Our story

[crazykuya73 16]

Before I tell our story.. Just a quick update, she recieved her visa yesterday from the courier service. She texted me all excited and I called her soon after. We are both thrilled that our three year journey is about over.

This a long story and hope anyone who reads this have some time on their hands..

Way before I met my fiancee.. One of my uncles told me I need to go the Philippines to find a good wife. I thought he was nuts and even though he and my dad's other brother are married to filipino women. I thought of them being too bossy and one of my filipina aunts is the BOSS of her house. It's her way or no way.. The other one is not that way at all, just a sweet and loving person. I was afraid to take a risk and decided to marry someone close to home. It turned out to be five and a half years of pain.. As my divorced was getting finalized and I dated a few women along the way and got hurt time and time again. The same uncle of mine told me to go the "Filipino" route again. This time, I figured I give it a try.

I looked over the internet and found some dating/penpal sites. I decided on Cherry Blossoms and put in a ad. I was amazed how many hits I got.. There was many I chatted with who kept asking me about my job and of course, "How much money you make"... I finally decided on one lady and after a few months I grew tired of her getting mad at me for not giving her money like she wanted. I did help her get a plane ticket to Dubai and she got a good job now. We remain friends to this day.

I went back to Cherry Blossoms and eventually found my soulmate, Rizel. Her ad was pretty straightforward and said, she "wanted to be loved and have a family." Her picture of her sitting on a couch and looking so beautiful really caught my eye. Little did I know then, she was even more beautiful on the inside too. We emailed back and forth.. We finally started chatting and even though she saw me on webcam, I never saw her face until 2 - 3 months later. She was worried that I wouldn't like what I see, but she was even more beautiful than in her pictures. I discussed my trip to the Philippines with my aunts and they gave me alot of advice and some emergency contacts with their family there, in case Rizel and I didn't hit it off.

I haven't flown at that time since a few months before 9-11-2001 and it changed in a big way since. All the extra security checks and my longest flight at that time was from Little Rock to San Diego roundtrip. I can tell you, flying twenty-something hours was truly painful ! The whole time I was questioning myself, but so anxious to meet her. I finally arrived at Cebu and while I was in line to go through customs. I saw a beautiful lady staring at me. I thought she looked familiar and when she smiled, I knew it was her and I waved at her, she waved back. When we finally met, I didn't feel nervous and felt so comfortable with her. Only thing I was worried about was meeting her family and being in a strange country far from home.

Soon as we were outside, the humidity hit me like a ton of bricks ! It was very hot there and when I left home it was in the 50's. It felt like I was in the middle of August again ! I rode with her family to our hotel and it was nice to finally get some rest from that long flight. After our second day I finally proposed to her in private, just between us. Maybe kind of quick, but I knew she is one of a kind. After a few days in the city, we went to the province and stay for several days. I met her mom & dad and her other siblings. They are wonderful people and of course, I got many stares from people in the province. At first I didn't care for it, but I gotten used to it. I guess they don't see many foreigners come their way. I see how many people live in primitive conditions there. I seen houses no bigger than my living room and no electricity. Even though they lack some of the things we have here, I always see them smiling. Makes you appreciate what you have.

After the second day at the province, I asked her dad for her hand in marriage. I studied the words that Rizel told me to say and he gave me his blessing. Even appreciated I tried to learn their language and I continue to learn much as I can. I bonded with her daughter and so glad she liked me. We went to the Simala later on and it was amazing. I never been inside a catholic church before and all the decor, the artifacts and the painting of the Lord's Supper on the ceiling blew me away. We went back to the city for a few more days before going home. It was hard leaving her behind, but I knew it wasn't forever and we will be together soon. So I thought anyway.

I hired an agency to do our paperwork and by the the time I paid the fee and two months later it was completed. I was about sign it and send it in, when they called me about my fiancee's birth certificate was incorrect. It's not like here, you go to your local govt office and have it changed in a few weeks or much less. It took us nearly two years ! Our first lawyer was a crook and never did file one piece of paper. My fiancee would go see him and he would ignore her. She would call and he just yell at her for bothering him. I even called him and he assured me that he was working on it. By the time I went back to see her a second time, I called him and he would say, "The other lawyer you want is in Makati" and I knew it was him. I called him back the next day and he never would answer. I was angry and part of me wanted to give up, but I knew if I did, I would never find anyone like her again. So, I waited and she hired a different attorney. It took another year before they finally corrected her birth certificate. After that, we finally got the ball rolling again. I did see her again for a third time and spent two weeks with her like the last two times. Every time I left, it hurt more than the last time. I finally broke down into tears. I finally sent off the paperwork and waited & waited.. We prayed and hoped the Vermont Service Center would approve our petition pretty quick. It was faster than some others and I can't complain about waiting as much as other people who waited alot longer. After the NVC letter, it went along pretty fast and finally hearing that she was approved for her visa was the best news I had in three years !

