“Klaudia* and Kamil* are the youngest couple in our church. They started coming three years ago after Klaudia* gave her life to Jesus in an evangelistic meeting in Warsaw. Kamil came along only because of Klaudia; he had never had a genuine encounter with Jesus himself. He quietly accompanied her each week, but continued to live a double life as a functioning alcoholic, secretly hiding his drinking habit.

Sadly, his drinking problem became ever more serious. Although he agreed to seek help and attended a support group, it didn’t really help. Then, a few months ago, Kamil hit rock bottom. He was drunk for almost a week.

Klaudia came to us to seek help, and we prayed with her to seek God’s help. We knew nothing could help Kamil unless God intervened. Klaudia asked Kamil to move out of their home temporarily, until he was prepared to seriously deal with the problem of his drinking. Kamil’s reaction was to avoid us.

Finally, Arek got hold of him and invited him to come and see him when he was ready to talk. When he did turn up, we sensed something different in Kamil this time: he seemed to be genuinely regretful. He agreed to return to the support group and, more importantly, he began his journey of discovering God, and himself, through Bible study with Arek.

We praise God that we have noticed a significant change in Kamil’s life, as well as in his relationship with Klaudia. “I was a hypocrite and thought that I could live my old life and pretend everything was OK, but it wasn’t OK. I hurt my wife and made a fool of myself. I am grateful that God has given me another chance,” Kamil shared recently.

“I am very thankful that God has helped my husband and set him free from his addiction. In the same time, I realised that my relationship with God is not always right and I also need to be changed as well. God has shown us a new way to live as a couple, this marriage only works when we both are willing to surrender it completely to God,” shared Klaudia.

Arek and Donna had the privilege of being with the young couple as they walked through this difficult time together.  As they all asked God’s help, He not only rescued Kamil and Klaudia's marriage but also transformed their relationships with God. “It is so exciting to see this young couple’s marriage being transformed by God’s love,” said Arek.

*name changed

“Not long after the Sunday service began, I spotted a girl quietly settling into the back of our church. She looked familiar, yet I couldn’t recall where we had met,” Donna shared. “Soon after the service ended, I went to find out who she was. She greeted me with a big smile and said, ‘Donna, don’t you remember me? I am Ania*. I attended your English camp 10 years ago. It has taken me quite some time to find your church’s new address, but I am so glad that I have found you guys again.’”

Donna did then remember Ania: “She was always smiling and eager to ask questions about God and our faith; she even attended our Sunday service once during the English camp. I was delighted to see her again, and we made an appointment to meet the following week to catch up on a long chat.”

After graduating as a marine mechanical engineer, Ania had worked on a commercial cruise ship. Life on board presented her with a lot of challenges. Although she had always believed in God, when the situation on the ship compelled her to seek help from God, Ania realised she didn’t know much about her God to give her the strength and support she needed.

“Somehow, she remembered us and wanted to know more about this God whom we trust. So she had come to seek us out,” Donna shared. “As she was leaving soon for a three-month work trip, we gave her a few books to read and encouraged her to read the Bible regularly.”

The next time she was home on a break, Ania returned to see Donna and Arek again—and this time she brought her entire family to the church. Not all her family members shared her excitement about her new-found faith, but her youngest brother, Bartek*, did.

Although Ania has since returned to the ship, Arek has been studying the bible with Bartek regularly. “We are amazed to see how much he has grown in his faith and his desire to know Him more. We are very excited that this summer they both will be baptised,” Donna said.

“Although the flame of faith was ignited so many years ago, God is not limited by time. He remains faithful to seek and save the lost, and reach out to those who put their trust in Him.”

Kamil was in a serious car accident many years ago that left him crippled and with brain damage that causes a speech impairment. Once, when he tried to order a take away food on his phone, the lady thought that he was drunk and ignored his order. Poor Kamil had to call again and explain that he was not drunk-just hungry-and simply wanted to get something to eat. Sadly, this is a common perception people have if they do not really know Kamil.

Because of his health problems, Kamil always sat at the back of the church and did not talk to people very much. This lack of contact meant no one in church really knew him; some even wondered how much of the biblical message he understood. In actuality, God had given Kamil a great hunger for His word. Kamil started reading the Bible, and had many questions but was too shy to ask. As he talked to Agnieszka, a church member, about his frustration, she encouraged him to talk to OM leader Arek. “How much will I need to pay for this ‘service’?” he asked, as that was his experience in the past with the Catholic priest.

