Gender Error On Immigration Card

Our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or dream, according to His power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20.

On Nov 5th, 2017, our daughter, Kristy was scheduled to leave the Philippines for Hawaii to meet us for a family reunion and to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.

The Philippine immigration denied her boarding because she is on a student visa and they required an I-card. She missed her plane, and they told her to go to the Immigration office in Intramuros. She booked a hotel in the area so she could walk to it the next day. The only thing was, she had to cross a big freeway, and she almost got hit by a bus! When she arrived, they advised her that she needed to go to the office in Quezon City, a 40-minute ride away. She took an Uber by herself, and when she got there, they said that the I-card should come from her school in Davao, which was 1 hr and 45-minute plane-ride away. She contacted the school, and they sent the card in an overnight mail, but when it finally arrived, it showed that she is a male! Gender confusion might be alright in the US but she was in the Philippines, and they aren’t as confused yet. Getting a new card would take weeks and pointing it out might cause the Immigration to deny her boarding again. After all, this card is a legal government document, and there should not be any discrepancy. 

She decided that she would go through with the flight and just pray that the angels will be with her. I asked the Lord if He could transform himself into an immigration officer and check her in.

May the Angel Michael (Who is like God), the angel of love, be by her right side so the officers would be full of love for her.  May the Angel Gabriel (Gever-strong man, hero, El- God), the angel of strength, be by her left side so he could show them, God’s strength and power. May the Angel of light, Uriel (El-God, Uri-my light), be at the front so he could cast a blinding light on the document. May the Angel of healing Raphael (Rapha -to heal in Hebrew, El- God), be behind her so he could keep her in top shape and above her, the glorious presence of God.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, I made a request for prayer to a group of friends with the Nathaniel Fellowship, Eitz Chaim Congregation, family in the Dallas area, Hawaii, and the Philippines. I prayed with expectation and believed with all my heart that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or dream according to the power that works in us. God has been faithful in the past, and He will be faithful again. I begged God for a miracle and reminded him that a lot of people need encouragement.

To miss a flight again because of a discrepancy in the ID would mean a loss of $2,000 ( the cost of the old and new tickets). We just wanted her to come home and be with us during our family reunion and 30th wedding anniversary in Hawaii.  We rescheduled her flight for November 9th. She voiced concern that maybe we should buy a flight insurance. I explained to her that it is difficult to get flight insurance originating from other countries and the one I purchased through the airline only covers illness or death even though it was labeled “total protection.” I assured her that God is our insurance. She agreed. The day before takeoff, she sent me a message that she had an abdominal pain. The pain usually disables her. She hoped that it will be gone by the next day. I reminded her that the Angel of Healing, Raphael, will be with her to keep her in top shape. A few hours later, she sent a message that the pain was gone! It was a good sign because it meant that the angels were doing what they were supposed to do with God’s direction.

The plane was scheduled to leave the Philippines at 5:30 pm on Nov 9th. In the US, it would be 4:30 am. I figured she would be going through the immigration around 1:00 am, but at 12:01am(US time), I got a message that she made it through. HalleluYah! God showed himself strong! Kristy imagined the angels by her side walking her through the Immigration. The Angel of love made everyone kind to her as they remembered her being denied boarding. They must be really blinded by the light as Kristy even left the card with them to get some change from a machine to pay the fees. Yet, they did not say anything.

I notified all the prayer warriors so they could share in the excitement of their answered prayers. To God be the glory!

The 9th was also the day my husband, and I flew to Hawaii. It was a great feeling when we finally saw our daughter, and we were reunited! Praise The Lord for the mighty things He has done! Satan tried to attack us on both sides but he lost!

Our family was complete when we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We were also thrilled to meet Gabby (Gabriella) Martinez, Kevin’s fiancee from Ecuador. She is a wonderful person, and we thanked God for picking the right person for him.

After Kristy’s ordeal, we launched into a discussion about her future. If she goes back to the Philippines, the card issue is still there, and she could be denied boarding again. We prefer not to give them another chance. We lost faith in the school’s foreign students administration office, who should have anticipated the needs of an international student when leaving the country. It could be an oversight but losing $1,000 is a lot of money for a working-class family. It was scary to be prevented from going home to her own country. We also noticed a lot of incompetence on the part of the school and the Immigration. They give instructions piece by piece, and it is like chasing the wind, wearing you out. Although Kristy was extremely happy in the Philippines, her physical body suffered. Her eczema flared up due to stress and difficulty in obtaining organic food readily. She was in ER 3x in the last few months due to allergy, GI disturbances, and migraine. We all agreed that Kristy should stay in Maui. The sooner she builds her life in the US, the better it is. If she creates her life in the Philippines, she would have to leave eventually, and it would make it harder. After staying for a year in the Philippines, Kristy bonded with her family and gained a lot of friends. Her part-time volunteer job improved her confidence. She experienced tender loving care in a unique way only Filipinos can provide. Her worldview is broader, and she is stronger. Every penny we spent was well worth it. We are thankful for our family and friends in the Philippines who supported and protected her. We can never repay their kindness but God can. She met new friends (and some assumed parental role), who will be a part of her life forever. It was a great experience! It looked like the purpose of her being there was accomplished. We are grateful for Ross and JP who took care of her belongings and cleaned the apartment.  In the meantime, she is looking for a job to start a new life.

