Five days in Kyrgyzstan were definitely not enough and I will definitely be back sometime soon. All three schools I had a chance to teach at surprised me in a very positive way by their students’ academic levels and their interest in learning more from the world history and biblical evidence. Despite of rather significant differences in cultures (Kyrgyzstan is predominantly Muslim) they were very open to seeing the evidence for Christ in ancient archeology, early New Testament manuscripts, and secondary sources. My local ministry partners even managed to secure a pass for me to the Russian Airforce Base to address a class at their community school with almost constant accompaniment attack helicopters and fighter jets flying loudly overhead.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! My goal on this trip is to make this historic fact clear and firm in the eyes and minds of my audiences. Usually, churches are full on Pascha night all over Russia but for many – it is just a beautiful folklore custom, maybe with a hint of something mysterious (happens at night) and forbidden (under the Communists).

This time, I will be teaching in schools, churches and at open audience settings in three countries: Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Belarus. Leaving tonight, I will squeeze my usual three weeks between the two victories of good over evil – Easter and V-Day (this will be the eightieth anniversary of the Nazis’ surrender in WWII).

Karelia was cold.

I am glad Fr. Stanislav packed my four days there so tightly with events. I didn’t have much time be outside and exposed to the elements. We were, however, doing quick rounds to and around the old monasteries and churches on our path. In one convent, two hours to the west of Petrozavodsk, we actually stayed for a night and taught classes there for its nuns and novices. All summer long they are super busy receiving thousands of pilgrims, visitors, and tourists. Only in the winter does their prayer and labor-intensive schedule allow for (still rather intensive) classroom time. My “Historic Foundations of Faith” course was very fittingly augmented by Fr. Stanislav’s class on the “History of Christian Church Sects and Schisms.”

I am leaving for Russia and Belarus via Germany and Lithuania tomorrow, very excited about my very full travel and teaching schedule for the three weeks of the trip. As always, it will include both church and secular audiences, this time in and around Moscow, Petrozavodsk, Volgograd, and Minsk. My ministry partners in Karelia only told me about the first two days of teaching at the university and technical college. “Be prepared not to have any Internet access for the next three days of ministry” – that is all they want me to know. What is it going to be? Remote villages? An army base? Prison ministry? I’ve learned to trust my local friends in how to best use my time on the ground and not to ask too many questions.

Both in Russia and in Belarus, this time of the year promises random and fast-changing weather, especially when I take overnight trains north and then south within just a few days. What I can firmly count on is the unchanging interest of my students to learn, to ask questions and to challenge their teacher. I am so looking forward to it!