Todd: Volume 5

Today is Tuesday and the pace of our trip has begun to slow a little. Yesterday Jim’s class went well while delving into some very difficult material both timely and relevant to the church in Tambov. Jim will blog more on the details of class.

Following class Jim, Misha, Jenni and I took a brisk walk in the cold fresh air to the market only to find it had closed at 4pm. We will attempt the same today if we have time. The walk was worth it even if we didn’t succeed at the store. Dinner at the church with all of the students is a highlight. Jim and I were able to eat with a married couple that has recently relocated to Nikiforovka from Uzbekistan.

Last night I was able to begin the business development meetings with a larger than expected group of entrepreneurs from all around the Oblast. The meeting was planned to go an hour and a half and we wound up going twice that time without a break. The group is very interested in learning ways to build businesses that will help them support their families and the ministry throughout the region. Last night we discussed business in the US and how it parallels and contrasts business in Russia. We went over each business that the brothers are involved in currently and what opportunities they see in the marketplace. The group also was able to get into a discussion about the challenges of extortion and criminal behavior that they must deal with and as an extension of that how they can and must rise above this and be truthful in their dealings. This sounds so easy in the US but business in Russia is in in infancy, this group has an opportunity to live their faith in the business world, they will need our prayerful support.

We will cover the process of developing Mission, Vision, and Values for their organizations and the process to develop and document a business strategy before the week is over. The other positive outcome from last nights meeting was the commitment to future ongoing fellowship among the Christian business people in Tambov. The group will meet regularly to openly discuss the challenges and successes they have while navigating the corrupt business environment in Russia. More than anything we will cover in the business classes, this one thing will make the greatest impact. Fellowship of like-minded people in similar situations provides the strength to do what’s right in the face of corruption and temptation.