As soon as Kristy made the decision to stay, our relatives in Maui, Pastor Bong, and Darlene Ronquillo, offered for her to stay at their house. They said that she could use the extra car they have. When we visited them at their home, it was then that we realized, they were giving the car to her! The title was transferred to her name the next day, and she became a car owner without even planning to be one. We appreciate Yasha, their daughter for willingly sharing her room, and Bar, their son, for transferring the title of his car to Kristy. The car may not be new, but it runs like a dream. She took us to the airport in it!

Things happened so quickly she is asking herself, “What is happening?” Only God knows and we can depend on our God, who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask, or dream, according to His power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20.

Blessing, glory, and honor be unto our God, King of the universe!

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Saved by an Angel Dog

by Pinky as related by Great Aunt, Coning Rubiato

World War II had just begun in 1941. The news of the Japanese Army invading the country had reached the little town of Marbel, a settlement in the province of Cotabato, South of the Philippines, where my mother, Digna Doctolero lived with her grandparents and Aunts.

She was 11 years old. Her parents and seven siblings lived in another island 500 miles away. She was only seven when she left them.

They lived on a farm in the country amidst rice fields and tropical forest in the distance. Her aunts were dressmakers, and they would always make pretty dresses for her. Farm life appeared picture perfect oblivious to the fact that trouble loomed just beyond the horizon.

However, on that particular day, the family were busy preparing for evacuation. They cooked and placed a few needed items into a small bundle they could carry along. They cut-off the cone from their high-heeled shoes so they can run faster. Tennis shoes were not invented yet or maybe they just did not have them.

Nighttime fell, and as they were getting ready for bed, they heard a huge explosion. They saw a bright light in the sky in the center of town. They heard somebody pounding on the door and yelling, “The Japanese are coming, they are in Dadiangas! (another town)”

Everybody then grabbed their bundles and shoes, and they ran to the nearby forest. They stayed there all night. In the morning, they were hungry, so they decided to return to the house thinking that the Japanese army would just remain in town. As they were eating, they saw their neighbor ran toward the house and yelled, “The Japanese are here! You better go back to the forest and hide!”

They all went back to the forest, then a Filipino soldier called out Grandpa’s name and told them,
“You and your family need to go to the Barrio Captain’s house. They will kill those who don’t obey.”

People from all over the community assembled at the Barrio Captain’s house. Japanese soldiers surrounded it. People knelt on the ground as they arrived. Since my mother Digna was only 11 years old, she was walked slower than the rest of her family. They had already picked a spot and knelt. As she approached them, a Japanese soldier aimed his bayonet at her, sending a burst of prayer by her family up unto the heavens quickly.

Suddenly, an enormous white dog appeared and jumped on the soldier. He was knocked down to the ground. At that moment, my Mother ran toward her family and knelt with them.

Meanwhile, the soldier struggled with the dog. Two soldiers came to help, but they could not overcome her canine rescuer. Finally, five soldiers wrestled with one dog. Another soldier saw the helpless situation and shot the unnamed deliverer.

Everyone was terrified by the shout of the gunshot but hearts full of gratitude and surprise. There was a pervading sense of calmness among the people. They had just witnessed an incredible display of divine intervention.

They never found out who dog, belonged to. Nobody claimed to have seen the dog before. A big white dog saved my mother’s life. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here to write this.

Shortly after the incident, they were all taken to an American settlement of about a 100,000 people. The American government gave them protection during the war.

beautiful kindhearted ChooChoo

My mother grew up, became a teacher, married my Dad, and had five children. She died of breast cancer at the age of 52 in 1982. Her mission accomplished.

Your Prayer Coach – A Personal Prayer Guide

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (KJV) !

When you want to pray but you don’t know what to say, don’t worry help is on the way. I created a book entitled, ” Your Prayer Coach – A Personal Prayer Guide.” It is a compilation of all the verses that I gathered from the Scriptures and personalized. I also included prayers from public domain books that I found relevant in my life.

I grew up in a Christian home. I was always in church and attended prayer meetings. Somehow I did not feel comfortable praying in public. My personal prayers were simple, like a baby who was just learning to talk. It was always a struggle. I learned to copy what others say when they pray. Yet, I needed something with substance to pray over my children.

I discovered praying the scriptures when our family was having a severe trial. It was not enough to say. “Help us Lord.” I realized praying the Scriptures gave us hope. On top of that, God sent us a prayer coach and showed us bible verses and words to pray. Personalizing the scriptures became my passion as I prayed them over me and my family. My prayer life became a refreshing drink from the springs of living water.

I pray God’s word everyday. I have to read them as I notice that I forget Scriptures if I have to think of them on my own. That is also one trick the enemy does. Putting my prayers in print helps me to win over powers of darkness. No more struggles!

We must pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If we live a righteous life, our prayers will be to our great advantage! (James 5:16)!

Prayer is of extreme importance to me. I have plenty of stories about answered prayers. I can’t live without it and besides, it is affordable and convenient.