Season’s Greetings!

Marlies WobbenAbout Life1 Comment

xmas card

Here’s our Xmas (email) message of this year! Happy holidays!

This past year has been the year of working towards the emigration, even though we didn’t move just yet. We hope to leave in the last week of February, if we get the work permit in time!

In the first months of the year, the (very detailed) information of Nico’s nursing education has been assessed by the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association (he also had to gather some documents and pass an academic English test for this) and after they approved, we went to Regina for two weeks in June, where Nico wrote the Canadian Registered Nurses Exam on the 6th. In July he heard he had passed the test (which he didn’t expect), so that was party time! After that, the employer in Regina could start with the official job offer (August), they had to get the approval that they could hire a foreign worker for the job (October), and with that (and some more documents) we could apply for the actual work permit (November) at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin. In the meantime we sold our house to the first viewers (wow!) and we can stay until February 28th at the latest. Statistics say it could take 2-3 months before we hear something from the Canadian Embassy, but when Nico had the medical examination for the application, the doc said it usually takes 4 weeks after that – which would mean we could hear something in January. That would be great for our planning!

Although just last week we lost another loved one in Regina who we will miss terribly (our friend Tim’s dad Jack) I don’t want to end this Xmas letter as sad as I ended last year’s letter. Right now we are grieving for Jack and we still miss Dave and Danny so much, but a lot of good has come out of it: from what originally started as a tribute to Dave and Danny, Band of Brothers Inc. has evolved into a non-profit organization committed to raising funds to assist families with costs associated with recovering from cancer that are not covered by Saskatchewan Health Services. I’m sure that the guys could not be any prouder!

When we were in Regina in June, Nico got a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant that said: “Focus on your long-term goal. Your wish will be granted next year.” He kept it in his wallet all this time. And here we are, about to end this year and start the next with selling furniture, wrapping up things over here, trying to prepare some stuff over there, quitting our jobs, packing the rest of our things to be sent by sea freight and then… hopefully finally move to Regina!! Follow us on our weblog www.wobben.org or email us on marlies (at) wobben.org or nico (at) wobben.org. All our @home.nl addresses (and my truemetal.org one) have been or will be deleted, so please save the wobben.org ones 🙂

Have a great holiday, stay safe and healthy and may 2008 bring you all you hope it will bring!

x Nico & Marlies

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One Comment on “Season’s Greetings!”

  1. De allerbeste wensen voor 2008! Een jaar waarin veel gaat gebeuren voor jullie! Heel veel succes met alle voorbereidingen, en we blijven jullie volgen hoor!

    Groetjes, Monique en Roel

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