Back in Minnesota, alive and well! Actually, my test results for the virus are due tomorrow but I feel fine and have no symptoms. Praise the Lord!
My last five days in St. Petersburg were not as intense as the last week of most of my trips is. Usually, all the cancelled, the rescheduled, and the ad hoc events are pushed to the week just before departure. This time, however, people seemed to feel more comfortable setting an online event on a later date without necessarily trying to catch me while I am still in town–or even in country. In this way, I spoke to a group of Christian youth at their conference, taught a couple of online classes and did a live broadcast.
My most memorable event on this whole trip was definitely the online FaithSearch Discovery presentation for the public-school teachers in Moscow. You will understand why if you read some of the responses in their evaluation forms collected by the South-Western School District:
“Thank you. I found the answers I have been looking for as a teacher and as person for many years.”
“This material is absolutely essential for every teacher and for every student. I will make sure all my students know it well.”
“I made quite a number of discoveries for myself, indeed. I am pretty sure most of my colleagues don’t know this. I am looking forward to sharing it with them.”
The flight back to MN was probably the hardest part of the journey as it took much longer than usual – forty hours instead of sixteen with two overnight stops: in Istanbul and in Chicago. I am looking forward to the times when Delta/KLM resume their overseas flights. Spending a couple of hours praying and sightseeing in Hagia Sofia made it completely worth it.
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…My COVID-19 test results just arrived and they are… negative. God is good. Praise Him!