Thank you for all your prayers!

Hello folks! Only now do I have the time and the opportunity to write off a quick post about my visa interview last May 13, 2008.

I left for Manila May 5, 2008 so that I can have my medical examination at St. Luke's Medical Center Extension Clinic at Ermita early the next day. Come May 6, 2008 I went to SLMC with my mother-in-law, Mommy Ester. We got there at around 7 AM and there was already a long line of people filing in. I was number 132. I filled out the forms required and waited for my name to be called. After the form was assessed I had my picture taken then lined up to pay. As of this month, they had increased the fees from $182 to $213. Yup, that's right -- the fees were in dollars, but we had to pay in its peso equivalent. Ouch! It was in payment mostly for the vaccines that they required us to have. Though as it turns out, I wasn't given any vaccinations due to my pregnancy. Wonder if I could get a refund? Hehehe

Junby and I had decided not to avail of the x-ray they asked for, as part of our precaution for the baby's health but as the lady in charge of the x-ray lab explained to me, I could opt not to have an x-ray done now but instead wait until I give birth then have my x-ray done. The only catch was my medical records will not be released and will have to reschedule my visa interview to a later date -- meaning when I choose to have my x-ray done. Talk about choices. What sort of choice does that leave me then?! I was silently fuming at that. If anything happens to my baby and I can trace it to that x-ray procedure, God help that woman...grrr....Left with no choice I submitted myself to the x-ray procedure. They did have a shield of sorts for the abdomen but still, I can just pray that such exposure didn't harm the baby in any way. I was done by 3 pm. I was asked to go back the next day at 9 am to pick up the results, so we happily went home with the knowledge that at least the next day, all I had to do was pick up the results. Wrong.

May 7, 2008 was a wasted day for me. I got to SLMC extension clinic quarter to nine, dropped my receipt in the designated box and chose a seat to wait for my name to be called. Though there was a warning that our results will not be given out on a first come, first served basis but rather on the complexity of our medical case, I didn't expect to be sitting there until 3:30 pm only to hear my name being announced on the PA system to proceed to the immunization center. When I followed up and informed them that the physician who saw me the day before had already indicated I was not to receive any immunization shots, they told me to go back to the releasing area to wait for my name to be called...again. All in all, I finally got my x-ray plate and immunization record (which were the only ones they released to me, the rest of my medical records together with my passport and 2 pcs of 2x2 pics were going to be delivered to the US embassy by SLMC) at around 5:30 pm!?!?! Hayyyyy....good thing I went there on my own that second day. Kawawa naman ang mother-in-law ko if she accompanied me pa. I ended up making friends with the people to my right and my left after sitting there for the whole day, it seemed like a better option than silently fuming over the waste of my time there. :P

Junby had decided to come home to be with me during the visa interview and I was glad for his presence that day. We went to the US embassy and were at the gates by 6:40 having been advised to show up an hour before our scheduled interview at 7:30. There was already a line there but thankfully it moved quickly. I was impressed by the efficiency of how the folks at US embassy handled the crowds. Though our numbers weren't called in order, the turnover was quick. Good thing we had gone there having prepared our documents the day before so there was no need to scrounge around for all the different documents we were supposed to submit. We were done with the interview by 10:30 am. I remember telling myself not to smile too widely as we left the consular office where we were interviewed. Thank God the lady who interviewed us was quite pleasant. She just confirmed some details, looked at some of the photographs we submitted and pleasantly said there were no problems and my visa application was approved! Praise be to God!

Junby's presence there also helped, I guess. Both for me emotionally and for the consular officer and the pre-screening personnel. At the pre-screening the lady asked him to explain how he got to be in the US if we had met way back in college, etc. So all in all, it went well. Thank you for all your prayers! Now we are waiting for my visa to be delivered, which we hope to receive in the coming days and then its off to the US by the 26th God willing. So keep us in your prayers folks and thank you, thank you, thank you!