A great moment: I meet Father Vladislav (right) in Chelyabinsk, Russia
I was very busy with parish matters, and almost didn't take the call on my cellphone. But I'm glad I did.
A few months ago, I received a phone call that turned out to be
2011 Journal - Introduction
I was very busy with parish matters, and almost didn't take the call on my cellphone. But I'm glad I did.
A few months ago, I received a phone call that turned out to be
2011 Journal - Day 1 - June 27
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| A Bittersweet moment at the Louis Armstrong Airport |
- Gretna, Louisiana (home)
- Kenner, Louisiana (Louis Armstrong Airport)
- Washington, DC (Dulles)
- Leesburg, Virginia (Lansdowne Resort)
After weeks of preparation and after a few days of final arrangements, the Big Day is finally here. I'm on the head-end of a 24-day trip halfway around the world. I love to travel, and this is going to be
2011 Journal - Day 2 - June 28
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| The Lansdowne |
- Leesburg, Virginia (Landsdowne Resort)
- Washington, DC (Dulles Airport)
- In the air toward Moscow, Russia
I woke up in the hotel, hastily got ready, and went downstairs to meet up with Herbert and Klaus.
Klaus was not there, so
2011 Journal - Day 3 - June 29
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| Добро пожаловать в Москву! (Welcome to Moscow!) |
- Flying toward Moscow
- Moscow, Russia (Domodedovo Airport)
- Novosibirsk, Russia (Tolmachevo Airport and The Lutheran Center)
At this point in space and time, the time zones blur along with the thin line that separates night and day. I managed to steal a few brief naps contorted in a seat barely big enough to contain my frame. It is morning as we approach Moscow - but my system
2011 Journal - Day 4 - June 30
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| Myself and Olga, dwarfed by Stalin's friends |
- Novosibirsk
I woke up early. I'm tired, but at the same time refreshed. I think my system is trying to reset. The days are somewhere around 17 1/2 hours here, so sunrise is before 5:00 am and sunset after 10:00 pm.
I managed to find my way outside to see
2011 Journal - Day 5 - July 1
"We are Siberians!"
- Novosibirsk
- Novokuznetsk
This morning, Dan and I are waiting for the Rev. Alexey Streltsov to show up. Father Alexey is the rector of the seminary. He studied at Fort Wayne (our time overlapped though I had never met him) and he has just defended his S.T.M. thesis from Fort Wayne a few weeks ago. The plan is for him to come around 1:00 pm, and the bishop is supposed to arrive about 11:00 am.
I don't think it would be
2011 Journal - Day 6 - July 2
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| Novokuznetsk as seen from the majestic Novokuznetskaya Hotel |
- Novokuznetsk
The sun fights its way through the thick gloomy gray clouds to press its way through the fifth story window of the Novokuznetskaya Hotel and manages to wake me up quite early. Although the quarters are tight, it is a nice place. The best part is the piping hot shower. There is no hot water right now in Novosibirsk, so
2011 Journal - Day 7 - July 3
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| Fathers Andrei and Dmetri prepare the altar at St. James - Novokuznetsk |
- Novokuznetsk
- On the train toward Abakan
We have breakfast again at the hotel: eggs, yogurt, tea, and orange juice. We checked out of the hotel, and head over to Father Dmetri’s parish for Sunday Mass. The congregation is called St. James. Father Dmetri renovated the flay himself, and it contains a beautiful small sanctuary. Demetri is a good celebrant, very much
2011 Journal - Day 8 - July 4
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| The rolling hills of Khakassia |
- On the train toward: Abakan, Khakassia
- Abakan
- Tuim
- Ephremkino Village
I wake up about 6:00 am local time on the train. We're now in the Republic of Khakassia. The countryside is totally different: a remote place of rolling hills and occasional villages of small houses. It's raining.
Father Alexey took
2011 Journal - Day 12 - July 8
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| Fathers Pavel and Daniel |
- Novosibirsk
We got up early, and Father Pavel (Khramov) walks with us to the train station. We will be using different forms of public transportation today and seeing some different sights (as well as familiar ones) in Novosibirsk. We ride the local train downtown. We briefly tour the Novosibirsk train station. There is a humorous plaque on the wall that
2011 Journal - Day 14 - July 10
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| Deacon Alexei grilling sausages |
- Novosibirsk
- Berdsk
I woke up very early this morning - about 5:30. It gets daylight here very early. I have a bit of an upset stomach. I have also scratched open a small patch of eczema on my ankle. Not wanting to learn about treating infections in Russia on an American health insurance plan, I
2011 Journal - Day 15 - July 11
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| Bishop Vsevolod is on a mission from God |
- Novosibirsk
- Yurga,
- Tomsk
Dan and I have breakfast of leftover sausages from yesterday’s picnic, as well as some cheese, bread, and tea.
I get packed for our trip to
2011 Journal - Day 18 - July 14
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| Yekaterinburg |
- On the train toward Yekaterinburg
- Yekaterinburg
I just woke up on the train. It's about 10 minutes until 9:00 am. Fathers Alexey and Dan are still asleep. The screen on the window is pulled down and consequently it is absolutely dark in the cabin. I had no idea what time it was when I awoke.
We all slept soundly. I slept well in spite of my
2011 Journal - Day 19 - July 15
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| Sts. Peter and Paul Lutheran Church, Yekaterinburg |
- Yekaterinburg
I slept in a little. The other guys are still asleep. I instant-message a little with Grace and Leo for a short while (where it is still July 14, twelve hours behind me). I take a shower - and it is a real treat! It's a high-tech little booth with shower heads everywhere - and even a radio! It's so high-tech, in fact, that I have to
2011 Journal - Day 20 - July 16
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| A hearty Russian breakfast |
Father Daniel and I slept in a bit and went to the hotel's breakfast. It was a western buffet meal that included sausage, rice, cream of wheat (which looked not unlike grits and jambalaya), also bread and a
2011 Journal - Day 23 - July 19
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| The lobby of the Malachite Hotel, Chelyabinsk |
- Chelyabinsk
- Yekaterinburg
- Polevskoya
I woke up a little on the late side and took a shower. I was beginning to think that there was no hot water - but my patience was rewarded.
Dan, Alexy, and I enjoy a very nice buffet breakfast in the Green Restaurant downstairs - which is included. This breakfast is like Russian supper - with
2011 Journal - Epilogue
On January 31, 2012 the visit of Rev. Dan Johnson and Bishop Vsevolod Lytkin, Rev. Dmetri Dotsenko, and Miss Natasha Sheludiakova to Salem Lutheran Church in Gretna, Louisiana was written up in the Times-Picayune's February 16 edition, which you can view here. The print edition included
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