Independence Day!!

Ohh, that takes on so many new shades of meaning . . . :)

I seriously had the best 4th of July EVER (well, maybe not EVER . . . it IS my favorite holiday, backed up by many, many glorious memories). But I was laughing at myself for literally grieving over 4th of July before I came to Athens . . . I'm so silly.

So, Emma Skjonsby (the director of Nea Zoi) is originally from Seattle - and the way that she ended up in Athens, and founded Nea Zoi with another woman named Jennifer in her late 20's, is SO encouraging because of how nearly accidental it was. I feel like that resonates with the story of my life . . . I make new 5-year-plans every two weeks (I'm sorry for everyone who knows how true that is and has to go through the process of having to hear all of the new dreams literally every FOURTEEN DAYS!), and then instead of my 5-year-plans EVER working out, I seem to just bump into - or fall into - or trip over - the passions that end up sprouting and TAKING OVER in my life.

Yay for dreaming AND for God's sovereignty - I love Jesus for loving all of my silly 5-year-plans.

Anyway, Emma is now married to a Greek man whose name is pronounced Yohnny, and they have a son named Erik who is about 16 months old - super cute. Emma has coerced Yohnny into having 4th of July parties . . . apparently every year since they've been married. He pretends to hate it (most Greeks don't know that the 4th of July is American Independence Day, obviously -- how many other nations do you celebrate the independence of?). In fact, as we were decorating the flat yesterday (tying all shades of pink, red, teal, blue, white, and cream-colored ribbon all over EVERYTHING), he muttered to me, "My grandfather's balls are shaking IN THE GRAVE that we're celebrating this IN MY HOUSE."

But really, he LOVED it - he is hilarious. I think that Emma, my flat-mate Laurie, and I (along with a girl named Brit for about 1/2 hour) were the only Americans there -- but there were TONS of Greek relatives, lots of Brits from other ministries throughout the city, and mountains of babies. It was loud. And hilarious . . .

Yohnny was wearing his "I Heart NY" t-shirt, which was Emma's first gift to him from the States. Apparently, he's put on a few lbs. since marriage (which every wife wants, right - evidence of good cooking) and the shirt was WAYYYY too tight on him. Then, he turned the music in his flat up so that people three apartment buildings down (literally) could have heard it . . . and then started playing Independence Day Parades on You-Tube. Then, we listened to the Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, Yankee Doodle, and every other American patriotic song that I have AND haven't heard of . . . as well as the Communist theme song (I should know what it's called, but I don't) and then a ton of American grunge music from like 20 years ago.

AND THEN, we ate TONS of American food and lit sparklers . . . and Yohnny went down into the street with a few of his friends and surprised us all (and half of Athens) by lighting off those HUGE fireworks. (The ones that only firemen are allowed to touch in the States.) Where he got them, I have no idea . . . but it was AWESOME!!! And no police came . . . which was even MORE awesome!!

I felt so American riding the metro home last night . . . and so independent. Thank you, Jesus. I love Greeks. :)