As I look back.. All the money spent on flights, hotels, money sent on Xoom, and all the other fees that I had to pay to get to this point. Some of my friends and some family telling me I wasted my time & money on her.. Would I do it again ? Do I really want to go through that headache one more time ? I would.. only for her. I truly love my gwapa Rizel with all my heart & soul. She will be here in December and it will be truly, a Christmas gift I would always cherish for the rest of my life.

If you truly love someone.. good things will come to those who wait. I never believed in those words before... I did when I met my Rizel. Take care and God bless everyone here on visajourney.

[I_Am_That_I_Am 46]

Congratulations, Kuya! And good luck to you both!

[nicky&imad 16]

WOW!! Congratulation, very happy for you

[je & wyn 4]

Before I tell our story.. Just a quick update, she recieved her visa yesterday from the courier service. She texted me all excited and I called her soon after. We are both thrilled that our three year journey is about over.

This a long story and hope anyone who reads this have some time on their hands..

Way before I met my fiancee.. One of my uncles told me I need to go the Philippines to find a good wife. I thought he was nuts and even though he and my dad's other brother are married to filipino women. I thought of them being too bossy and one of my filipina aunts is the BOSS of her house. It's her way or no way.. The other one is not that way at all, just a sweet and loving person. I was afraid to take a risk and decided to marry someone close to home. It turned out to be five and a half years of pain.. As my divorced was getting finalized and I dated a few women along the way and got hurt time and time again. The same uncle of mine told me to go the "Filipino" route again. This time, I figured I give it a try.

I looked over the internet and found some dating/penpal sites. I decided on Cherry Blossoms and put in a ad. I was amazed how many hits I got.. There was many I chatted with who kept asking me about my job and of course, "How much money you make"... I finally decided on one lady and after a few months I grew tired of her getting mad at me for not giving her money like she wanted. I did help her get a plane ticket to Dubai and she got a good job now. We remain friends to this day.

I went back to Cherry Blossoms and eventually found my soulmate, Rizel. Her ad was pretty straightforward and said, she "wanted to be loved and have a family." Her picture of her sitting on a couch and looking so beautiful really caught my eye. Little did I know then, she was even more beautiful on the inside too. We emailed back and forth.. We finally started chatting and even though she saw me on webcam, I never saw her face until 2 - 3 months later. She was worried that I wouldn't like what I see, but she was even more beautiful than in her pictures. I discussed my trip to the Philippines with my aunts and they gave me alot of advice and some emergency contacts with their family there, in case Rizel and I didn't hit it off.

I haven't flown at that time since a few months before 9-11-2001 and it changed in a big way since. All the extra security checks and my longest flight at that time was from Little Rock to San Diego roundtrip. I can tell you, flying twenty-something hours was truly painful ! The whole time I was questioning myself, but so anxious to meet her. I finally arrived at Cebu and while I was in line to go through customs. I saw a beautiful lady staring at me. I thought she looked familiar and when she smiled, I knew it was her and I waved at her, she waved back. When we finally met, I didn't feel nervous and felt so comfortable with her. Only thing I was worried about was meeting her family and being in a strange country far from home.

Soon as we were outside, the humidity hit me like a ton of bricks ! It was very hot there and when I left home it was in the 50's. It felt like I was in the middle of August again ! I rode with her family to our hotel and it was nice to finally get some rest from that long flight. After our second day I finally proposed to her in private, just between us. Maybe kind of quick, but I knew she is one of a kind. After a few days in the city, we went to the province and stay for several days. I met her mom & dad and her other siblings. They are wonderful people and of course, I got many stares from people in the province. At first I didn't care for it, but I gotten used to it. I guess they don't see many foreigners come their way. I see how many people live in primitive conditions there. I seen houses no bigger than my living room and no electricity. Even though they lack some of the things we have here, I always see them smiling. Makes you appreciate what you have.

