Update From Becky and Eric Hinderliter
Co-Missionaries in Lithuania

One of Saint Mark’s Global Mission activities has been the support of Becky and Eric Hinderliter, Co-Missionaries in Lithuania.  Becky and Eric visited Saint Mark in August 2007 and shared a live report and slide show of their mission work in this former Soviet bloc country. We are pleased to share the below update from the Hinderliters:

Becky and Eric Hinderliter report many changes since their visit to Saint Mark in August 2007. Lithuania Christian College has changed its name to Lithuania CC International University to better reflect their mission to the international student body.  Over 50% of the University students are now ethnic Russians from Belarus, Ukraine and other former Soviet republics as well as Lithuania. The first residence dorm opened on campus in September, which is sorely needed by the students coming to the University to study from other countries. It has just been announced that David Sheen, a retired dean of Muskingum College (a well known Ohio Presbyterian liberal arts college) will be the interim president when the college founder and current president, retires this May. A search for a permanent president will continue.  

Becky and Eric continue to develop new courses as requested.  This semester Eric is teaching a course in political economy. They also continue to make the 3-hour trip by bus to the prison
to visit and teach elementary business, economics and English.  They are often the only visitors that many of these prisoners have due to the long-standing Soviet history of totally rejecting those who are seen as societal outcasts. Becky and Eric continued to feel called to this prison ministry, which developed when they were asked by a former student’s mother to visit her son. Though surprised and curious that anyone would come to the prison, other prisoners asked to be taught and the guards are actually welcoming the Hinderliters. Things do happen
for a reason.

Many of you are aware that the way the PCUSA funds mission workers is changing. It is moving from a centralized PCUSA funding to increased financial support from individual churches and presbyteries of mission workers along with PCUSA’s special mission funding drives such as the Mission Challenge ’07. However, financial uncertainties continue for missionaries. In addition, the falling dollar, over 40% against the Euro, has had a considerable impact on those missionaries working in European Union countries where their salaries are in dollars and then are exchanged for fewer euros. Therefore, missionaries are paying more of their salary for rent and staples in their mission countries. The Hinderliters have recently moved to a small apartment closer to the University.

On the home front, we keep missionaries like the Hinderliters, whom we send out in the world in our prayers to keep them well and safe. We also reflect on the importance of their continued faith and hope as we corporately and individually support global mission. Books and materials are needed to help them with their

 teaching mission as they demonstrate a continued Christian presence in the midst of young adults in post communist atheist societies. These societies are quite fragile as they try out democracy and try to sustain the freedoms they have briefly experienced. Many challenges lie ahead.  

Please consider joining the Global Mission Ministry. We will be meeting in April (time and place to be finalized) to strategize how we might further help the Hinderliters and to discuss our 2008 Global Mission activities. Please e-mail Beth Irons, Global Mission Elder at b.irons@comcast.net, so she can add you to the distribution list