Living it up in Harrisburg!!

Dearest Friends,

Y'all are probably wondering if I'm alive and where I am! Well, let me quickly tell you! 1) I AM alive.  Hopefully this posting can at least give you some confidence in that.  2) I am sitting in a chair, in my apartment, in Harrisburg, in PA in the United States...North America, World, Earth...etc, etc.  You get the picture! :)  Anyway, I did make the drive out and came to a total of 3025 miles of driving just in case any of you were trying to follow me or have me followed.  I JUST got a phone line put into my apartment which means I can now get online and am madly trying to catch up on emails and other things! I sincerely apologize if some of you have emailed me and I haven't responded...I just haven't been able to access and I think I was going into some serious internet/email withdrawal over here!! :P

I also have a job which I started last Monday and am working at the Sheraton Harrisburg/Hershey Hotel!  I'm an AV Tech there basically setting up for conferences, weddings, or any other social gathering they may be having.  If any of you happen to know that you are heading out to the Harrisburg area, and staying at the Sheraton for any reason, please let me know!! Would LOVE to see you!!  Well, it's late for me and I need to get my beauty sleep!! Blessings to you all and THANK YOU for ALL of your prayers for safe travel, an apartment, and a job!! God is GOOD and HAS answered your prayers and REALLY blessed me!! Please continue praying for Vera's safe arrival home on June 23 and that she can finish her last 5 weeks on the ship strong!!  Blessings upon y'all!!

-Nate

Engagement Announcement

 Just thought I'd share this for anyone who still uses Xanga :)  This just ran in the paper out here:
http://www.lyndentribune.com/node/2680

The link will only be valid probably for another week from today...I'll try and paste the announcement in here too. 

Vera Joines - Nathaniel Mielke engagement

Submitted by the Tribune on March 27, 2008 - 8:09am. Milestones

 

Vera Ruth Joines of Dillsburg, Pa., and Nathaniel Lee Mielke of Lynden announce their engagement and plans for a Sept. 7, 2008, wedding at Crosskey's Fellowship in New Oxford, Pa. Vera is a daughter of Allen and Diane Joines of Dillsburg, Pa. She graduated from York College in Pennsylvania with a degree in nursing and is an ICU nurse with Mercy Ships. Nathaniel is a son of Lee and Irene Mielke of Lynden. He graduated from Lynden High School before graduating with a degree in communications from Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C. He is employed with Brim Tractor Company. The couple met at Mercy Ships International Operations Center in Garden Valley, Texas, and the proposal took place on the Mercy Ship, "Africa Mercy," while it was docked in Liberia, West Africa.

Vera Ruth Joines and Nathaniel Lee Mielke

 

Changes

Greetings to all my dear friends and family who actually still exist within the Xanga community.  I just wanted to give a little update on things here and ask for your prayers.  As of Monday of this week I made the decision known to my boss that my last day with Brim Tractor would be at the end of this Month.  This decision has been a long time in coming and has been something I have been praying out for quite some time!  I knew it would come and actually in a way excited that it here!!  It's the beginning of a new chapter in my life and with the closing of this job my next thing will be hopefully opening.

Within the month I hope to find an apartment and a job out in Pennsylvania.  I think the time is right to start heading out there so that I can be settled a bit and get to know the area before Vera comes back and we get super busy with wedding plans!!  Vera's family has been AMAZING and instrumental in helping me in my search for housing and work.  I AM confident the Lord will provide, yet to be honest, there still lingers the bit of fear and intimidation this comes with it!!  I plan to drive from Washington to PA and just the whole idea of moving across the country is mind blowing if I start to think about it too much!!  I would ask your prayers God would open up a place for me (and eventually Vera and I) to live as well as provide a decent paying job to cover expenses of moving out there and planning a wedding.  If ANYONE is up for a 2800 mile roadtrip and would LOVE to see the east coast and doesn't mind flying back, please let me know!! I am ok with doing this by myself, but would be MUCH more fun with company...and Vera would REALLY appreciate that as well!! :) 

So friends, please keep us in your prayers!  Vera is really busy with work at the start of this new outreach and the ship is understaffed with medical personnel & other crew right now.  I have been busy with work as well and now have to Trust in God to provide for housing and a job.  If any of you know of either in the PA area, I would LOVE to know about it too!!  Thank you for your prayers and for taking the time out to read. 
Blessings,

Nathan

Surprise Party

I know it's been quite a while since I last wrote.  In a way, much has happened, but not a whole lot has changed.  The best thing was that Vera, my fiance, was able to fly out here for 3 weeks and we were able to spend our birthdays together.  I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who were able to make it to my party, call or left me birthday messages on any of my blog sites (xanga, myspace and facebook).  It was VERY special and I just don't really know how to express it to you all, but THANK YOU!!!  You, my friends, are amazing...and a SPECIAL thank you to Vera for working on putting it all together, AND to Sarah and Evan who worked out all the details on this side of the country.  Thank YOU all!!  I Love You guys!!

If you would like to see some pictures of our time together, please check out Vera's Xanga site (www.xanga.com/vjoines) as she has posted some pictures of our time together.  As I have dialup, it could take quite a while for me to upload a lot of photos.   Now Vera is back in the Canary Islands for a few more days before the ship sails back to Africa.  In June, Vera will finish her year with Mercy Ships and return to PA where hopefully, Lord willing, I will be working.  We will then do marriage counseling and plan the last details of the wedding and be married in September!!  So, how does that all sound? 

Please keep us both in your prayers as this time apart is REALLY difficult for both of us.  There are so many details that need to be worked out on the plans for life and the wedding and I know God has that all taken care of, but it would be nice if I had some idea of the plan :)  God is good though friends and I'm sure that a way will soon open if.  If any of you know of any kinds of video/editing/production kinds of jobs ANYWHERE, please let me know.  I'm open to most anything too! :)   Blessings on y'all!

MERRY

CHRISTMAS!