Context Matters

by Aaron!!!

As I prepared for my time at LCC I thought mostly about how my job description would change.  I knew moving from a chaplain role to a vice-president role would change the “what” of my job.  I was leaving behind sermon prep, pastoral visits to the hospital, and meeting individually with students, and exchanging it for meetings, emails, budgets, more meetings—all kinds of administrative tasks.  And that has certainly played out as expected.

But I did not consider nearly enough how the “where” and the “with whom” would shape my time at LCC.  What a major oversight on my part.  Our location—Klaipeda, LT—has had a far greater impact on my experience than I had anticipated.  World events like the conflict between Russia and Ukraine take on new meaning when you know we have large student populations from both countries.  In fact, we have Russian and Ukrainian students (four from Donetsk) sharing rooms in our residence halls.  Our location, of course, matters not only because of current events, but because of historical ones as well.  In late August we celebrated the 25^th anniversary of The Baltic Way on campus, the peaceful protest of the Soviet occupation in which more than 2 million people linked arms covering more than 675 kilometers from Vilnius, to Riga, and to Tallinn.  I am reminded of this history each time I sit at my desk and look out the window at the Soviet-style apartments across the street.  Most of our students, staff, and faculty have been shaped by this history.  Some of the wounds may have healed but the scars still remain. If you are interested in learning more I highly recommend Timothy Snyder’s book, Bloodlands.

So, over my first few months I have been repeatedly reminded how much our experience is shaped by the “where”; it has also been significantly shaped by the “with whom.”  Here’s what I mean:  our student body of 540 comes from 27 countries; nearly 60% of our students are international; members of our faculty hold passports from 12 different countries; my 17-member first year seminar section includes students from Lithuania, Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Albania, Russia, and Ukraine.  And that’s only our ethnic and cultural diversity.  Our community includes similar numbers of Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox.  Our staff and faculty are held together by our shared commitment to the Apostle’s Creed.  Yet, at times we struggle to find common language for how to talk about faith, and how to worship together.  For those of you who have helped plan worship before you’ll have some appreciation for what kinds of challenges this presents.  Perhaps my friends at the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship have some resources to suggest J.  In spite of the challenges that come along with it, being a part of this beautifully diverse community is a gift, one that has shaped—and continues to shape—me in many significant ways, personally and professionally. 

My time at LCC has been deeply rewarding and challenging.  I have been energized by LCC’s compelling mission and amazed by the people who embody it.  I have learned so much—from the work, from the people, from the cultures represented at LCC, and from the many mistakes I have made—and I am grateful that we still have 8-9 more months to go. 

Thanks to all of you who are supporting me and our family through your prayers, through your encouragement, and through your financial support.  We are humbled by the privilege to serve among the saints at LCC. 

and a quick update on the kids (this is Betsy again;)

We have found a few more activities for Quincy and Annie recently.  Quincy is continuing with his drum lessons and really enjoys them.  He now has a drum pad and drumsticks, quite exciting;)  And he now goes to basketball practice 2-3 times weekly in the afternoon.  He scoots up to LCC, hops on the bus with the LCC basketball coach (who is also his coach), and runs through drills for a little over an hour.  It's been really good for him, and we're so proud of his willingness to stick with it.  He told us that he always "sticks out" because he's the only kid that only speaks English, but he's making friends and commented yesterday that many kids now want to practice their English with him.  And he now has "real" basketball shoes;)

Annie met with her violin teacher yesterday, and will begin lessons once we return from a trip next week.  She is VERY excited and now has her own violin!  It is her teacher's first experience teaching a beginner and teaching in English.  We are very excited at her eagerness to take this on!  And Annie continues to thrive as a big sister, she cares so well for Jackson and Nala, which is so very helpful.

Jackson and Nala are doing well.  Jackson's speech continues to improve and his vocabulary is growing.  With each new place we visit, he finds a new word to describe that house.  Our house in GR is the brown house, our house in Klaipeda is the tan house, and the house we stayed in last week in Riga was the pink house;)  He's making it work!  Nala is now speaking in full sentences and counting to 10.  She is so spunky and funny (and a bit mischievous) these days.  

 This is how our kids watch shows on the computer.  Notice Jackson's arm around Nala.  She had just said she was scared of something, and Jackson responded by putting his arm around her;)

 This is the park outside the grocery store.

 A very emphatic "CHEESE" to the camera!

New clothes and bows from grandma!

These pictures are from a day trip a few weeks ago to HBH in Palanga (about a 30 minute drive).  It began as a brewery, and steadily grew to include a hotel, many kid activities, and a petting zoo.  So much to explore, and the day was beautiful!

 This is where Quincy picked up the goat;)

Thanks again for your prayers!  Much love and happy fall!

Blessings, Aaron and Betsy.