A blessed day to you & your family, 

An unpleasant experience happened that paved the way for something wonderful. 

Last year at the Houston airport immigration, we encountered a very rude immigration officer. She took issue with Bambi being out of the USA for well over a year as a green cardholder. Philippine lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic prevented us from making a timely trip to visit the US. 

The immigration officer interrogated Bambi with abrasive intimidation in a manner of questioning that made it obvious she did not really want answers. Unwilling to listen to anything we said or even look at Bambi's exemption certificate, an immigration officer took Bambi away from Zion and me to be further interrogated, refusing to explain or communicate with me. A few hours later, a senior officer brought Bambi out to explain to me why they had held her up and gave some candid insights into the dark side of the present state of US bureaucracy.

This incident led me to research deeper into how to apply for her US citizenship in such a way that would legally circumvent the requirement of physically staying in the US for an uninterrupted period of at least 1 year. Finally, after 13 months of waiting with very sparse communication from the government, Bambi was sworn in as a US citizen.

God is so good. He has spared us from unnecessary travels and expenses by leading us in faith to stay in the US just a little bit longer. In doing so, Bambi was suddenly scheduled for her interview & oath-taking, despite the governments' website indicating a 13-month wait time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made every thing beautiful in His time..."

We are so grateful to God for this gift. It is a relief that she can now travel to the Philippines and back to the US at any time without limitations or harassment. We are now waiting for her US passport to arrive so we can return to the Philippines. Please remember us in your prayers.

Timothy and Bambi Warden

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