Spring 2007

Dear Friends,

The morning has dawned sunny, and the day is bright. Today brings early hints of spring with growth and renewal, as we eagerly await the promise of Easter.

This week our school, Lithuania Christian College (LCC), is having its traditional spring break. Growing up in Pennsylvania, we were familiar with snow and cold, wintry days. But Lithuania is situated farther north and has the added phenomenon of shorter, dark days in the dead of winter. Even this is not unfamiliar or unexpected. What is always surprising is how quickly the changes come. It starts in October where the daylight decreases by about 15 minutes each day. What seemed like a pleasant slide out of summer suddenly turned into the realities of winter. But the changes come just as quickly in the spring. Just when you think February will last forever, there is a break in the weather; the ice begins to melt and the snowbells pop up. And just as quickly as in autumn, change comes and the days lengthen—spring is upon us.

Last Sunday (March 11) was one of Lithuania’s two independence days. Like spring, change has come quickly to this part of the world. Countries that a few years ago were part of the Soviet Union are now part of the European Union (Lithuania was one of 10 countries that joined the E.U. in 2004).

Change and choice

Being teachers, we have the privilege of spending our days with bright young students; it keeps us nimble. Students come to LCC in preparation for their life’s journey. Like Lithuania, these students have new worlds opening to them, so many choices. How does one make choices? How do we decide? The idea of a Christian liberal arts college was new to this part of the world in 1993 (at independence, with the breakup of the Soviet Union) and is still unusual. As Lithuanian young people (and as new E.U. citizens) now have more choices for education, LCC is attracting more students from farther east—Albania, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan—all looking for these changes and choices.

So, the question becomes, how do we, as Christ’s servants, help the students learn to make choices? LCC offers many resources. We strive to offer a high-quality university-level education. We have a library, computer lab, classrooms, and gymnasium. As a liberal arts college, we focus on lifelong learning in and outside the classroom. But how do use what we have? Eric’s mother always told us the real question for a family was not the resources coming in, but rather how we use the resources God has provided us. This seems to be true for the college and the church as well.

College-age students far from home for the first time and working on degrees in a Western-style environment are confronted with changes and choices. How can a student learn to make a lifelong choice from a Christian perspective? LCC offers college courses, an active student-life program, chapel, alpha and beta classes, and many other resources for students. This semester, Becky has spent countless hours working with teachers and staff to establish an Academic Resource Center (coined the ARC). The mission of the center is to “support and enhance student learning in all the university’s courses through supplemental instruction in the form of one-on-one tutoring, facilitated study groups, and extra-curricular seminars and workshops. Furthermore, the ARC aims to promote positive teaching practices institution-wide through workshops on writing instruction and other curriculum supporting endeavors.” This seems like a tall order. We see our role as mission co-workers here as more than a 9 to 5 job. We see our place as a catalyst to help students learn to become lifelong learners, to make informed choices in the light of Christian faith. Monika, a student in Eric’s development course, wrote in her class essay about her awakening to the realities of others in much poorer countries. She had never before considered the privileges offered to her through a university education and the responsibilities of a Christian education.

So, while our assignment is as college teachers, we see our role as a much larger task—one always in a flux of change and choices. How do we balance the need for a high-quality education with the needs of individual students? We are fortunate to have the opportunity in this Christian community to get to know our students on a personal level. These are not just nameless people sitting in desks around us. We have come to know these students as friends—people with whom we share joys and heartbreaks, class projects, research papers, graduation, marriages, births, new jobs and lost jobs, and even deaths or disappointments within families or relationships. We often say that the students learn as much about us as from us. We are their accounting and economics teachers, but we are also life models. Students don’t just listen to our classroom lectures, they watch our lifestyles—how we deal with change, how we make choices.

Becky sees the ARC as one piece of the puzzle, one more chance to have those one-to-one encounters, a chance to sit with Masha and talk not just about the accounting problem for tomorrow’s exam, but also about her life in Lithuania and how it is different from home in Belarus. What are Masha’s hopes and dreams for her life, her family and church back home, and how can she make these dreams come true? How can Sniazhana find time to fit everything into her busy schedule? How to make daily choices? How can Vytautas deal with his health problems and slipping grades? Can we meet during break for a tutoring session, perhaps followed by that cup of tea? Is he worried that she will think he is lazy or cheating as his grades continue to fall?

But it is not just the choice that is the challenge, but life’s walk and our faith journeys. Are we able to embrace the gifts of each day? Are we open to the challenges of choices made and changes coming? God has provided many miracles, both big and small, such as modern health facilities and a friend’s healing touch. Do we take the time to see each of these miracles?

When we sit down to write newsletters, we are purposefully reminded that we are not alone. Not only are we sustained by God’s presence in our daily lives, but we are also reassured by your encouragement and faith in us. We do not do this alone. You are a vibrant and important part of our story and work. We could not be here doing this work without your support. We look forward to your letters and emails. We feel connected reading your newsletters and hearing about your activities. It is good to hear about your changes and choices.

Teaching at LCC has been a new experience for us—we no longer have jobs, but rather a purpose within God’s calling. It is good to feel a purpose and a calling to a place and these young people. Your love and prayers sustain us; we could not do this without both. Life’s realities show that there are financial changes and choices as well as spiritual ones, and we are deeply grateful for your financial support as well. We are blessed that you remember us when your church considers mission and church budgets. This is not always the glamorous or most pleasant side of mission, but a necessity nonetheless.

We are planning on being in Pennsylvania this summer to do mission interpretation. We look forward to spending time together to catch up, share our part of the story, and to hear about your recent journeys of faith. We have already been in contact with many of you, but would love to arrange more interpretation activities. We are open to Sunday schools, Bible school, summer camp, women’s association picnics, men’s breakfast, all the wonderful activities of the church during the summer. Remember us during your summer planning and let us know how we can be a part of the life of your church this summer. The best way to contact us is via email at Eric Hinderliter or Becky Hinderliter or you can leave a message for us at the Lewistown Presbyterian Church at (717) 248-4561), and Arlene Kauffman, the church secretary, will get us the details. We look forward to seeing you soon.

So, spring is upon us. May the peace of Christ be with you as we eagerly await the promise of Easter.

Becky and Eric Hinderliter
Klaipeda, Lithuania

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 179