Financially, things at DCU aren’t going so well. The flow of money here is always up and down, and some people seem to be accustomed to talking about the “financial crisis” as if it’s an ordinary, everyday thing. But it’s still a heavy thing. Faculty and staff haven’t been paid salaries in three months. That’s not a completely unusual thing, either. But it really makes me think about the lives people are living and compare myself to them. In the U.S. if even two weeks went by with no paycheck from my employer I would definitely explore my options for another job. Concern for my financial security would dwarf all other factors, even if I enjoyed my job and strongly supported the institutions mission or work. And I don’t even have kids to support. Most of the staff and faculty here do. And yet they stay at DCU, having faith that their needs will be supplied through some way or another. Many of the staff members could easily find a job in the city that paid a more regular salary, but they stay here. And its true that throughout Ukraine ever since the fall of the Soviet Union, wages have been sparse and sporadic in many sectors, not just at DCU. But as the economy develops, salaries in other areas of employment become more regular, although that hasn’t been the case at DCU. Those who work at the university don’t receive a high salary in the first place, so few have reserves for when salaries stop. I honestly don’t know how people continue to put food on the table. Last week DCU gave each employee 10 cans of MCC meat and distributed clothing from the most recent humanitarian aid shipment, all of which was gratefully received. As families stretch cans of meat for as long as they can, I feel guilty as I tromp back to campus with my full bags of groceries and prepare meals as usual. Even though I’m not making much money working for MCC in Ukraine, I know that I’ll always have more than I need here. And I keep asking myself, if I had no salary for three months, would I stay at DCU? Everyone who works at DCU is an example to me, by simply choosing to continue working here at a place where they're doing God's work. They are living their faith by believing God will supply their needs, whether they receive a salary or not.
Laura
