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Seminarians & Their Sponsors
Andrei Tepper Birthdate: 4-29-68 Spouse: Aleksandra (Alesia) Andrei has been in Alaska since January 2005. He came there from Bloomington, Indiana where he was baptized into the Orthodox faith in 2004. As a student in 1988, he spent 1 year in Moscow studying Russian language and the Russian culture. In 1990 Andrei graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, DC with a degree in Russian Language. He began going to an Orthodox church in DC. After Gorbachev opened the country up to the west, he returned to Russia. Andrei taught English in Czechoslovakia. He worked for a trading company (Equipment Supplies Co.) and traveled a lot overseas. During this work, Andrei was based in Moscow and was often sent to the oil fields of Siberia. After Baptism, his life path changed and became clearer. He became an Ameri Corps volunteer and was sent to Alaska to work with the Cook Inlet Tribal Council. In this position, Andrei taught native Alaskans preparation for GED testing. While attending St. Tikhon of Moscow Mission in Anchorage, His Grace, Bishop NIKOLAI, supported Andrei's decision to attend St. Herman Theological Seminary. He began his seminary studies in the fall semester of 2006. While still in Anchorage, the priest at St. Tikhon Mission encouraged Andrei to attend their feast day services on October 8 - knowing that Aleksandra would be there as a member of the mission. This is where and how they met. She was in Anchorage from her home country of Poland. They began talking after the service and spent the day together. She was returning the next day to Warsaw. Andrei's courtship of Aleksandra was by email, phone calls, and letters. She is completing her Master's Degree in Substance Abuse Counseling. They became engaged and the wedding date is set for July 29 - this summer. His plans are to leave on June 12 for 1 week in Anchorage before traveling to Warsaw for the wedding. Aleksandra's Spiritual Father, Father Wasilly, will host him in Warsaw until the wedding day. They hope to travel to Belarus (Republic of Belarus) to meet her family before the wedding. She will not immediately receive a visa for the USA. The waiting period for her to join him will be difficult. She will be working on her Doctorate in Substance Abuse. Andrei says the sponsorship will be a huge help - especially now that he will be a married student. *This was written the last week of May, 2007. Since that time, Andrei and Aleksandra have married and he is awaiting her entry to the USA.
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