After the second day at the province, I asked her dad for her hand in marriage. I studied the words that Rizel told me to say and he gave me his blessing. Even appreciated I tried to learn their language and I continue to learn much as I can. I bonded with her daughter and so glad she liked me. We went to the Simala later on and it was amazing. I never been inside a catholic church before and all the decor, the artifacts and the painting of the Lord's Supper on the ceiling blew me away. We went back to the city for a few more days before going home. It was hard leaving her behind, but I knew it wasn't forever and we will be together soon. So I thought anyway.

I hired an agency to do our paperwork and by the the time I paid the fee and two months later it was completed. I was about sign it and send it in, when they called me about my fiancee's birth certificate was incorrect. It's not like here, you go to your local govt office and have it changed in a few weeks or much less. It took us nearly two years ! Our first lawyer was a crook and never did file one piece of paper. My fiancee would go see him and he would ignore her. She would call and he just yell at her for bothering him. I even called him and he assured me that he was working on it. By the time I went back to see her a second time, I called him and he would say, "The other lawyer you want is in Makati" and I knew it was him. I called him back the next day and he never would answer. I was angry and part of me wanted to give up, but I knew if I did, I would never find anyone like her again. So, I waited and she hired a different attorney. It took another year before they finally corrected her birth certificate. After that, we finally got the ball rolling again. I did see her again for a third time and spent two weeks with her like the last two times. Every time I left, it hurt more than the last time. I finally broke down into tears. I finally sent off the paperwork and waited & waited.. We prayed and hoped the Vermont Service Center would approve our petition pretty quick. It was faster than some others and I can't complain about waiting as much as other people who waited alot longer. After the NVC letter, it went along pretty fast and finally hearing that she was approved for her visa was the best news I had in three years !

As I look back.. All the money spent on flights, hotels, money sent on Xoom, and all the other fees that I had to pay to get to this point. Some of my friends and some family telling me I wasted my time & money on her.. Would I do it again ? Do I really want to go through that headache one more time ? I would.. only for her. I truly love my gwapa Rizel with all my heart & soul. She will be here in December and it will be truly, a Christmas gift I would always cherish for the rest of my life.

If you truly love someone.. good things will come to those who wait. I never believed in those words before... I did when I met my Rizel. Take care and God bless everyone here on visajourney.

I was indeed an inspiring story...and amazing i would say its good to see how the test of patience would make a person emerge to be a much better and stronger person after going thru sometimes tough roadblocks along the way but i guess thats how life processes is without those we all could not appreciate the good things in life...congratulations!!! make u continue both to love and cherish till the rest of ur lives...god bless!!!!

[maple 0]

Congrats Kuya...

[GringoD 33]

that's beautiful,.. just beautiful!

[TeapotGirl 66]

I thought of them being too bossy and one of my filipina aunts is the BOSS of her house. It's her way or no way..

Ouch! I now realize how much fiance loves me.

Congratulations!

[Dean_De 61]

Ouch! I now realize how much fiance loves me.

Congratulations!

LMAO - we should realize how much we are loved and is being love always. Me and my fiance had been in this road since 2003. encountered ups and downs and worst trials but here we are staying strong and just recently got the approval nd soon we will be together, I should say its not the end of the journey but a brand new start! - To the OP, I know how the wait is, so Congratulations to you & your fiancee and hopefully the time of being apart will always remain as a reminder when difficulty comes, how much you try to defy all the challenges just to make future happen.

Edited October 23, 2011 by Dean_De

[sassytay 2]

Okay, I dont know if its still my pregnant self being too emotional these past weeks but I literally had to grab a box of tissue and cried like loca reading your love story Kuya... you see, Wonderful men like you make us women realize why our past relationships didn't work with others, simply because God had someone particular on mind, someone better, someone who would love us unconditionally and keep us happy. God bless your mother for raising a son like you.

Peace and blessings to you and your soon to be family. Congratulations!!!

[renecherubs 18]

a very beautiful story fit to tell to your friends, family and most especially to your children and grand children. congratulations.

[Turkeyluvr 2]

Wow--this a very inspiring story--Thank you for sharing and congratulations!

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Nice story.

After all that ####### with the lawyers, you're now aware that you didn't need her birth certificate to file the petition, right? The only thing you needed from her was a letter of intent, a G-325A, and a couple of passport style photos. The birth certificate isn't needed until the interview. You'll need it again for the green card application.

If you decide to continue using an agency then use the guides here on VJ to double check their work.

Also, enlist the help of your Filipina aunts to help you prepare yourself and your home for the arrival of your fiancee. They'll know what you'll need in order for her to feel comfortable. They should also be able to tell you where to take her to shop for food she likes.

