My story

Member of the TJCII intercessors team
www.tjcii.org

I was born in a catholic family in south-east of Poland. My family was rather typical catholic family. We were going to church every Sunday but beside that we hadn’t been involved in church life beside pope’s John Paul II visits to Poland, which were huge events in our country.

Huge gift for me was love of my parents who gave everything to bring up me, my three brothers and sister. Material situation was not easy but it was very good school of life how to help each other.

After this introduction I would like to move to the main point and tell about my God. I remember Him from my early childhood, starting from my grandmother who was teaching me how to pray and through serving as a choirboy in my parish.

The time of being a teenager was a time of rebellion and questioning everything around me. It was also a time searching answers for questions about life like: What is the world about? What is important in life? I then read more books than before and later (thus far) in my life including one book about New Age, which I burnt later. I read also parts of New Testament but generally I was looking for answers in science: psychology, sociology, physics, etc. I was also a fan of metal music at this time with hair down to my shoulders. From time to time I was talking to Him (God), but generally faith and normal life were separate things for me. I was going to church but I wasn’t seeing much connection with normal life. My life at this time was life of the world. In high school, with my friends I went to Kalwaria Pacławska where there was a franciscan monastery. It was summer time and there was an open youth week organized by Franciscan brothers. Unfortunatelly at that time my priorities were different and most of the time of this week I spent with my friends partying in the tents in the camp, not in a godly way and very rarely I attended activities prepared by Franciscans. Today it’s a shame for me for this behavior in this holy place. But still He was seeking me and trying to draw me closer to Him.

Finally in third year of my studies I went to retreat called A course of Philip. It was the turning point for me. During this weekend for the first time I believed that God speaks directly to me. A thought came to my mind which I knew hadn’t come from me. It came from outside of me. These werethe words: “I love you as you are”. In the moment I was filled with enourmous joy and peace. Later I realised that it was a baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Since that moment my life started to become integrated. I stopped looking at my life and the life of faith as separate things. It started to be one united reality. Before that experience whenever I was in house of God I had felt like a guest and just an observer to what was going on. From that moment I started to feel “at home” and I knew that I’m part of church.

Just after the course in a small group we started to read New Testament and it was wonderful experience. The Word was so accurate and lively for us. We were devouring it. After baptism in the Holy Spirit there was also a strong inside conviction that Jesus is the Lord. I knew it was not primarily because someone told me about it, but it was experience from inside.

I remember at this time I made a decision to delete all illegal mp3 music and films and to use it only from legal sources. Beside that I decided to live Sunday just for God and I stopped doing any work on Sunday even if there were exams on Monday and God blessed this; I got very good grades not learning on Sundays. Praise God!

Baptism in the Holy Spirit opened me also for charisms, which were exciting to have. I started to ask a question: Why didn’t I know about it earlier? Why nobody told me about it? I wanted to share all this joy and peace which I received so I joined a School of Evangelization in a students group in Cracow, where I started to organise and lead courses of Philip for others. At that time in our students group for Lenten retreat Andrzej Sionek was invited to preach on this retreat.

After the retreat I realised that Andrzej is not only talking about charisms but he also is using them in normal life. So I decided to join School of Evangelization and christian maturity in Lanckorona which was led by Andrzej Sionek.

In this school I spent about 10 years helping to organise different conferences for men, women, marriages and about christian unity. It was challenging but fruitful time for me. Among the teachers who were coming to Lanckorona was Fr. Peter Hocken. From the beginning I knew that his teaching was important and many times during his conferences my heart was shouting, “Yes, yes! this is it!” During the first youth week I saw that the central point to which all is driving is the Second Coming of the Lord, who will come and complete the renewal of all creation.

On this Day God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes (Rev 21,4) and all injustice will be defeated. This longing was in my heart before but the teaching led me to understand it and name it. By living this hope I realised more and more God is directing me to people who are excluded somehow and in need. That’s why I decided to be a volunteer in a small orphanage in Krakow. I help there to do homework especially with two young boys, who are brothers: Bartek and Erazm. Sometimes I am just present and talk with them, play football or go to the cinema.

The Day of the Second Coming of the Lord is also a day of wedding for Lamb with His bridegroom. Already being at En Christo, the Lord had put unity of the Church strongly on my heart but together with receiving Maranatha vision I realised that unity is not a goal for itself but is a preparation for great wedding. This strengthened my calling to serve for christian unity.That's why I decided to join Toward Jerusalem Council II (TJCII) intercessors and now I’m also part of TJCII Now generation which gathers younger generation among TJCII.

I’m happy that I said yes to the Lord. Intimacy with God is the best thing I have in my life. Although sometimes it is difficult and I commit sins, He is always with me and thanks to His mercy we are together. It will be great to see Him face to face. Come Lord Jesus!