Day 7. I am in Serpukhov, 101 km south of Moscow, teaching in schools and training teachers. In Stalin’s times, dissidents and political opposition members were not allowed to reside within a 100 km radius of Moscow, which seems to have left a lasting effect on the city, in the form of an inquisitory and even skeptical mindset of its inhabitants.

I am back where I started – in St. Petersburg. Two more days of ministry here and I’ll be on my way home! Honestly, I am ready. This trip was very tiring, with lots of ground to cover, including many days without regular meals and sleep. And it was absolutely worth it!

I cannot believe that one third of this trip is already behind me! I already did eleven events in three different cities and around them: St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Novokuznetsk. My audiences ranged from seminarians and clergy, to moms with special needs kids and even a betrothal party.

Weeks “2” and “3” of ESL Camp classes allowed me to get to know my campers better and to help them open up to discussing some meaningful questions of life: Where did we all come from? What is the purpose of life? What or Who is the highest authority in moral and ethical matters? etc. One of the days, I had two almost identical conversations of the matter of faith in God with, first, a school staff member and, later, with an architect/designer of an Islamic Center.