Gospel Expedition

On July 31, members of the Expedition were tested in their endurance and limits of strength. There is over 300 km between Baikalsk and Ulan-Ude. Because of that distance, we decided to divide this part of the road into two parts. Unfortunately there are no Baptist churches between these two towns where we could stay overnight. The small towns on the shores of Lake Baikal still wait for the missionaries. The leaders of the Expedition decided to cover this big portion of the way during one day. The previous teams had managed to cover 315 km a day, so they thought that it would be possible to do it again. [Continue reading Another Distance Record …]

The new Expedition team began their trek with steep climbs and difficult slopes, along with sharp turns. It was the hardest test for many of us as it was our first day and we were not yet ready for such hard physical exertion. Even so, 150 kilometers of the most difficult mountain road from Irkutsk to Baikalsk in the Sayan Mountains were successfully covered. The view of the grand, wonderful Lake Baikal was a reward for us after a hard trip. [Continue reading Mountains and Beautiful Lake Baikal …]

The third stage of the Expedition has reached its end. The fourth and final Expedition team is waiting for us in Irkutsk. They are to travel along the last sequence of towns and cities from Irkutsk to Vladivostok. Vladimir Skovpen, the leader of the Expedition, will continue along with us and carry on his ministry. He has already cycled along 10,500 kilometers of road. A little more effort and he will reach the goal, but what an effort it will be. There are no good highways anymore. [Continue reading A Debriefing by the Departing Third Team …]

The town of Angarsk is only 56 years old. This is a young, modern, clean town. It is located 40 km from Irkutsk, the regional centre. Irkutsk is our next stop. After a month of traveling along the vast lands of Russia, the third shift of the Expedition will be taking over on the bicycles there. [Continue reading Passing the Torch Again …]

The church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in Cheremkhovo, where our Expedition arrived, was founded in the 1920s. Then, it was a small group consisting of 20 members that had meetings at home. In 1937, the church was officially registered by the local government, but later in that same year all the church members were arrested. [Continue reading Perseverance Under Opposition …]