supplement letter for question 18 on I-129F

[debby1 0]

Thank you all for such great advice. I should of told u though that "my story" here on this webpage, isn't the one I was going to send. I did cut out the fiance part...this is what I was going to send, maybe it's still too much? I'm gonna try to re-write it tonight. The only reason I kept so much details, is that we've really only known each other for 6 months, but its the details that show how our relationship grew from strangers, to very best friends, to being in love. So, to put all that in just a few sentences would seem suspicous.

Anyway, this is what I was going to send

Supplement to I-129F Question 18

I went to the Philippines in October 2005 with my daughters and church on missions trip. While we were there we made several friends and exchanged e-mails. Upon returning, we kept in touch with many of the people we met through e-mails and text messaging on cell phones. In January, 2006 I was chatting online with one of these friends and using my webcam. The owner of the internet café she was in, happened to see me on webcam and the next day, January 31st, he instant messaged me. At first I thought he was someone I knew from the first trip, but then found out later that he was just saw me that one time and wanted to start a conversation. After we talked the first night, he was online everyday and everynight after that. At the time, I was seeing someone, and he also had a girlfriend. It made it really easy to open up to each other and share our feelings about family, religion, politics, our pasts, we didn’t feel a need to impress each other. We immediately bonded, and became close friends instantly. We talked online for sometimes 4 or 5 hours at a time. He told me that his girlfriend lived far away and he hadn’t heard from her in awhile, I told him my boyfriend and I were thinking of getting serious. The night before Valentines Day, he called me to say “Happy Valentines Day” and the next day, he was the first person I spoke to in the morning and the last person I spoke to at night. I felt bad for him, missing his girlfriend, and sent him a samll gift. Just to make him feel happy. On the 15th we had a 4 hour long chat, and we talked about everything from our favorite songs, to past relationships, to family values and the differences between American families, and Filipino families. We talked about our favorite songs, how to cut my hair, and what our childhood was like. On the 25th of February he called my daughter Jonet at 7 am, just to be the first person to greet her with a Happy Birthday. My daughters nicknamed him “stalker” because he saw me online, and it was a different kind of way to meet someone. When my younger daughter Julia had to have some blood work done, he kept in touch with me while I was in the hospital, text messaging me with words of encouragement and at 3:00 pm my time, 3:00am his time, he called us both to see how we were.

I had been keeping in touch with my other friends and my daughters and I decided to go back to the Philippines for a 2 week visit to see them all again. Our plan was to stay with friends there, and also stay in the missions house for a week or so. After I bought the tickets, and our arrangements were made, my boyfriend and I started to have some disagreements. I shared them with Aniceto ( who I call Greeko, because of his Yahoo ID), and he helped me to see things from a “guys” perspective”. I have spent 8 years as a single mom, and don’t normally rush into things. So, when I noticed things weren’t going well between my boyfriend at the time and myself, I decided to end our relationship. It was shortly after that, when my feeling started to change for Greeko. As the days went on, we became closer as friends. My position at work was terminated, and I lost my job. Greeko was always encouraging me to find the dream job I’ve always wanted. We were quickly becoming best friends, as we talked about how we will meet face to face when our trip in April finally arrived. My daughters were e-mailing him at the time also, sharing with him what their dreams were, talking about their school life, and what kind of careers they wanted to have. By March I knew I was falling in love with him, but he still had a girlfriend and I tried to keep my feelings to myself, but soon, I was sensing that he was starting to feel the same way. His girlfriend wasn’t in touch with him much and their relationship was starting to fall apart.

At the end of March, our plans started to change, as far as where we would we stay once we arrived in the Philippines. The missions house was being used by visiting pastors, and not available to us. One family we were going to stay with, had to leave for Mindanoa unexpectedly, and we were left with a few weeks to come up with a different plan. I didn’t have enough money to stay in a hotel, so Greeko spoke to his family, and they all agreed to let us stay with him. There were some discussions back and forth, lots of tears at one point, as I told Greeko how I was starting to feel about him, and didn’t want to hurt anyone. My daughters talked to him a few times, and by April 3rd, we agreed to stay with him.

When we finally made it there, Greeko picked us up at the airport with his cousin, his older sister, and her son. Our time there was incredible. The things Greeko showed us were amazing. We went to the Avilon Zoo, Wa Wa Dam, Hard Rock Café, Bay Walk, Loreland Resort with his whole family, and shopping at the Divisoria. Greeko took us back and forth to different churches so we could see all of our friends. He took us to some of their houses and he made sure we were comfortable and happy. His whole family was so kind, and generous to us. On the 11th of April, the girls and I stayed at another friends house for 2 days so that we could meet his family and spend time with them. The two days that I was there was the most painful part of our trip, outside of leaving. Greeko and I chatted online, called each other, and text messaged each other. The last night I was there, I couldn’t stand being away from him, and at 10:00 pm he drove out to my friends house to get me. The girls stayed for one more night to be with their friends. Greeko and I talked about being in love, and how strange things were working out between us. We were so compatible, and had so much fun together. We would stay up late talking about everything. When it was time for us to leave, his family gave us a going away party. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do by getting on the plane to come back home. When I finally made it home, Greeko and I continued on with our chatting, calling, and text messaging each other. I sent him a couple of gift packages, along with a card and pictures from our trip. We talked about being in love, the pain we felt being apart, and our dreams for the future.

