Every trip is different and each is different in a different way. This one will be a couple of days shorter than my usual three weeks (last one was three days longer) but it will by far exceed all my other trips by mileage. I just could not resist flying all over to the Russian Far East with the current exchange rate of the Russian ruble being so low and consequently the internal flights being so cheap. I will first spend a few days in Moscow teaching the FaithSearch Discovery in both Christian and secular colleges and speaking in churches during the Bright Week (according to the Russian Orthodox Church Calendar). This special time of the year allows for bringing up the topic of the New Testament story to the classrooms easily and naturally. What exactly happened two thousand year ago and how do we know how exactly it happened? I cannot wait to see the eyes of my event participants beginning to shine with excitement when they hear me confirming with historic accuracy: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
I will then fly over eight time zones to the city of Vladivostok to conduct the FaithSearch Discovery training for local university students and lay leaders in a number of churches. I might not be able to travel that far into the country very often and will try to make the best use of my time on this trip.
My last week will bring me to the country of Ukraine where I will join a group of Americans ministering primarily to and alongside the local Baptist community. I will however do some public school teachers’ training on the side and will also present at an Orthodox Church gathering in Kiev.
I am coveting your prayers for my travel and for my family back in MN, ND and UT. Please especially pray for safety of traveling around the areas of political and military unrest in Ukraine.
