The 4th of July from a Far Country

How my heart thrills to see those sacred Stars and Stripes!!!

As I think of Independence Day, my mind is filled with great memories of celebrations and holidays past. In recent years, the Gansemer family tradition of parking the truck down by the river the day before, filled with coolers bulging with all the wonderful things that we could possibly need to have a cookout and enjoy the fireworks to the fullest on July 3rd. I remember taking Clara to enjoy this special time when she was just over 1 month old along with the terrential down pour to end the show! How tiny she was and how things have changed since then!!

Friday night, July 2, our family along with some of the other missionaries in our area gathered at our friends' house to take some time to fellowship and observe this special holiday.There was so much food, fun, laughter, noise, etc. etc. between the men crowded around the dining room table hashing out the world's problems and finding ways to save the day, the babies' cries and squeals, kids running here and there, and us ladies, we had a great time just "catching up". Clara was in her element with some many buddies to play with and cartoons to watch. Ethan had company, too, 2 baby girls, one just a petite little 2 month old, and the other a smiley 8 month old. 

Such a blessing to be able to have this time to remember our country and the freedoms that we have, and Lord willing, hold dear. Obviously, to the Argentines, as in every other country, July 4th is just another day on the calendar. We know differently though, don't we?!? A time to be thankful to the Lord for all that He has given us. A time to be thankful to be a part of the U.S. of A. and grateful to all that have come before us to make our homeland what it is today. Is it perfect--far from it. Is it still a Christian nation--I have many reasons to doubt. BUT, it is still a blessed nation and I am proud to say that I am one of its citizens. 

Do I live between its shores? No, I don't. But I think in many ways, that makes me even more thankful for being raised there and the times that I am there. Why? Because I see that the rest of the world cannot compare to its beauty and bounty. It's easy to take for granted all the comforts, big and small, that come with living in America. It is another thing entirely to live in a far away land and see first hand that the rest of the world does NOT live in the same way. Sometimes we are not truly thankful for what we have until we don't have it anymore. Let me tell you, living in Argentina, which thankfully is fairly modern and not nearly as different as other countries, still reminds me how very good things are back home. Definitely makes me more appreciative for the upbringing that I had in the wonderful "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave"!  With all its flaws and imperfections, with its economic "instabilities" and environmental "challenges", praise the Lord, I can still and will forever call it HOME! :) I am proud to be an American and pledge my allegiance to the beautiful Red, White, and Blue of Old Glory, aren't you?!?