Agnieszka told him that any explanations would be free; as we have freely received, we freely give. Arek was more than happy to discuss the Bible with Kamil on a regular basis, and has now been doing so for some months. Arek discovered that Kamil is very smart and understands a lot, and is very encouraged by the growth of his faith in such a short time.

Kamil once shared with Arek that he regretted not finishing highschool so Arek encouraged him to return to school. So it is, that, at the age of 38, Kamil has registered to attend a school for adults, aiming to complete his secondary school education and continue on to further studies.

God may not have healed Kamil from his disability, but He has given him a new identity in Christ, where he can draw strength and confidence. Kamil may not be able to move around easily, or speak about God clearly to others, but he is able to bring people to the church where they can get to know more about this God who has transformed his life.

Convinced of this, in 2015 OM organised the first national mission conference, ZOOM, partnering with local churches and many mission organisations. Building on the momentum created there, it was decided to make the ZOOM conference a regular mission event in Poland. Organisers believed that God would use ZOOM to broaden the horizon of Polish believers and mobilise them to engage in God's missions through different means.

From 30 April – 3 May 2017, the second ZOOM national mission conference was held in Warsaw. Speakers, leaders and missionaries came from all over the world, brought together by their love of Jesus and a desire to serve wherever God leads. Some had crossed cultural and language barriers, while others had used modern technology to communicate the gospel. Some served the marginalised, involved in social justice for persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. Presented with the scale of the world’s needs, participants were challenged to understand the importance of holistic mission in different spectrums of life.

In addition to various presentations and a variety of seminars and workshops, participants also interacted with speakers to learn more about their ministries and ways to be involved. In the Global Market, representatives from various organisations facilitated conversations with participants considering their future in missions.

“I love the teaching of all the speakers; each brought something fresh and challenging. I still remember what Pastor Nedzusiak said: ‘The best sometimes comes when we allow God to interrupt our well-planned lives…like the Good Samaritan who was willing to alter his plan to rescue the injured man on the road.’ Serving as translator for a workshop on Business As Mission, I was inspired by our speaker, Mats Tunehag. I now see missions in a much wider perspective. I still have a desire to work with people and share the gospel, but using business to serve God and people is really a good idea,’” said Aneta*, ZOOM participant and workshop translator.

Magda*, a Polish OM missionary in Macedonia, shared, “I missed talking about mission and sharing my experience with others. I am so grateful I could be part of ZOOM and share my struggles and challenges in serving in another culture. It helped me to reflect on my personal mission journey. I am also very encouraged to meet with so many Polish believers who feel God is calling them for missions.”

“All the teaching and sharing were very inspiring yet [also] practical. Meeting new people and listening to their stories of how God amazingly changed their lives was very encouraging. [The event] Prayer around the World was my highlight. It was amazing to see people representing every continent (except Antarctica) leading us in prayer for each continent. We zoomed out to the world to pray for Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia and Europe, zooming back to Poland. God opened my eyes to realise that there is such great spiritual need everywhere. I was deeply touched and sensed the spirit of unity in God was among us,” shared Ada*, a ZOOM volunteer.

In his book Living As People of Hope, Jeff Fountain, the main speaker of ZOOM, wrote, "But on both sides of the Atlantic, the later nineteenth century saw a doom-and-gloom eschatology, encouraging the faithful to seek the shelter of the church-ghettos, keeping a low social profile while awaiting for the Second Coming” (p.87).

ZOOM aimed to change the thinking of Polish Christians who find themselves in a dynamically changing reality to pursue God’s calling: daring to see the world from an entirely new perspective, and embracing God’s invitation to journey with Him beyond the confines of social divisions, cultures, generations and ideologies.

God did far more during ZOOM than the OM team imagined. The team was convinced that the over 300 participants from over 80 cities and towns were called by God. On the final evening, Avi Synder, a Jewish brother, led participants in celebrating the Lord’s Supper, explaining how the Passover promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The speakers came forward, stretching out their hands to commission participants to shine the light for Christ in different parts of Poland and beyond.

