It was not too bad at all!

Yes, a couple of my public school presentations were indeed canceled because of the grippe but those gaps in my schedule were easily replaced by informal gatherings in peoples’ homes and small groups.

The Lord likes me to stay busy and on my feet all the time. [Read more…]

I am only an hour away from departing for Russia and my trip schedule is still “work in progress.” They have just canceled one of my public school presentations due to a school closure because of a terrible gripe epidemic in their region. Two minutes later an e-mail arrive from the same city – an Orthodox church wants me to present for their youth. These are very possibly going to be the same kids I will miss due to the gripe cancelation. If God wants them to hear the message, they will.

[Read more…]

I just realized that this will be my first trip to go on to completely “on faith.” With all my preparation for my three-weeks-long teaching schedule in the Urals, Western Siberia, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, I completely forgot to arrange for my staying accommodation in all those places. I know what I will be doing during the day: teaching, preaching, training, presenting; but I have no idea where I will be sleeping afterwards!

“Do not worry, Oleg. Our brothers and sisters from the churches you speak in will take good care of you. Didn’t they when you were in our area last winter?”  senior pastor of the Yekaterinburg region Evangelical Church Union comforted me on the phone a couple of days ago. Yes, we’ve done that before, but this time I will travel in a car all over that region for two weeks, non-stop – teaching FaithSearch Discovery in big cities and small towns, in churches, summer camps, and pastors’ conferences.

I will then do a couple days of teaching in and around Moscow and St. Petersburg, again, at churches and missions conferences. Again, I am trusting God to provide for my lodging and accommodations at friends’ homes, college dorms, or churches’ guest rooms.