“Go and make disciples…” There is only so much one person can do–even the fastest one and even with the strongest voice. Now imagine my frustration when I almost completely lost my voice due to a cold in the middle of the trip. Imagine also how I felt when my train car was found to have a faulty wheel and was detached from the rest of the train, causing a major delay in my schedule. In those moments especially, how can I even think of making any noticeable ministry effect in the country that stretches over thousands of miles, with a population counted in millions? Yet, Jesus said: “Go!” and so I did. Why? Because the “make disciples” part puts the whole task in a totally new perspective: I only have to make as many disciples as He sends my way, and they in turn will take care of the rest of it.

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Thanks to all your prayers my flight back to Minnesota was the way I like it–uneventful. My head is still spinning from the nine-hour time difference, but the last day’s event still stands in front of me as very nice finale to the whole trip. Not a large audience–maybe fifteen highschoolers and maybe fifteen teachers in the back rows. But the way they listened and the way they responded to the presentation was really impressive: engaged, focused, excited.

Their Physics Teacher said it the best: “What a wonderful experience! I almost felt like a little child again. You took me by the hand and lead through those times, places, facts and evidences… I was reading familiar Bible texts and stories–but they sounded very new to me! You have to come again and teach this class to the whole school! Please!”

This was my second time attending and speaking at the “Sretenskie Chtenia” Conference of St.Philaret’s Orthodox Institute in Moscow. The school is known for its very progressive and advanced curriculum as well as for its focus on intelligentsia from all over Russia.

These folks know the culture, the history and the philosophy/theology stuff very well. Yet, their Dean admitted that “your material [FaithSearchDiscovery] helps to remove the barriers and barricades on one’s way to faith and clears the way for Christ to come into his or her heart. It is especially important to our young audiences.”

Praise God the temps in Moscow got a bit more reasonable and my cold is gone!

Thank you for all your prayers–my voice is back. At least 85% of it. I certainly didn’t want to miss some additional teaching opportunities in the last couple of days simply because… they could not hear me. 

Honestly, I was somewhat nervous about teaching at the Plyoskovo Orthodox High School (30 km outside of Moscow) for one more reason: their chaplain priest, I was told, is very strict and particular about theological nuances. Kids liked me when I presented FaithSearch Discovery Part I to them back in December very much. But will he like it, especially the Part II which does not have much history/archeology but mostly theology?

He did like very much and rushed to me with hugs and thanks after the presentation.“Powerful! Very powerful! Praise God for bringing you here! We need to learn from you how to talk to our students with such clarity and power!” One of the teachers added: “You share it from your heart and they can certainly feel it. Thank you for opening it in your personal stories and illustrations.”

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It was a wonderful two day trip to one of the oldest cities of Central Russia–Pereslavl-Zalesskiy. And what a special privilege to share the Gospel where it was first proclaimed almost ten centuries ago! Beautiful churches, monasteries, monuments and memorials are everywhere you look! If only the cold was not so bitter: -6F! I had to leave more sightseeing for some other time…

On Sunday, two churches (Baptist and Pentecostal meet in the same building) joined their services in order to give me more time and to make the FaithSearch Discovery message available to more people. One of the pastors (a lieutenant colonel in the Russian Army) and his wife said on the next morning, “We are so grateful! Many in our congregations already expressed to us how powerful and how encouraging was your message. And more importantly, how empowered they feel now to share their faith with non-believers!” [Read more…]