* Surname not included for security reasons

“We were all very excited,” said OM leaders Arek and Donna Delik. After so many years of ministering to people struggling with addictions, the team realized that while addiction is a problem on its own, it is a symptom of harder problems and more personal issues like depression, anger, frustration and self-doubt. “Even though there are quite a few rehabilitation facilities in the country, there are very few counselling services available to help people to deal with the root causes of addictions,” they shared.

After the ladies graduated, the church launched a new ministry, ‘Consultation Point’, in January this year. It is an addiction counselling service that provides assessment, counselling, information and treatment services for people in need. “We have received a lot of phone calls soon after this service was advertised in the media,” Donna said. “It is distressing to know that the vast majority of people who called for help are young.”

The first young lady Monika was able to help was her own niece, 18-year-old Kate. Instead of enjoying her youth, Kate was found unconscious in her bedroom with an empty bottle of sleeping pills. She was rushed to the hospital with a drug overdose, where the doctors were able to rescue her.

Kate grew up in a family with an alcoholic father. She received so little love from her father that Kate desperately looked for love somewhere else. She had several relationships with men that ended unhappily. These devastating experiences drove her into depression. At the end of her rope Kate thought that suicide was the only way out. Thankfully, in this darkest hour God stepped in and brought her out from the ditch.

Monika started attending to her and led her to her ‘true Father’, God, the Creator. Kate finally could give up her struggle and stop searching because her Father had found her and embraced her completely with His love. This Father promised He would never let her go.

“Consultation Point has already proven to be a service very much needed in the community of Kutno,” Donna shared. “We’d appreciate your prayers for Zosia and Monika as they run this ministry. They need discernment and wisdom from above to help those who are trapped in addictions.”

It was the opening night of ZOOM conference, a three-day event from 16-18 October in Warsaw, Poland, organised by OM Poland and a local church, partnering with 15 local and international organisations.

Over 350 participants, young and old, from 95 cities, and from more than 20 denominations, gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of OM ministry in Poland.

In 1965 OM Founder George Verwer, along with friends, went to Poland. It was then a socialist country on the doorstep of the Soviet Union. From the stories shared by many Polish believers, it was clear to the OM team that the early OM work in the second half of 1960s, and beyond, had a lasting impact on those who later became leaders and advocates of global missions.

The event was born out of OM Poland’s desire to enlarge and sharpen the global vision of Polish churches. The inspiration came from George Verwer himself, when he reminded OM Poland team members of the 50th anniversary during conversation at Mission-Net 2013. The celebration grew to be the largest project the current OM Poland team has ever taken on.

"Even though we recognised our shortcomings in many areas, we genuinely believed that God would shake Polish believers out of their comfort zone, inviting them to see what He sees, and care for what He cares for,” said Arek Delik, the leader of OM’s work in Poland.

Throughout the preparation process, many joined, and the OM Poland team saw resources and opportunities open in miraculous ways. "We were greatly blessed by our OM international family, providing excellent speakers from around the world,” Arek said.

The weekend was packed with various sessions, presentations and interviews. Participants could choose from 11 workshops and seminars, with topics ranging from Buddhism to dealing with sexual sin, and from Bible translation to cross-generational communication. The Global Market exhibition provided a platform for conversation. Each exhibitor added a unique flavour to the mix, and participants could connect with different ministries. The exhibitors also expressed encouragement at the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between different organisations.

Marcel Georgel of OM France shared, “It was an amazing time at ZOOM. We were right at the centre of what God calls us to do through OM, to transform lives and communities through the message of the Gospel, and by actions in tune with that message, by mobilising the church. I am so impressed by the Polish sisters and brothers.”

Like many exhibitors, Maciej Wilkosz from The Voice of the Martyrs in Poland had prayed for years for such an event. Maciej had become a believer through the work of a missionary and had dreamed that one day Poland would send out missionaries to the unreached. He felt God fulfilled his dream through the ZOOM event.

One participant wrote, “I am very thankful for ZOOM. I was deeply moved during the sermons and worship time. Desire for missions is kindling in my heart. I will pray for God’s calling, learn languages, and learn about different cultures.”

Another participant said, “It was an extraordinary and inspiring weekend. Despite its intensity, I did not feel tired, which to me is a confirmation that nothing refreshes my soul and body more than devoting my time to God’s missions.”

Jan Macuta, who had attended the first OM meeting in the town of Giżycko in 1965, offered a prayer of thanksgiving for OM’s 50 years of ministry in Poland. At that first meeting, George Verwer preached, and Jan committed his life to Jesus and a lifetime of ministry, later becoming a pastor and missionary.  

