November 11, 2006

Dear Friends:

Change. The very word makes us uncomfortable. Becky and I are in our mid-50s. At our age, we like things just the way they are. We like our habits; we have become comfortable with the patterns of our lives. We like this way of life because we think we are in control. But alas, it is said, “life is what happens when we’re making other plans.” Change is on our minds. Sunny days changed quickly here to the rainy late Lithuanian fall. Winter darkness awaits us.

Some changes bring a sense of loss.The nature of a college is that students stay only a limited time. We just get to know our students and then graduation day arrives, taking them to all parts of the world. Yet we have the joy of maintaining these relationships beyond graduation. This fall, I had a surprise visit with Nastia, a 2004 graduate of Lithuanian Christian College. She has married a Brit and lives in the United Kingdom. She described how her house was burglarized. The loss that grieved her most was the theft of her camera and computer—taking all her photographs with them. But her visit to LCC revived her spirits. She looks at LCC as the place where she made the life transition from youth to young adult. LCC is for her—and I like to think for many students—an anchor in a world of change, a place to return to in order to take stock of what matters. The photos are gone, but the relationships with the people in the photos remain to be maintained and nurtured. I am privileged to be one of those relationships.

I spent eight days recently in Ukraine helping to interview prospective students for the entering class. At a Baptist church in the small town of Zolotonosha in central Ukraine, we met with parents whose sons and daughters have recently enrolled at LCC. We shared our stories of faith. In addition to questions about tuition and curriculum, the pastor, whose daughter is a freshman at LCC, wanted to know about the faith of the teachers at LCC. I told my story of how I believed I was called by God and sent by you, the church, to be a teacher at the college. The pastor related the story of his church and the suffering from earlier Soviet times that made possible the work his church does today with young people. We left this meeting with a renewed hope for the worldwide church and its commitment to nurturing the faithful lives of young people.

Becky and I are part of two institutions, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which supports us, and LCC, where we work. Both institutions are in the midst of change. The composition of the student body continues to evolve. More students are enrolling from Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova, bringing new languages, new traditions, and new interests to the Lithuanian setting of LCC. The Eastern Orthodox heritage of these students also brings different religious traditions. LCC faces new competitive pressures in the enlarged European Union, which Lithuania entered in 2004. The college is now more attractive to students from outside the EU, but it is also challenged to keep pace with the expanded opportunities for advanced study now open to Lithuanian high school graduates. New EU citizens have many choices; educational quality is demanded. The college is also preparing for a change in leadership. Jim Mininger, LCC president since 1994, plans to retire in 2008. Jim has been key to the success of LCC, and he was instrumental is bringing us here as teachers. A presidential search process has been organized; the LCC Board appointed me to serve on the search committee. The next few years will surely bring change to LCC—and change for us as well.

You all probably know about the restructuring of the PC(USA) offices in Louisville and its impact on worldwide mission. Staff reductions saw old friends depart. We search for signs of stability. In the monthly letter to mission workers, the news is simply, “I am glad to report that there are no new changes in the mission office this month!” We are told that funding for mission is assured only through 2008. We are of course anxious about what will happen to us when we are up for mission reappointment in 2009. This is the stewardship season in PC(USA) churches. The reality is that mission takes money. We are thankful for the dozen churches who have pledged support to our mission work. Prayerfully, we ask that you again consider support for the coming year. To support us through Directed Mission Support, you can download a pledge form here.

Here’s an Advent thought about change. One author has said that we should consider our guiding metaphor, that is, the language that guides the way we look and respond to change. Advent is a time of preparation for change. Jesus asked a lot of questions of the people he encountered. At the start of his ministry Jesus asks, “What are you looking for?” He invites Andrew and others to “come and see” (John 1:38-9). Andrew reports this encounter in dramatic fashion: “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:43). Think of the change this brought to Andrew. Legend has it that St. Andrew ended up as a missionary to Ukraine, only to be crucified there for his faith. This Advent may we all be preparing for a dramatic, transforming change as we allow the Prince of Peace to transform us.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!

Becky and Eric Hinderliter

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 180