The big news!!!

Barb's Facebook status caused a flurry of comments, so I guess I should fill in the details.

As you may or may not know; Barb is in Australia studying medicine while I am still in Canada waiting for my working visa (GSM subclass 175).  When I applied processing time was about six months.  I had applied in July 2008 with Barb starting in Jan 2009.  We then found out it was taking a bit longer because of backlog from a rule change in 2007.  Then more months passed.  Then in May 2009, the Aus Immigration department cut back the number of people they were letting and changing the priority the were processing the visas in.  Then just last week the changed the rules again.  The estimated time of processing moved to 2012.  That's right, four years to process a visa application.

We began experimenting with a few other possibilities.  We thought of me coming to Australia and then applying in-country because processing is much faster.  But, that doesn't work because Aus uses a points system and because I am now 40 years old, I get 5 less points than when I was 35-39.  This means I no longer have enough points.  I could have gone as a spouse on Barb's student visa, but I would only be allowed to work 20 hours a week.  It's pretty hard for two people to live on one part-time salary.  We were even toyed around with Barb coming back to Canada and try again to get into a Canadian med school.

Then out of the blue, my mother comes up with a plan.  She was planning to leave some of her farmland to each of her kids in her will.  She decided that the two quarter sections that I would be getting would be much more useful to me now than after she is gone.  Her plan was to sell the two quarters and give the proceeds to Barb and I.  With  money in the bank, plus me working part-time, we would be able to live TOGETHER until Barb graduates med school.

So, last Thursday she put the land up for sale.  By Sunday she had two offers, plus a third interested party.  She accepted the offer tonight with possession taking place October 16.  The offer was for the full listed amount. If nothing goes horribly wrong, this means that I will be able to fly back to Australia with Barb after her Christmas break in Canada.

HURRAY & PRAISE THE LORD!!!!  

For all of you praying for us, please continue to do so until the sale is final (and afterwards is good too) .