“Experience, we are told is the best teacher!” “Change is the only constant thing in life.” “Change for the better!” “Starting afresh is starting from experience!” Through commitment, perseverance, faith in God, love, hope, and kindness, even in the face of adversaries, disaster, death, and life challenges, one can certainly win and be happy. Success is visible and achievable if one does not become weary. No one else can explain or give adequate details of all your challenges in life like yourself. You can speak from experience only if you make sacrifices that defy cultural, social, and societal beliefs. I am Oluwatoyin (Praise), meaning God is worthy of praise. I was born and raised in Nigeria, the most populous country in West Africa, known as The Giant of Africa. Raised to be a kind and loving daughter, responsible for being a good family-oriented person, this propels me to become a woman of virtue, resilience, honesty, and emotional sensitivity. I believe in adding value to the lives of everyone around me and growing possibilities by being a good team player in whatever capacity without any form of discrimination or prejudice. I would rather choose peace, happiness, love, and family over popularity and fame. I am a goal-getter, I do not give up on myself easily, and positivity and true happiness are my personality. In the year 2018, my husband got his long-awaited relocation visa to the USA after 18 years. On August 9, 2018 he left Nigeria for the U.S. with the confidence and enthusiasm that myself and the girls would be joining him in 6 months or at most a year’s time. During my waiting period, exactly 1 month and 3 weeks after my husband’s relocation abroad, I lost my dad, who was the favorite of my parents, after a brief illness. My dad’s sudden death shattered me, and I longed to be with my husband who happened to be my best friend. I needed his shoulder to cry on, but he was not available, and the thousands of miles in between made it harder for me to comprehend, so I buried my grief in my commitment to give my children the best support and confidence to navigate through the reality that life was throwing at us at the time. From the experience, I channeled my energy into contributing positively to working tirelessly to see that my daughters never feel the vacuum and their dad’s absence especially when their grandfather who took up the role of a father for them was no more. We bonded together by making it our priority to be one another’s support system come what may. Relocating abroad is a familiar experience in my extended family, the good, the bad, and the ugly situations involved truly played out or experienced. One that stuck and would never be forgotten was that of my maternal cousin, whose husband has been living in the USA since the year 2000, and 25 years later, he has not brought my cousin and their now grown-up sons to join him; instead, he divorced my cousin, married an American and had a daughter. Therefore, family members had their fear of “the unknown” and what would become of me. However I knew their fears might be justified, I was still confident that my own story would be different. You might ask me why. Well, my wonderful, caring, and disciplined husband earned my trust long before he relocated abroad as a man of honor, trust, and integrity. He was God-fearing and practiced what he preached. He has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he is to be trusted and therefore, I hoped against all fear that he would not cheat or divorce me while living abroad. My husband and I met as friends, and we immediately bonded despite the age difference, the entire members of my immediate family fell in love with his personality and charismatic behavior. Aside from being well-educated and exposed, he was well-loved and adored by my mom, dad, younger sister, and my three brothers. We believed that when he was relocating abroad, coupled with the process, we would defy all obstacles and join him after at most one year after his departure. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and the lockdown affecting the process of our immigration papers but also crushing down on the world at large, bringing a twist and different dimension to this journey and what was in stock: “the unknown and the unending questions from families and friends” resurfaced. “Love makes all things easy” “Faith makes all things possible” “Hope makes all things work” After the lockdown was declared worldwide, I braced myself up and made one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in my life. I moved out of my parent’s home exactly 2 months after my younger sister’s wedding in March 2020. I also had to part ways with my daughters as they resumed in a private boarding school far away in another state of our country from Lagos State where we reside. I was still battling with loneliness without a companion nor the warm embrace, hugs, and kisses from my husband and daughters. When the most horrible and devastating experience of my life surfaced, I lost my younger sister, which was another traumatic loss in my entire family occurring exactly one year and 3 weeks after her wedding. I watched my little sister dying, and the shock of that incident is still fresh in my memory. I was not only bereaved by her sudden demise but I was also broken. My loneliness, sadness, and grief were doubled, and I could not close my eyes to sleep for weeks. My sister’s demise shattered my hope and confidence and birthed a new personality. I lost myself because I could not get any closure on what happened to her. My number one source of my braveness was God and His unbroken promises. Second, my husband and daughters, and third was my mom who had to battle with depression after losing my sister. I realized that everyone depended on me. I knew every day was a fresh start. Therefore, to keep my family together, I had to make the sacrifice of commitment and unwavering dedication to my family. “With God, all things are possible” became my watchword. My confidence and morale were built only because I chose to embrace the God–factor. It was more comforting to embrace love than hatred. And it does feel fulfilling and joyous to view life again with renewed hope. I channeled my energy and time into studying God’s words and while praying, the word of God came expressly to me. “God is the time God of the moment and time Time after time every day Moment after moment, every hour A wonder in the moment and the time.” We decided to keep a low profile and work together as husband and wife behind the scenes, where our decisions will be based on our priorities, not allowing naysayers or our cultural norms and societal ideas to be our judge or decisive counsel. First, we relocated our daughters back to Lagos State away from the boarding school entirely. An immigration lawyer was involved in pushing forward our Visa application matters. I also moved into a new environment; my first daughter got admitted into a prestigious college while the younger sisters moved into another high school very close to home. Our breakthrough news! January 31st, 2024, we received an email from the Nigerian Embassy that said February 5th, 2024, we are to appear for the immigration visa interview after 5 years, 5 months, and 5 days of waiting. Not only were protocols broken for our sake, but God also indeed proved He is God and He is not a man. On March 31st, 2024, my daughters and I left the shores of Nigeria via United Airlines to the USA through direct flights. To thyself be truthful! Family is everything. Genuine, honest, and trustworthy friends are rare. We are nothing but pencils in the hands of God, who is the writer of the stories of our lives. He holds the pen, the eraser, the moments, and the time. Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land, I swore to their ancestors to give them.” Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” These two Bible passages remind me that being bold and courageous in the face of life's challenges can only be made possible with a leap of faith and hope that everything will work for our good. I am excited and delighted that not only will my dream of becoming a healthcare worker become a reality, but a better future awaits my daughters as well. Above all, I am reunited with my husband, friend, and confidant, and this year we will mark 20 years of our walk together as a couple. We conquered all the odds that were against our reunion. The lesson of my story is simple and precise. There is a higher authority involved in the universe which is the God-factor. He is real, He rules and controls the affairs of men. Secondly, “You can.” “You will.” “You must.” Never give up on yourselves as a person. Dreams are hard to kill, and societal norms and culture can be overturned if we are true to ourselves and loved ones.