Fluellen Andan

“I can still remember, three years ago, I set foot on Australian soil. Excited, a little scared, lonely & full of anxiety were the mixed feelings I had. Armed with high hopes of providing a better & brighter future for my family, battling loneliness & homesickness, made me more determined to work harder just like the rest of the 457 working class. I learnt the hard way that living in a foreign land is heaps different than the soft life back home. It is not a bed of roses, daily living is a constant challenge & trial. Many a time, I wanted to pack my bag & go home. I stopped, looked back & reflected on the poverty situation almost everyone wants to escape from. Financial security prevailed. I took this gamble, might as well get on with it.

Fortunately a year after, my employer deemed it fit to sponsor my family to follow me here in Darwin. My joy knew no bounds. I was ecstatic. At last, I would be reunited with my loved ones. But that happiness was short-lived for we had problems & some complications with our documents. I honestly thought that our being together was not meant to be. I was distressed & was at the lowest ebb of my life. But then, a spark of hope hit me. I turned to Margie Dizon of MCA, hoping… really, hoping against hope if she could pull off this insurmountable odd. I trusted & believed in her & the MCA team. There’s still hope yet, she assured me. True enough, I didn’t have wait long…a big thorn had been plucked from within me. Needless to say, I am now with my beloved family.

My trust for Margie’s agency deepened. I deduced, if she could pull me out from that very tight spot, why not my Permanent Residency? Always , I seem to have a knack for complications. My visa was about to expire, I was beginning to panic, I don’t have much time to file it myself due to work constraints. In short, I got scared since I felt like applying for PR is one-time shot. Whew! She made it just in time with Divine Intervention & human effort. It took a little while to get approved which was another trial, with God’s help & of course with MCA’s unwavering support, the wait is finally over. But that’s all behind us now, we are now looking at the future. Someday…one day…we will be taking our oaths & pledge allegiance to this God-blessed country who gave us another chance at life. If I may say, so…There is much hope when you trust in the Lord, yourself & a Friend.”