[Jim N Augie 16]

Before I tell our story.. Just a quick update, she recieved her visa yesterday from the courier service. She texted me all excited and I called her soon after. We are both thrilled that our three year journey is about over.

This a long story and hope anyone who reads this have some time on their hands..

Way before I met my fiancee.. One of my uncles told me I need to go the Philippines to find a good wife. I thought he was nuts and even though he and my dad's other brother are married to filipino women. I thought of them being too bossy and one of my filipina aunts is the BOSS of her house. It's her way or no way.. The other one is not that way at all, just a sweet and loving person. I was afraid to take a risk and decided to marry someone close to home. It turned out to be five and a half years of pain.. As my divorced was getting finalized and I dated a few women along the way and got hurt time and time again. The same uncle of mine told me to go the "Filipino" route again. This time, I figured I give it a try.

I looked over the internet and found some dating/penpal sites. I decided on Cherry Blossoms and put in a ad. I was amazed how many hits I got.. There was many I chatted with who kept asking me about my job and of course, "How much money you make"... I finally decided on one lady and after a few months I grew tired of her getting mad at me for not giving her money like she wanted. I did help her get a plane ticket to Dubai and she got a good job now. We remain friends to this day.

I went back to Cherry Blossoms and eventually found my soulmate, Rizel. Her ad was pretty straightforward and said, she "wanted to be loved and have a family." Her picture of her sitting on a couch and looking so beautiful really caught my eye. Little did I know then, she was even more beautiful on the inside too. We emailed back and forth.. We finally started chatting and even though she saw me on webcam, I never saw her face until 2 - 3 months later. She was worried that I wouldn't like what I see, but she was even more beautiful than in her pictures. I discussed my trip to the Philippines with my aunts and they gave me alot of advice and some emergency contacts with their family there, in case Rizel and I didn't hit it off.

I haven't flown at that time since a few months before 9-11-2001 and it changed in a big way since. All the extra security checks and my longest flight at that time was from Little Rock to San Diego roundtrip. I can tell you, flying twenty-something hours was truly painful ! The whole time I was questioning myself, but so anxious to meet her. I finally arrived at Cebu and while I was in line to go through customs. I saw a beautiful lady staring at me. I thought she looked familiar and when she smiled, I knew it was her and I waved at her, she waved back. When we finally met, I didn't feel nervous and felt so comfortable with her. Only thing I was worried about was meeting her family and being in a strange country far from home.

Soon as we were outside, the humidity hit me like a ton of bricks ! It was very hot there and when I left home it was in the 50's. It felt like I was in the middle of August again ! I rode with her family to our hotel and it was nice to finally get some rest from that long flight. After our second day I finally proposed to her in private, just between us. Maybe kind of quick, but I knew she is one of a kind. After a few days in the city, we went to the province and stay for several days. I met her mom & dad and her other siblings. They are wonderful people and of course, I got many stares from people in the province. At first I didn't care for it, but I gotten used to it. I guess they don't see many foreigners come their way. I see how many people live in primitive conditions there. I seen houses no bigger than my living room and no electricity. Even though they lack some of the things we have here, I always see them smiling. Makes you appreciate what you have.

After the second day at the province, I asked her dad for her hand in marriage. I studied the words that Rizel told me to say and he gave me his blessing. Even appreciated I tried to learn their language and I continue to learn much as I can. I bonded with her daughter and so glad she liked me. We went to the Simala later on and it was amazing. I never been inside a catholic church before and all the decor, the artifacts and the painting of the Lord's Supper on the ceiling blew me away. We went back to the city for a few more days before going home. It was hard leaving her behind, but I knew it wasn't forever and we will be together soon. So I thought anyway.

I hired an agency to do our paperwork and by the the time I paid the fee and two months later it was completed. I was about sign it and send it in, when they called me about my fiancee's birth certificate was incorrect. It's not like here, you go to your local govt office and have it changed in a few weeks or much less. It took us nearly two years ! Our first lawyer was a crook and never did file one piece of paper. My fiancee would go see him and he would ignore her. She would call and he just yell at her for bothering him. I even called him and he assured me that he was working on it. By the time I went back to see her a second time, I called him and he would say, "The other lawyer you want is in Makati" and I knew it was him. I called him back the next day and he never would answer. I was angry and part of me wanted to give up, but I knew if I did, I would never find anyone like her again. So, I waited and she hired a different attorney. It took another year before they finally corrected her birth certificate. After that, we finally got the ball rolling again. I did see her again for a third time and spent two weeks with her like the last two times. Every time I left, it hurt more than the last time. I finally broke down into tears. I finally sent off the paperwork and waited & waited.. We prayed and hoped the Vermont Service Center would approve our petition pretty quick. It was faster than some others and I can't complain about waiting as much as other people who waited alot longer. After the NVC letter, it went along pretty fast and finally hearing that she was approved for her visa was the best news I had in three years !

