Georgia. Samtavro, Mtskheta, Bodbe

This was my 3rd pilgrim trip organized by Andcross https://www.andcross.ee in 7 years. I’ve been to the local holy sites, but this year, I decided to make a long journey to the Valaam Monastery. The entire group was well prepared by the organizers: starting with the prayers we need to read and ending with the weather forecast and recommendations on what clothes to put on. There was a priest with us on that trip. We talked a lot about the places we are going to and about Orthodoxy in general. The priest was a very educated and down-to-earth person. We also watched a video about the monastery. So, not a single second was wasted on the road. When we arrived at our destination, we already knew a lot. Valaam simply stunned me with its energy. You can feel an incredible power there. It’s hard to describe this but it needs to be felt. During our visit, we saw every corner of the monastery, attended the services, and had a chance to confess and talk with the monks. The people there are strong, as is the place itself. There are many miraculous shrines in the monastery. When standing in front of them, I asked the Lord to help me deal with my problems and the hardships of my loved ones. I think that’s what most pilgrims come for – to ask for God’s mercy. Now I regret that I haven’t visited this holy site earlier and I intend to come back. Victor –

For the first time in my life, I decided to go on a pilgrim trip. I’ve got a lot to carry on my shoulders in the last couple of years. Problems with my property, my health, and my money. These difficulties were like an avalanche. And gradually, I began to realize that praying in the church was not enough for me and I had to visit holy sites and ask for the Lord’s mercy there. I found the website of the Andcross pilgrim center https://www.andcross.ee on the Internet. They offer many different trips. So I chose to go to the Pyukhtitsky Monastery. I’ve heard about it before, but, sadly, had no idea what it was famous for It turned out it’s known for numerous cases of salvation and healing. The famous John of Kronstadt was connected with that monastery. The monastery has тhere’s also a miraculous Icon of the Mother of God. The spring named after the Mother of God helped the disabled, deaf, and blind people. They were again able to walk, hear, and speak. All this became a revelation for me! I prayed and kissed the icon. I bathed in the holy spring, although I’ve always been afraid of entering cold water. I didn’t need to sit during the service, although I used to sit down quite often because of my joints. But this time, everything was easy for me. After this trip, I felt like something new appeared inside me, something has been discovered. Something bright, light, and kind. I want to thank everyone who helped me and my fellow travelers during this trip! Ludmila –

I want to share my impressions of the trip to Lohusuu. There is the Epiphany Orthodox Church. And the beautiful Lake Peipsi. The local church was built at the end of the 19th century – an old building erected by the masters from the Tsardom of Russia. We learned a lot of interesting things about the history of this church. It turns out that in the 19th century, the locals began to worship the stone, which they considered miraculous. To end this paganism, the decision was made to build a church. At first, it was wooden. Later, a stone church was erected. The money for construction was given by a merchant from St. Petersburg. And that so-called miraculous stone was drowned in the swamp. We reached Lake Peipsi from the church in about 10 minutes. There was a stunning view there. And the weather was good: it was a sunny, dry, and warm day, but it wasn’t hot. Everything is clean. And the air… it’s so easy to breathe there. And you can’t get enough of this air and the surrounding beauty. We ate freshly caught fish from the lake – it was delicious! We also had a chat with the local priest. He is a very easy-going person: he explains everything about religion in an easy and understandable manner. I want to thank the Andcross Pilgrim Center https://www.andcross.ee for the opportunity to visit such a blissful trip. Everything became possible thanks to them. I definitely wouldn’t have gone on such a trip alone. But with them, everything was perfectly organized. Svetlana –