I am on the train again. I am actually on exactly the same train that had already taken me to Samara once a week ago.

This time around, however, I am traveling with my laptop and use my upper-level bunk bed as an office space to type this report. Back then I was apparently packing my backpack for the road in such a haste that this vital piece of my presentation toolkit didn’t make it. Of course, I only discovered it when the wheels were already spinning and my first task right off the train in Samara was to find a computer with an Internet connection so somebody could E-mail me my presentations. Luckily, my Alma Mater university has an affiliate campus in Samara and their dean was nice enough to allow me into their office and made sure I had everything I need. Naturally, as soon as introduced myself and told them about the topic I am teaching, the invitation to present the FaithSearch Discovery to their students followed within seconds. Too bad I did not have time to do it for them right away–my ride to Tolyatti was already waiting for me outside. It seems, for whatever reason the Lord wants me to visit this place over and over again. [Read more…]

I am on the train again. I am actually on exactly the same train that had already taken me to Samara once a week ago.

This time around, however, I am traveling with my laptop and use my upper-level bunk bed as an office space to type this report. Back then I was apparently packing my backpack for the road in such a haste that this vital piece of my presentation toolkit didn’t make it. Of course, I only discovered it when the wheels were already spinning and my first task right off the train in Samara was to find a computer with an Internet connection so somebody could E-mail me my presentations. Luckily, my Alma Mater university has an affiliate campus in Samara and their dean was nice enough to allow me into their office and made sure I had everything I need. Naturally, as soon as introduced myself and told them about the topic I am teaching, the invitation to present the FaithSearch Discovery to their students followed within seconds. Too bad I did not have time to do it for them right away–my ride to Tolyatti was already waiting for me outside. It seems, for whatever reason the Lord wants me to visit this place over and over again. [Read more…]

I am back in Moscow today, waiting for the train to Samara.

My presentations in Omsk for the last three days–to teachers, to church leaders, to university students–were very well received and attended. Besides, I was making many new friends and contacts for future ministry in this city and region: local missionaries, university professors, priests, pastors, and Bible teachers. Many, many of them emphasized how useful and important was the training and the materials they received. “Your approach to faith is not new but the excellence of the presentation and the clarity of inner logic is indeed very impressive. You know your audience and your audience recognizes your as ‘one of our own’ very quickly. But even more importantly–after you come and go–your training and your materials will continue to touch and stir peoples’ hearts and minds,” said an Orthodox Priest. [Read more…]

I am back in Moscow today, waiting for the train to Samara.

My presentations in Omsk for the last three days–to teachers, to church leaders, to university students–were very well received and attended. Besides, I was making many new friends and contacts for future ministry in this city and region: local missionaries, university professors, priests, pastors, and Bible teachers. Many, many of them emphasized how useful and important was the training and the materials they received. “Your approach to faith is not new but the excellence of the presentation and the clarity of inner logic is indeed very impressive. You know your audience and your audience recognizes your as ‘one of our own’ very quickly. But even more importantly–after you come and go–your training and your materials will continue to touch and stir peoples’ hearts and minds,” said an Orthodox Priest. [Read more…]

I am on the commuter train to the airport again. This time, I am leaving Moscow for Omsk on a red-eye flight. This is going to be short night: three hours in the air, plus three hours of time difference plus two hours in a hotel before my presentation at the Regional Teachers’ Conference.

Going back to day one brings a very dim memory of my PhD thesis review meeting with my supervisor two hours after landing in Sheremetyevo. After a rather rigorous discussion over the first couple of pages I started to miss some of her questions and recommendation as the espresso content in my blood was fading out. An hour into the conversation she simply started to dictate me her remarks saying, “Just type, Oleg. Tomorrow, when you wake up all this will make lots of sense to you.” She let me go only when I could not even see the keyboard… [Read more…]