Hello HCOS family. I am sitting in a one room apartment in Moscow, Russia thrilled with how I perceive God using us. Remember that prayer we all pray at some time in our Christian experience, “God use me”? At times it seems that I can recall every time I prayed this way and I am experience one of those moments right now.

We live in amazing times! Here I am on the other side of the world (11 time zones) helping people that just 25 years ago we believed were part of an evil empire. Now I have come as a consultant to help them find ways to spread Christian education throughout the largest country in the world. Through the miracle of the internet and digital technologies these people have become our close neighbor. And we know what Jesus commands us to do with our neighbor.

I have had the privilege of making several trips to Russia with our Bible School for the last 18 years. My first visit was before the breakup of the “former Soviet Union,” a term which the Russians use as well to describe the old country. My last visit was in 1995 where we witness some moderate changes and good churches starting to spring up in the major centers. I remember leaving a bit worried and concerned about the nation’s ability to navigate the difficult processes they were attempting, embracing democracy, opening the economy, granting religious freedom, a free press, etc. After 12 years I must confess that I am amazed at the progress. The Russian people aren’t out of the woods yet but they have definitely made huge progress in all of the above.

I was invited by the organization that runs the “School of Tomorrow” curriculum for all of the Russian nation as well as the former Soviet states. You may know this curriculum as A.C.E. The school uses and distributes the American A.C.E. curriculum in the English Language. They support approximately 120 schools from the Baltic states on extreme western part of the map in central Europe to the most eastern part of Siberia, Kamchatskaya, which is closer to Vancouver than to Moscow. The Moscow school and many of the other schools across Russian focus primarily on international students. In the Moscow school their student body is made up of only 30% Russian students. The school maintains a full Russian based curriculum for these students so that they can connect with the Russian Educational program. But they are often overshadowed by the American curriculum and program. We hope to help them change this.

I spent two very in-depth days of training with the Russian staff of the school teaching them everything I could about how to develop online courses and an online school presence for a new Christian Russian curriculum. I worked with their science and math teacher as well as their Russian language and literature specialist. I also worked with their technical staff advising how to set up Moodle and the other online technologies available to them. Finally I spent many hours with their school director Len Stolyarchuk brainstorming and discussing his many options and directions for the school.

I am not sure how much direct interaction we will have with the Russian curriculum. We may be able to provide the school with technical assistance and might get involved with enhancing the Russian curriculum for the web. We will be exploring possible ways they might be able to use our English online curriculum but I am seeing this is not why the Lord has brought me here. I am beginning to see a new role for our school emerging through this visit.

I am mindful of the verse of scripture in Luke 12:48 “to whom much was given, of him much will be required,…” God has blessed us with a great deal of wisdom and expertise in online education. Obviously this is something that will have dramatic effects upon education in general over the next decade. He has positioned us to take a leading role in this new genre. He has gifted us with incredible technicians and teachers who are learning as we go how to become the best DL school in British Columbia and beyond. We have a responsibility to teach and share this wisdom far and wide. Again Jesus said, “freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matt. 10:8).

The digital world has opened up new pathways and communities we never imagined. I have been able to communicate face to face with my family while I have been here through Skype. The communication revolution is upon us and the world is our harvest field. (Someone ought to write a book, hint, hint, www.christianthinker.org .)

From Moscow with love,

Greg Bitgood