Preface: The Reason for Telling the Story -- i

Chapter 1. Russian Village Life, 1922-1929 -- pg.1

Chapter 2. Soviet Collectivization, 1930-1940 -- pg. 22

Chapter 3. Officer Training, 1940-1941 -- pg. 46

Chapter 4. Combat, 1942-1943 -- pg. 57

Chapter 5. Prisoner of War, 1943-1945 -- pg. 80

Chapter 6. Refugee Camps, 1945-1951 -- pg. 100

Chapter 7. Conversion to Christianity, 1949 -- pg. 117

Chapter 8. Louisiana, 1951-Present -- pg. 129

Chapter 9. Russia Again, 1989-1999 -- pg. 141

Afterword, by Russell S. Knight -- pg. 170

Appendix: Order Number 227 -- pg. 172

Nikolai Alexandrenko recounts the hardships of living in rural Soviet Union during the Communist regime, serving as a paratroop officer for the Russian army in World War II, being imprisoned in a Nazi POW camp and a remarkable conversion from atheism to Christianity that forever altered his life. When he found Christ, Nikolai discovered direction and purpose that had been missing in his life. After being ordained as a Baptist minister and missionary to the former Soviet Union, he co-founded the Odessa Theological Seminary in southern Ukraine. He immigrated to America, where he earned two doctorates and worked as a full professor. Whether he was teaching about classical languages or theology, Nikolai incorporated his faith into every lesson. By overcoming his trials and finding salvation, Nikolai Alexandrenko forged an individual path an lived an unusual life from which all can learn.