Independence Day!

Happy fourth of July to all our American friends and family! :-)

Not much of a celebration going on here except for at the US Embassy in Bucharest where they had a party for all the Americans who wanted to go complete with potato
salad and hot dogs (according to the local news).

We didn't go but we didn't know about it until after getting home in the evening after picking Dana up from work. Anyway, today I (Joel) was busy helping my brother in law move furniture to put in new windows for the apartment.

We hope everyone is enjoying the picnics (especially at the family reunion today :-) and all the good food. (I like food a lot, can you tell?)

Right now I'm just sitting here, listening to the old Clash song 'I'm So Bored With The USA', reading Sojourners Magazine's July 4th email update, and really missing you all back in the States.
In fact, I just realized that as of today I haven't been back to the States for exactly 3 years and 2 days. Hopefully we'll soon be able to get Dana's visa but still no word on that yet.

As today is the fourth and given that freedom is such a big theme for this day in American history and in American values, I thought it would be fitting to share this bit of scripture which really impacted me when I read it a couple of days ago:

For you have been called to freedom...only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
- Galatians 5:13-14

Hope everyone has a great day.

Peace शांति