Celebration of Independence

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."
Elie Wiesel, Romanian born American writer. Nobel Prize for Peace in 1986

One of the things Kacee and I realized while living in Romania was that life goes on whether you are present or not. So many things changed while we were away from home. At the same time we now realize that life continues in Romania in our absence. We also discovered that our calendar is different than the calendar in Romania (in many, many ways). Many of our holidays do not coincide with those in Romania. Easter is based upon the Orthodox calendar so they only line up with America every once in a while. Thanksgiving in the U.S. is November 25 but it’s not a holiday in Romania. We found this out the hard way as we searched and searched for a turkey (dead of course).

July 4th in Romania is just another day. However, the celebration of our independence always forces me to reflect upon the things I have to be thankful for and to think about my Romanian brothers. All too often we in America read about history while many around the world actually live it. Most of us have no idea the cost that was paid for our independence. Most Romanians still have a vivid memory of what was paid for their independence (many actually paid a price themselves).

As I reflect upon all the things I have to be thankful for, especially my freedom, I cannot help but think about the responsibility that comes with this freedom. After all, didn’t I read somewhere that “to whom much is given, much is expected?” I can’t help but think that with all this freedom I have a responsibility to do something. That’s why I’ve committed to making life a little bit better for my Romanian brothers and sisters.

I’m excited about what the future holds. I find myself having numerous conversations about future opportunities in Romania. Todd, Ovidiu, and I (as well as our families) are truly excited about the future. We hope to have exciting news to share in the near future. Until then, aspire to new heights.

Don’t forget our planning meeting Monday, July 19. We have several churches joining us to discuss the future of Romania. Please pray for us. If you would like more information shoot me an email at jonahogg@gmail.com.