Arose at 7, finished packing up, walked to Starbucks for a bagel and passion juice breakfast and 30 minutes of internet....walked back in very slushy streets, but still snowing. The car was waiting so we were off to the Vienna airport.
Once there, I shopped a bit ;-)The flight to Helsinki was uneventful....took a pic of the arrival through the airplane window.
In Helsinki I again tried Jimmy's card for access to the lounges...no luck. But I did manage free wireless this time....it seems unpredictable...but I'm getting to know the Helsinki airport pretty well. It's nice that on every flight they serve real food! 
Listened to Eva Marie's "Gentle Shepherd" and "It is Well With my Soul"...on the plane using Jimmy's headset. I love that song and love that soloist! The flight to Vilnius was extended by 30 minutes of circling in complete cloud banks since heavy snow made the runways too dangerous. The captain said we'd circle for an hour then return to Helsinki. Luckily the runway cleaning worked and we touched down around 6:15..only 30 minutes or so late. It's amazing that within the EU now there is no customs and no immigration. Since I carry all my luggage...I'm still LOVING this 4 wheeled roly-poly...it's just GREAT...I was first out the doors into the airport.No one was waiting but within 20 minutes David Skeen and his wife Becky found me....they had thought I was at another exit door. I feel so grateful for them to pick me up....it's a 3-4 hour drive from Lithuania Christian College in Klaipedia on the Baltic Sea to Vilnius where I landed. Fortunately they had to drop off another couple at the airport. So they got two for one trip. But they left home at 6am, the others left at noon, and they waited for me for 6 hours!
With snow the trip home was longer than usual so we got here to LCC at around midnight. We stopped for dinner at a nice roadside restaurant with delicious chili, and chicken breast stuffed with feta cheese....can you tell I was hungry?
First impressions are that Lithuania is more up to date with modern shops andGREAT roads than I imagined.
LCC has about 600 students...and around 40 faculty all of whom are evangelicals as are the students. But as many as 50% are expatriates teaching here so the question is whether that's sustainable. Finances have been hit by the world recession because a lot of the LCC revenue comes from US students visiting here...so when the US economy falters, and those students don't come there is a big gap....a shortage of as much as 20 students this year. With the long-term president Jim Menninger leaving last spring, and David coming really as an interim until June with Kyle Usery arrives, it's been a year of limbo in fund raising...especially since Jim's efforts to do that in the US have probably been hampered there...again by the US economy. It's not a good year to raise money I'm afraid.
David's first idea about how CCCU can help...one he brought up at HIS initiative.....was to confirm the idea that keeps popping up of a CCCU website listing retired faculty and administrators willing to serve for 6 months to 3 years. I think it's an easy idea to implement and I think it will produce immediate and significant results. He also likes the idea of SWAT teams...eg. one that could help with the projects of creating an effective Advancement office at LCC.
They have a wonderful guest apartment for me in the brand new residence hall on campus. I feel treated like royalty....Even wireless in my room and everything brand new. I have a full schedule for the day....gotta get some sleep. Thank you Lord for your protection and grace.
PS After some back ache last night...the Tylenol PMs worked and even the tinge today went away with better posture!
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