As I look back.. All the money spent on flights, hotels, money sent on Xoom, and all the other fees that I had to pay to get to this point. Some of my friends and some family telling me I wasted my time & money on her.. Would I do it again ? Do I really want to go through that headache one more time ? I would.. only for her. I truly love my gwapa Rizel with all my heart & soul. She will be here in December and it will be truly, a Christmas gift I would always cherish for the rest of my life.

If you truly love someone.. good things will come to those who wait. I never believed in those words before... I did when I met my Rizel. Take care and God bless everyone here on visajourney.

First Congrats !!! on the visa. Second thanks for writing your story it was nice to read and it saves me from writing most of mine. I really know how you feel. For us we had to do annulment first. The lawyer was not a crook just not so competent and in the provinces things can move s l o w. Many times the judge would not show up for court etc. My girl and her parents were always already there and I already spent money for the trip only be told it is canceled. two month delay each time. Once it was not even an emergency he just scheduled one of our dates for the same day he had a seminar in Mnl. One occasion our court date that we waited 2 months for was declared a holiday 1 week before our appearance. No matter how good a case the judge will also expect a " gift" at the end. My thinking was if I dont strangle the man that is his gift. All the time, money and effort and some people thinking it's a scam I hear ya. Like you I could never walk away and of course you could never forget her. I flew there as much as I could, spent more money than I even want to think about but if you really are committed to someone it is for better or worse. Besides, I made a promise and there's a great little kid involved who ought to know what a real father is someday. We read about annulment first and seemed most take a year so thats what we expected going in. We met in May 2008 and our interview is finally set for end of this Nov. I haven't been there since Jan 2011. If all goes well I will be coming to get her and my step-son in Jan 2012. Good luck in the future. Myself I just look forward to having a normal life again. Jim.

[at long last 58]

First Congrats !!! on the visa. Second thanks for writing your story it was nice to read and it saves me from writing most of mine. I really know how you feel. For us we had to do annulment first. The lawyer was not a crook just not so competent and in the provinces things can move s l o w. Many times the judge would not show up for court etc. My girl and her parents were always already there and I already spent money for the trip only be told it is canceled. two month delay each time. Once it was not even an emergency he just scheduled one of our dates for the same day he had a seminar in Mnl. One occasion our court date that we waited 2 months for was declared a holiday 1 week before our appearance. No matter how good a case the judge will also expect a " gift" at the end. My thinking was if I dont strangle the man that is his gift. All the time, money and effort and some people thinking it's a scam I hear ya. Like you I could never walk away and of course you could never forget her. I flew there as much as I could, spent more money than I even want to think about but if you really are committed to someone it is for better or worse. Besides, I made a promise and there's a great little kid involved who ought to know what a real father is someday. We read about annulment first and seemed most take a year so thats what we expected going in. We met in May 2008 and our interview is finally set for end of this Nov. I haven't been there since Jan 2011. If all goes well I will be coming to get her and my step-son in Jan 2012. Good luck in the future. Myself I just look forward to having a normal life again. Jim.

Thank you Jim for sharing your emotional and beautiful story. I really hope you either make a copy of what you have shared with us or write an even longer version not leaving out any details. It truly is a story of love, courage and perseverance. It makes me humbled and am willing to wait my turn for happy news. I wish you peace, love and a life filled with all you have been waiting for.

Terri

[Jim N Augie 16]

Thank you Jim for sharing your emotional and beautiful story. I really hope you either make a copy of what you have shared with us or write an even longer version not leaving out any details. It truly is a story of love, courage and perseverance. It makes me humbled and am willing to wait my turn for happy news. I wish you peace, love and a life filled with all you have been waiting for.

Terri

Thanks for taking the time to read. Maybe someday I will put it all together here. When I saw kuya's post it was good to know that I'm not the only one, although I would never wish it on anyone else. I used to get so jealous lol flight after flight seeing couples already together, coming back for vacation and me just having left Augie crying in the early morning rain at the terminal for what seemed the hundreth time. A 15 hour flight is alot of time to remember that sight. I know a year is long enough for most people here and not easy, I don't mean to belittle that in anyway way. If nothing else just stay positive and be happy it is not worse.