I am back in Moscow after leaving it four times already: for Bryansk, for Rostov Velikiy, for Kolomna and for Nizhniy Novgorod.

It is hard to imagine that a country stretching for eleven time zones east to west, and from the subtropics in the south to the Arctic Circle in the north, only has one hub city, but such is the case. I have already traveled in all directions from six of its eight railroad city terminals.

This trip is not going to be much longer than usual – by two days only. However, I am expecting great things to happen during my time in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Bryansk, Rostov Velikiy, Kolomna, and Nizhniy Novgorod. First of all, I will have the rare opportunity to pay a second visit to some of the same places I just taught in a couple of month ago.

This will give me a chance to see the progress my audiences will have made on their academic and/or spiritual journey. It is usually from local ministry partners that I learn the effect my teaching makes on the class or a study group. This time, I deliberately chose pretty much the same route I traveled last December in order to do the follow-up myself.

I cannot believe it has been almost three weeks since I started on this trip!

My first destination was Moscow where I delivered a whole suitcase of books for the Moscow Diocese – Orthodox Octoechos and Menaion in English. The funny part was when the Customs Officer asked me, “Which god are these books worshiping?” and was only satisfied and let me through with them after I said, “Of course, Pravoslavniy” (literally, “the True One”).

I loved traveling by trains all over Germany this summer – it was fast, comfortable, and cheap! Let’s see if I can do the same in December across Central Russia. My upcoming trip will include St. Petersburg, and cities within a five-hour travel distance from Moscow: Bryansk, Yaroslavl, Rybinsk, and Kolomna.

WER GOTT VERTRAUT HAT WOHL GEBAUT – said the note above the doors of the mid-fifteen century building at my first destination point, Blankenheim. I cannot agree more – indeed, “the one trusting in the Lord builds well.”

This formerly Russian-speaking evangelical church trusted God in allowing me to come and teach in their midst for two days, and these were exactly the words of their pastor after I was done: “You built and reinforced the walls of our faith, especially among the younger generation of believers.”