When I was around fourteen or fifteen years old, there were many changes in my country, and people could express themselves more freely. At that point I became interested in knowing "Who is God? Who are we? Where do we come from? What is our purpose in life?" Although I come from an atheistic family, I knew my grandmother attended the Russian Orthodox church, and I tried that for a while. It brought me comfort, but it didn't give me a deep understanding of God.
Then, one day my English teacher at school, a very nice lady, asked me if I would like to come and hear some Bible readings. I hesitated, but eventually decided to go. It turned out to be a small group of people, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere there. The service was held in a beautiful room they were renting in an old building in the library in Moscow. What I liked was that it was not a formal church atmosphere. It was more like friends gathering together, and they were all so loving toward me.
