My uncle (who is also my God-father) Iosaf turned 100 years old on my first day in Moscow. It was by his prayers and by his faith in me that I was saved. Only God saves but He uses people like my God-parents (aunt Maria past away last year two weeks short of her 102nd birthday) to make this miracle happen. What a joy it is to celebrate a century-long life of our family “patriarch”! And what a spirit-booster for me to start a teaching tour in Russia!

It began on the very next day in a church outside of Moscow where I have already presented – twice! Every time I am there, they find and recruit more clergy, lay leaders, and Sunday school teachers in neighboring parishes to bring in for the training. “We have already seen how empowering and encouraging is your presentation for everybody who attended the training. They just run with it. They share it in whatever setting they serve in – their churches, ministries, families, neighborhoods, schools, etc. Thank you for not getting tired of coming here time and time again. We will have a new group for you by the spring time,” said the facilitator. [Read more…]

It has been an unusually long (4 months!) gap between my last trip to Russia and this upcoming one. I can’t wait to see my audiences – teachers, students, seminarians, general public – again and to present to them my updated version of FaithSearch Discovery with some new materials I just added there! As always, the trip will be about three weeks long and will give me a chance to teach at Bible colleges, churches, public universities and city teachers’ training centers.

Hopefully my partnership with Christian organizations will not suffer from the recent and most restrictive law in terms of religious freedoms that was passed in Russia just a couple months ago. In any case, my connections with secular schools and educational institutions in the country should give me plenty of opportunities to continue sharing the Gospel with Evidence all over the place.

Along with Central Russia regions, I will be teaching in Southern Russia (Sochi) and in the Republic of Abkhazia with significant Muslim and native religions presence.

Thank you for your continuing support of my family and my ministry!

(PS. My prior trip entries and photos are being transferred onto a new server and will be available again soon)

It was not too bad at all!

Yes, a couple of my public school presentations were indeed canceled because of the grippe but those gaps in my schedule were easily replaced by informal gatherings in peoples’ homes and small groups.

The Lord likes me to stay busy and on my feet all the time. [Read more…]

I am only an hour away from departing for Russia and my trip schedule is still “work in progress.” They have just canceled one of my public school presentations due to a school closure because of a terrible gripe epidemic in their region. Two minutes later an e-mail arrive from the same city – an Orthodox church wants me to present for their youth. These are very possibly going to be the same kids I will miss due to the gripe cancelation. If God wants them to hear the message, they will.

[Read more…]