When I went for my job interview at a Doctor’s office, Greeko knew I was nervous, and that working as a Medical Assistant had been my dream for over 17 years. He text messaged me right before my interview with encouragement, and telling me he loved me. He has been through so much with me in such a short amount of time, that it almost seems unreal at times that we can be so close, such good friends, and in love at the same time.

On July 31st, 6 months from the day he first contacted me, he called me at 7:00 am. I was on my way to work (at the doctors office) and it was during that phone call that he asked me to marry him.

Even though we have only known each other a little more than 6 months, we have spent so much time together. He has become so close and so important to my daughters as well. He has given them advice, he has told him when he thought their behavior was wrong, and he has shared with me his ideas on how we can all get a long better.

Greeko and I are meant to be together forever. The circumstances of how he happened to be at his café during a time when he normally isn’t there yet, to see me on webcam, my ease at talking to him even though I didn’t know him, our relationships falling apart, our plans changing at the last minute…it’s too unusual to be an accident. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. And I know he feels the same way.

Thank you for taking my petition into consideration. And for taking the time to read this letter.

I know I can cut the last paragraph out, but it really is strange the way we met. It was so serendipity like...and all of the details in the letter can be backed up with chat messages, e-mails and pictures. So, I put them in. I didn't lie in this letter at all..I just left out the "fiance" part of the past relationship. That was just silly on my part anyway. Impulsive for someone who has managed to stay single and happy for 8 years. but there's something about the Philippines that just completely turned me into a different me.

Anyway, thanks again for all the advice. You people here are truly a Godsend for me!

[BJZags 17]

I wouldn't worry too much about establishing your relationship time-wise at this juncture. I think what is most important is between NOW when you initially file and WHEN the petition is approved and the interview happens, that you and her shall provide additional evidence of an on-going relationship during this time frame.

[Smitty91 0]

In the form-fillable version of this form, how does one enter multiple lines for Question 18? I type in a paragraph but it's one long sentence and the majority of it is not shown and all one sees is a "+" in the bottom right hand corner. Will I have to provide an additional sheet or is there some way to fit four or five sentences in this box via some sort of carriage return? (Hitting enter doesn't work as this)

Many thanks.

[amelynn43 0]

My answer to question 18 was 2 pages long. I actually didn't read it was only supposed to be 1. We didn't have any problems with it! We were approved, so I say just write everything you want in the letter. Good Luck!!!!!!!

[Yodrak 7]

Debby,

This isn't a high school English composition that has to have a designate number of words. It has to be watever length you need to write the story you have to tell. Sounds like you might be wanting to tell more than is necessary, but there's nothing wrong with that unless you say something that can be mis-interpreted to indicate something different from what you intend.

My story took about 2/3 page with 1-1/2 line spacing, don't remember if it was 10 or 12 point (probably 10).

Yodrak

I had to make my font size 8 to fit our story in of how we met, fell in love, saw each other and got engaged.

Is that too small?

I've re-read it over a few times and can't think of what to cut it out, to make the letter shorter, and I read that it has to be only 1 page.

Thanks for any advice

Debby

[mychelle 1]

We went through Manila and I only used the space that was one the application, no problems.

Mike and Luvy

Same here. I only used the space provided and stated WHEN and HOW we met, then the other times we saw each other. Q 18 is just to satisfy that you've met within the last 2 years of filing the I-129F.

Just make sure you have the evidence to back it up...i.e...passport stamps, airline boarding passes, hotel receipts and other receipts of purchases while in the Philippines (or wherever you met, physically). I included some evidence of relationship but I'm not really sure if that was necessary because for the interview, they asked for those things. So what we are doing now is...take those evidence and add more recent stuff.

Yes, Philippines is high fraud but that doesn't mean they want your detailed, love story. You just have to make sure the evidence of meeting and relationship is solid.

*honest advice to debby...please heavily EDIT your answer to Q 18. too much detail that you don't need. i'm not saying just write one sentence...you can still do a paragraph i'm sure but you have more than that is asked of you.

i just checked out the new version of I-129F...and wow...there is actually a box for Q 18.

to answer the question about creating a new line in the box...i think you need to press Ctrl + Enter or Ctrl + Shift + Enter...not sure...just try both.

Edited August 24, 2006 by mychelle