Social Security card
8) January 2011 completed an application for residency
9) March 2011 fingerprinting in Atlanta
10) April 2011 received work permit
11) June 2011 received 2 year residency
12) May 2013 applied to renew residency
13) July 2013 fingerprinting in Atlanta
14) August 2013 received 10 year residency
15) March 2015 applied to change status to citizenship (Application was actually not accepted until the 3rd time it was sent in due to some incorrect formatting)
16) April 2015 fingerprinting in Atlanta
17) July 2015 citizenship interview in Memphis. (Had to prove knowledge of American Government and be able to read, write, and communicate in English)
18) August 18, 2015 sworn in as a UNITED STATES CITIZEN....PRAISE GOD!
Like I said, this has been a long process. We are so grateful for the timing of each step in the process and have learned so much about putting our trust in God and praising Him no matter what.
In March of 2010, Marvin asked my parents for their permission to get married. On that day we saw a beautiful rainbow. We tried to convince my parents that it was God's promise of a beautiful future together. Well, there was a rainbow today too. God is fulfilling His promise to us as we walk with him each day. We are grateful to so many people in Honduras and in the states, to our immigration lawyer David Elliott, and to my parents for all the support they have offered throughout this process. But most of all, Praise God...no matter what!
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| March 2010 Do you see the rainbow? |
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| August 18, 2015 A sign of God fulfilling his promise! |
