SEVEN YEARS AFTER TWINKLE JOINED US

It's a terrible thing that all of us are all in the United States and our baby is not with us. We traveled all around and when introduced we would tell the crowd that our youngest child is left in the Philippines. Their applause and excitement get tainted with "oohh, terrible," sighs upon hearing that Twinkle is alone in the other side of the world. It was hard to bear, but it was one those things. Husbands and wives all over the world get separated simply because of the need to procure greater things in life and follow an illusive dream called prosperity. We all missed Twinkle so much and as days prolonged we wanted the passing of time to cut short so that she could now already join us. But the more we wanted her to join us in the soonest time the longer that it took her to come. When we had gotten our residency we immediately applied for her and the papers got approved with no problem. We came home to get her but the consul wondered why we left her alone when she was only a baby. This was when she was already nearly two years old. In short the interviewing consul doubted that she was our child. After all, there are many cases about child adoption where in order for the adopting parents to get the baby as quickly as possible that they produce paperworks to claim that the child is their own. So, in Twinkle's case we were now told to go get a DNA test. This was to prove that she was indeed our own daughter.

Twinkle's papers and coming were more delayed for our failure of not finding the right doctors who would administer the DNA testing. But Twinkle was being cared for very well by Sister Tina Amato. They all loved her like their own daughter. And I yearly visited her also, as I needed to visit the church.

God works in a mysterious way and we cannot know the details of His workings until a thing has completely happened. Life in the United States is difficult because you have to do your own thing. Unless you are super wealthy, you cannot afford to pay a housemaid. Whereas in the Philippines, the helps were readily available and ultra cheap. It was a blessing in disguise that we had not so many babies to take care because at that time Damariz was just a year older than Twinkle and Juven also was two years older than Damariz. This means that we had our hands full in taking care of the five children. Ordinarily, people with lots of children like we did would have to get public assitance. Why we did not get into Welfare though we were qualified to get into the program was a thing that we kind of regret these days. How we were able to support a big family in America when we did not have any job was a miracle. I only went around to preach in churches. That was my means of support for my family who was in New York and the children were going to school.

God's hands were upon us when we needed to get adjusted to reside in America legally. Bro. Robert Carter saw our condition and agreed to file a petition for us. At that time it was so much easier to get a special immigrant status. That's what we had. Venus got her residency first. The children being minors had no problem getting approved. Then I got mine approved later on. We owe our residency in America to the Carter family in Staten Island. Without them we'd have a real hard time. They helped us also in financial matters. And their members extended assistance to us whenever we needed it.

Bro. and Sis. Edwards in Ohio were the second great benefactor for us. We had been just traveling around to churches and get our support but then the children had to get to school. We had to get settled in a place where they could go to school. The Edwards offered that we stay with them and bought for us a trailer house where we paid for the monthly mortgage. This was in Rockbridge, Ohio. We had stayed here for about six months when it was important for us to go back to Staten Island. That was the time that we had to apply for our change of status. We learned in Ohio the American culture and the Edwards learned to love my children, even to this day.

Back in New York, we settled in Jersey City, New Jersey. This time I decided to get a job. We were also starting a church. We approached Rev. Fernando Colon, a pastor of a Spanish congregation, to allow us the use of their premises. Not only that he let us use the building for our Sunday worship but he also recommended me for a job at the Hudson County Welfare Office. I got the job and I started the church. By this time, we were now legal residents of the United States, with greencards. Our church in Jersey City was established in 1989, and at this time we worked on again for Twinkle's coming. We had found a doctor who would administer us the DNA test. We did that and the result was sent to the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.The processing would take some time but we had greater hope now that Twinkle would be able to join us this time.

In 1990, Venus found work at the Staten Island Hospital. At first she commuted back and forth to Staten Island from Jersey City. Later we decided to relocate in Staten Island and we found a house at Hewitt Avenue at the Sunnyside area, by the Staten Island Expressway. Then a man by the name of Frank had gotten acquainted with our church in Jersey City who had a big van that he wanted to sell to us. We bought that van and we used it to pick up people for church. We named the van, "Big Bertha." And one night, Venus saw in her vision that Twinkle already came and we picked her up with Big Bertha.

And so it was. It came to pass that Twinkle's papers got all finally cleared up and now she could be picked up from the Philippines.

Without losing time I went back to the Philippines. The excitement over this event was so thick, we could literally touch it. Chin, especially, being the eldest, and had a chance to mingle with Twinkle as an infant, was ecstatic with joy. Damariz was also anxious. In other words, all of us were simply filled with joy over the news that Twinkle could now finally come.

Thankfully enough, we were now settled up. We had a church, we had a house, we had jobs, and we had a van. And all of the children were now in school. It was, I think, just perfect timing. In short, God was in all of this.

Back in the Philippines, the Amato family was saddened at the news that Twinkle was now going to leave them. They had learned to love her so much. Twinkle called Sis. Tina Nanay. Twinkle was in school already and had grown so very beautifully. Parting with her on the side of the Amato was simply difficult. They all cried and cried.

The day came that we had to go to the airport. The whole church of Caloocan were present to see Twinkle and I go. At seven years old, Twinkle had all the memories. But she was more excited to go to America and get reunited to her family there than saddened at the fact that she was going to leave her home with the Amatos. Inside the airport, Twinkle was all smiles. We went through all the inspections without any hassle. And in just a few hours, we were now airborne. We arrived in Hawaii and had the chance to get out to visit an old friend, Bro. Mike Ambler. He picked us up at the airport and took us to his huge mansion. Ambler was a millionaire. He had a handicraft business and thriving at that time. Ambler took us around and at that time Marcos body was newly put in a place where everyone could see it. Twinkle and I got to see Marcos dead body. We stayed at the Ambler's for one night and then the next day we flew into the U.S. mainland.

It was in November 1992 when we arrived in Newark airport. Twinkle was seven years and one month old. Chin drove Big Bertha. They had arrived in the airport early. Their anxiousness to see Twinkle was building up moment by moment.

When our American Airlines plane landed in Newark, I grabbed Twinkle's hands and I said, "This is it, Twink. This is America." He smiled shyly and then she became very happy.

Walking from the plane toward the exit seemed like I was floating on air. I could see the many people waiting. Then I could see Venus, Chin, Chic, Jones, Juven, and Damariz. They all came running toward us. Damariz and Twinkle embraced.