Greetings from Pereslavl-Zalessky, two hours northeast of Moscow! I am spending most of my time here in “promo”, PR and advertising for my future visits in this area. The city is almost as old as Moscow and is known for its Christian culture and education. Apart from visiting its beautiful churches and monasteries on Plescheyevo Lake, I am making contacts with local teachers, priests, pastors, and lay leaders–making arrangements for my events in the fall. The interest is huge! Historically, the city has been somewhat isolated for many years by the railroad from Moscow bypassing it. As the legend has it, some local merchants, fearing the competition, bribed the construction company to plot the railroad away from their markets. In our days, there is a little more flexibility and freedom in public and private schools’ curriculum, and for scheduling what will potentially open doors for our ministry.

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.”