In and around Moscow – clear skies, lots of sunshine, and not one drop of rain. Even in my cell in the St. Nicholas Convent where I stayed for the first week there was plenty of light and warmth. They fed me with pirozhki from their own bakery: with potato, lentil, fish, and—my favorite—pumpkin with lemons. I paid them back with my presentations in the seminary. What a deal! I cannot thank them enough for their hospitality and for caring for me, especially after a thirteen-hours-long travel plus eight hours of time zone difference. [Read more…]

This upcoming teaching trip to Russia in May should be just that – a trip to Russia. No multiple border crossings, no major adjustmets to different cultures, and staying within only three (!) time zones: Moscow, Southern Urals, and Eastern Siberia.

The most challenging part was to squeeze my events between two national holidays and the week of finals in most schools and universities. That’s where years of experience and an extensive partnership network came in handy. Well, it also took some rather intensive praying and trusting the Lord to fill my schedule in a much shorter time than usual – I returned home just in time for Easter, only to turn around and leave again on May Day.

As always, I will be presenting (every day!) to three of my target audiences: to teachers and university students (future teachers); to clergy and lay leaders; and to the general public. Two out of these three groups will be mostly non-believers and nominally “pravoslavnye” people. Your prayers for softening their hearts to receive the seed of the Gospel will be greatly appreciated. Please also pray for my air and ground travel across the globe.

The last two weeks in Belarus and Russia were probably the most intense in many years, in terms of teaching and travel. I was moving from one city to another every other day (or night) and taught two and even three times almost every day. Praise the Lord for wonderful and caring host families and communities! [Read more…]

The joke I was told in Katowice – a coal mining region of Poland – goes like this: “Why are miners making their tunnels under Catholic churches? – They are looking for a foundation of their faith.” I will definitely use this as an icebreaker next time I teach my “Historic Foundations of Christian Faith” class there. And I need to make that “next time” happen sometime soon – to take advantage of a whole number of invitations from their Christian and secular universities and churches. [Read more…]

Day one. First, I left my laptop at home and only made that discovery at the airport. A dear friend John, my early morning ride to the airport, had to make that trip twice and I didn’t even miss my flight.

Well, I didn’t miss that one but, due to a delayed departure from JFK and, consequently, late arrival to Moscow, I did miss the other two – to Warsaw and then to Katowice. It was a long day of hurrying and waiting, cancelling and re-booking, praying and praising the Lord for eventually bringing me to my final destination only two hours later than planned.

I had plenty of airplane food (there was a Great Lenten menu on Aeroflot flights!); airplane rest (stretching across empty seats!); and airplane entertainment (no comment!) with ample time for refreshing my first presentation for the teachers in Katowice Pedagogical Institute.

I am so looking forward to it as well as to my all other events in Poland, Belarus, and Russia!