December 27, 2008

A New Year’s report 2009

Teaching is our primary task; we give pride of place to our time in the classroom with students. For us teaching is a mission. As the student body at Lithuania Christian College has become more international (more than half of the students now are from countries outside Lithuania, increasingly from eastern countries outside the European Union), so what we teach has to evolve to engage the students in topics they see as relevant to their experiences.

Becky with Alex Anishchenkov, one of her accounting students from Belarus.

For Becky, this year brought a new accounting sequence and a new textbook on principles of accounting. Lots of her time goes into working problems and finding a pace the students can maintain. Her challenge is to convey the importance of integrity and transparency, not just in accounting but in all their lives. It’s not a matter of what one can get away with, as some students think, but of a stance in business—and in life—that leads to authenticity in our lives and accountability for our actions, what the Reformed tradition calls stewardship in its broadest sense. It’s becoming what Jesus called “the faithful and prudent manager” (Luke 12:42).

Julija Solovjovaitė, one of Eric’s students from Klaipeda, Lithuania, wants to study sociology.

Eric took on a new course in the core curriculum required of all LCC students: political economy. The vision of LCC is, “To engage students in a transforming educational experience in order to create a generation of leaders for Eastern Europe who think critically, promote democratic ideals, develop a market economy, and re-build the network of civil society within the context of a Christian worldview.” That vision turns out to be quite a challenge. The democratic experience here is very limited. The Soviets eliminated all civic activities; the state organized and controlled all of life. We stress that democracy is about rights and responsibilities, not just voting in elections. And rights means rights for those different from us, for minorities, for prisoners, for people we don’t like. The hardest concept is civil society. Students are skeptical and cautious about trusting any one outside their family, a legacy of both Soviet times and narrow ethnic identity from the past. A single class can only introduce the ideals of democracy and civil society, but students begin to ask the harder questions about human rights and treatment of the vulnerable in their societies, the least of these, our brothers and sisters.

We continued to make our monthly trip to visit students in the Lithuanian correction facility at Pravieniškis. Lithuania is making strides to be open and transparent and to affirm the rights of all people, even prisoners. You can read about in English and see pictures of the prison on the Web. During our four years of teaching in the prison we have seen much progress in the conditions—from small changes in the food to relief from prison overcrowding to an increasing focus on rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Lithuania lacks the resources and the traditions we take for granted—but changes, both big and small, are encouraging.

This time of year brings a special joy to us. Over the years we have seen many students come and go.  These relationships are often intense and meaningful but short-lived. It’s the nature of teaching that students are with us only for brief moments. Yet over the years many relationships with our graduates have grown. Over Christmas several young women have visited us to tell their stories, to share their successes and hopes, and to remember what their experience as students meant for their lives. All we need to do is to listen as they pour out their lives and share their faith. We are privileged to share in the joy of the homecomings of young people so full of life and promise.

We’re resting up now and trying to regroup for the winter semester. We went for a walk on the beach yesterday. We joined many Lithuanians who enjoy the refreshment of the sea as much in winter as in summer. There is no snow, and the sea was very calm. This time of year is dark and dreary with just seven hours of daylight and little sun. We need to steel ourselves to survive and to prosper for the benefit of students.  We had been told to plan on a regional meeting of PC(USA) mission workers at the end of April but the meeting was postponed to 2010. We are disappointed about not having this to look forward to in 2009. We enjoy meeting our fellow mission workers and sharing the good news from the wider church.

The coming year will be full of uncertainty. LCC will get a new president this summer. We hope he brings change and moves the university to a more secure footing both financially and academically. The volatility of the economy will require careful planning and good stewardship of limited resources. LCC remains a very fragile place; committed, long-term classroom teachers are in short supply. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest” (Matthew 9:37b-38).

We are engaged in discernment about our future in mission. Our present term ends early in 2010 but must be renewed in mid-2009.  The affirmation of people who know us and love us nevertheless will be an important sign of what God intends for us. We discern God’s will in many ways—the voice of the community that supports us is surely one of these ways. We ask for your prayers as we listen for the Spirit as it calls us to do God’s will in the world—“what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Grace and peace to all of you,

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 158