Easter 2004

Dear Friends,

Greetings to all of you in the name of our risen Christ. The dark days of winter are over—new life has come. For us the joy of the resurrection gives the hope of renewal in all our lives. We share this profound joy with you.

This spring has been an eventful time for Lithuania and for us. In March, Lithuania became one of the newest members of the NATO alliance. This month, the country’s president was removed from office after being found guilty by the constitutional courts for illegal actions in violation of his oath of office. On May 1, Lithuania will become one of the 10 new members of the European Union (EU). All these events are evidence of the rapid economic and political changes occurring in Lithuania. This month the statistics office announced that 2003 bought a 9 percent growth in the economy, the highest rate since Lithuania regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. Of course, not all the changes—and their effects on society—are yet apparent. Like the students at Lithuania Christian College (LCC), we look to understand the meaning of these “signs of the times.”

This spring, Becky and I have been helping the admissions staff at the college to recruit new students. Last month we were in the neighboring country of Belarus for eight days. The college already has about a dozen students from Belarus and wants many more as part of the school’s mission focus on the non-EU countries east of Lithuania. In Belarus, the “signs of the times” are very different; it is a very different country from Lithuania. Its economy is very much the old Soviet-style “command economy.”

The department stores, the hotels, and all the major industries are state-owned and run by government officials. The hopes for a transition to a democratic government that many had at the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 have been thwarted by an increasingly authoritarian regime. Statues of Lenin remain prominent in public squares and government offices. Many international development agencies struggle to maintain a presence in the country. The signs are that the system is closing up to the world.

In Belarus we were guests of several churches. In Brest, a city on the border with Poland, we were hosted in the home of a church family. Becky and I visited local high schools to talk about LCC.

On Sunday, Eric gave the message at two churches, one a free church and one Pentecostal. Prospective students and parents had many questions about LCC, especially what kind of jobs could be expected after graduation. One of our present students from Brest invited us to her home for afternoon tea with her parents. We also visited Brest State University where one of our former students now works.

After several days in Brest we went on to Minsk, the capital. In Minsk we again made presentations about LCC and interviewed students. We need partners in Belarus. Despite the political and economic problems in Belarus, we can’t dismiss the country as a curiosity from the past. Students at LCC are quick to follow the lead of our judgments. If we dismiss the country as not relevant, especially compared to the changes occurring in Lithuania, then we risk sending the message to our students that the market economy is not only the only way to go but that its sins can be overlooked when compared to the command economy. We also devalue the Belarus students by ignoring their context. We looked for partners in Belarus among the churches, the new Christian college in Minsk, the European Humanities University, and the United Nations Human Development Program. Each would help enrich our curriculum and support us in our tasks as teachers who seek to be relevant to the lives of all our students. These progressive forces show another side of the society, one that models the values and behaviors that affirm life, freedom, and an open community for all.

We are listening to what our students from Belarus say about what life in like and how LCC could change to accommodate more students from authoritarian states and non-market economies. During the admissions interviews students were open and full of smiles. But when we passed them later on the street their “Soviet face” had returned—eyes straight ahead, no expression, the mask of self-protection. How will students return home? We wonder how we can equip students from the East with the skills and the insight to return home after an LCC education to be Christian leaders and advocates for progressive change. This week, two prospective students we had met in Brest—both active church members—knocked on my office door to say hello. Their smiles gave evidence of their hopes for further study and a new life.

As Paul assures us, we walk in the Spirit and the Spirit is life. May the fruits of the Spirit be yours this Easter season.

Becky & Eric Hinderliter

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 338

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