My first presentation at Omsk State University started a mere five hours after I landed in this Siberian city eleven time zones away from Minnesota. Changing four planes (SVO-ORD-HEL-SVO-OMS) and five airports made my feet shake, my head spin, and my heart beat faster from excitement. Their Theology Department was opened right after the “perestroika” (openness) era thanks to devotion and enthusiasm of its founders—Orthodox clergy, lay professors, and students. My training in presenting the Gospel with Evidence to their second and third year students gave them a chance to take a fresh look at Christian Theology, from historic perspective and from its practical, evangelistic point of view. [Read more…]

“It was like a wall was removed in front of me and now I have room to grow and a path to follow. Please consider yourself invited to speak at our City Youth Center next time you are back in Russia,”  wrote a young man after attending a FaithSearch Discovery event in Ivanovo, 250 kilometers northeast of Moscow.

Their House of Nationalities city hall was not quite full, at which the hosting church expressed their disappointment. I was, on the other hand, very happy I didn’t have to use a microphone: the natural voice usually sounds more relaxing and inviting and brings more questions at the end. Ivanovo is known to be the first city in Russia to accept the Soviet power 100 years ago, but the people never ceased seeking the truth of God there. I was happy to destroy some walls of prejudice and barriers of ignorance for them. [Read more…]

It was intense: eight class sessions per day, four days in a row. All I could do between sessions was to eat, sleep, and make a quick walk around the building to catch some fresh air. Oh, yes, I had to also keep in touch with my event hosts to confirm, to cancel, to change, and to correct my future presentations. So far not one of them was deleted from my schedule, and two more added on my very first day in St. Petersburg.

Staying in a seminary dorm definitely has its advantages – it costs less than a hotel and it provides valuable contacts for future ministry. The only disadvantage is, of course, that these young men and women do not ever feel like going to bed and are willing to continue our theological conversations way past midnight. Luckily, I was teaching in two different seminaries and had a chance to catch some sleep on the overnight train between the two cities. [Read more…]

First of all, I want to thank everybody who answered my call for saving this trip when I found myself short of funds. May the Lord bless you for your generous and timely response!

More about timing: Most of my events on this trip were tied to certain conferences and retreats. As a result, I had very little flexibility in choosing my dates and routes. That said, some of my ministry partners felt at liberty to suddenly change their dates when they “discovered” that some of them “unexpectedly” fell during Passion Week before Easter. As a result, I will spend quite a bit more time traveling back and forth between Moscow and St. Petersburg on those overnight trains. On the other hand, I’ll be saving money on lodging and giving my host families in both cities a little break while I sleep on the train!

Apart from the “two capitals,” I will also be teaching in smaller cities within a 300 km radius around them – Gatchina, Ivanovo, Vladimir, and Dmitrov. Those events will include all three of my “target audiences”: secular school teachers, lay leaders (and clergy), and the general public—in about equal proportions. I am looking forward to helping them celebrate the Easter holiday as a remembrance of the real historical event, supported by evidence and delivered to us in the most reliable of ancient documents—the Bible, the Word of God!