Oh, what an intensive trip it was! I have never before scheduled myself so tightly and never had so few of the events cancelled! In fact, the only two I missed were those in Ufa when my lost-’n-found luggage got me stuck in Moscow for an extra day.

The trip also had a good ratio between the churches and the “secular” settings like universities, teachers’ conferences, high schools, etc. Given the political and economic situation in Russia, many people are discouraged and disappointed. I frequently heard from teachers in my audiences sentiments like this: “Russia is rolling back to czarism and will collapse as soon as the price of oil goes under $80 per barrel. What’s the point of teaching the young in the country that has no future?!” 

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Knock and the door will be opened to you (Mt 7:7). I did and it was. I simply walked into the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in the center of Chelyabinsk and asked if anybody there would be interested in having me make a presentation on the historical validity of the Bible. It was a cold call but I received a very warm welcome from Fr. Igor. He just happened to be a Historian by training and accidentally the one in charge of the Catechism and Christian Education in their diocese. He made sure that every Catechism teacher in this city was present at my class and received the FaithSearch Discovery CD in their hands. “And please, please, come again soon. I will use all my power to have you teach at the Urals State University and at the Teachers’ Training Centers both in the city and around the region,” he said.
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Knock and the door will be opened to you (Mt 7:7). I did and it was. I simply walked into the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in the center of Chelyabinsk and asked if anybody there would be interested in having me make a presentation on the historical validity of the Bible. It was a cold call but I received a very warm welcome from Fr. Igor. He just happened to be a Historian by training and accidentally the one in charge of the Catechism and Christian Education in their diocese. He made sure that every Catechism teacher in this city was present at my class and received the FaithSearch Discovery CD in their hands. “And please, please, come again soon. I will use all my power to have you teach at the Urals State University and at the Teachers’ Training Centers both in the city and around the region,” he said.
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Bashkortostan literally means “head-land” and is populated by a Turkic people group known to be not very tall. I should have remembered it as I hurried following pastor Renat (5’3”) down the dimmed hallway in his apartment building. Bang!!! I hope I am a true Bashkort now – at least the top of my head is wearing a visible sign of visiting this otherwise very hospitable and beautiful land.  [Read more…]

After a short delay due to my sutcases’ sudden decision to spend an extra night in Paris (who will blame them?) I am now in the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Two presentations in the local Evangelical Churches was as a very good start for the trip. “We are so grateful for your training! What a tool for our Christian leaders to reach out to the next generation of youth!” — said one of the facilitators.