Today, George Verwer, at age 77, still actively mobilises God’s people across the world to live for the sake of the kingdom.

“The participants were inspired not only by the messages George delivered at the event, but also by the example of his lifelong passion and service,” said Arek. “They appreciated George’s openness to talk about his own vulnerability and failures, delighting in the grace of God, who never gave up on him. When George challenged them to take the first step towards God’s calling, we were amazed to see people stand up one by one, with more than two-thirds of the audience on their feet towards the end.

“Please join us in praising God, who made this dream come true," continued Arek. "God was doing great things during this event; let’s pray that He will continue to stir the hearts of those who attended ZOOM 2015!"

To learn more about how to get involved in OM ministry in Poland, contact info.pl@om.org. To watch a video about OM’s work in Poland over the last 50 years, click here.

"It was like watching myself in that film," said Chris. "Not exactly the same story, but I went through a similar struggle as the girl in the film, who discovered that she was an ‘unwanted’ baby, abandoned by her biological mother.”

Chris was an “unwanted” baby, as well. He has never met his mother, who left him when he was born. His father was a serious alcoholic who couldn’t even take care of himself. Chris was sent to a local orphanage, which became his home for the next few years until he was adopted by a couple in a nearby town. Chris thought he finally had a normal home and parents who cared for him, but the new life turned out to be a nightmare. The mother also struggled with alcoholism.

Instead of love and care, Chris experienced neglect and abuse, so Chris learnt he had to stand up for himself, as no one else would. He became friends with peers from a similar background. At the age of 13 he had his first taste of drugs with encouragement from his buddy, and he dropped out of school at age 16.

Over the next seven years life became a downward spiral as Chris became hooked on drugs and alcohol. Chris did a lot of odd jobs and sold drugs with his friend to feed his drug habit and earn a lot of money. However, deep down, he was never happy.  

His uncle knew about his situation and invited Chris to live with his family in Kutno, hoping he could finally get clean without his friends around. Chris' aunt heard about OM's New Life ministry in the local newspaper and encouraged Chris to come to a weekend outreach.

Chris heard people share their struggles with different addictions and how Jesus had set them free, and he wondered if this could happen to him as well. A miracle happened when he cried out to God for help and totally surrendered. Chris’s life made a 180-degree turn: no more drugs and alcohol. Instead, a new life in Jesus that gave Chris the joy he had never experienced.

Chris had been very angry with his biological parents who had abandoned him. However, the love of Jesus transformed him, and the bitterness of being abandoned no longer controls him. Recently, Chris found his biological father.

"It was amazing," Chris said. "I no longer hate my father who abandoned me. God’s forgiveness has transformed me and given me the ability to forgive my father." 

Chris is now part of a core group who want to lead a new OM ministry reaching out to troubled youth. In the past, the local government has referred people to OM's support group for addicts and their families. They were glad when OM workers informed them of their hope to extend their ministry to the youth, as the problem of drugs and alcohol among teenagers has soared rapidly in recent years.

Pray that God will use Chris’s life to impact other young people like him. To read more about God's work through OM Poland, check out their news webpage. 

According to Polish studies, unhappy home life, characterised by lack of parental attention, conflicts and parental inconsistency, often causes juvenile delinquency.

An unhappy home life leads to a sense of rejection and insecurity. To satisfy their emotional needs, young people often seek out the company of peers in a similar situation. 

One juvenile correctional home outside Kutno, Poland, holds around 40 teens from all over Poland, ages 13-17. Most of them have committed minor offenses, like theft and drug possession. The teens stay in the centre from a few months to a maximum of three years, depending on the seriousness of their crimes. 

OM Poland aims to reach out to these troubled young people. They started visiting the centre last year and did several drug and alcohol awareness programmes. At first, the director was very reserved, yet when she saw that the OM Poland workers really cared about the teens, she asked them to come whenever they wanted. 

The team offers English classes for teens who are interested, and takes the teens out for sports or to OM's new church and community centre, where they can hang out with Christian teens.

Daniel, who has been in the centre for three years because of drug possession, always says hello and talks to the team when they visit. Next month, when he finishes junior high school, he will be transferred to another juvenile home. He is a bit worried about this transfer, as there is so much uncertainty ahead of him.

"Sadly, we won’t be able to do much for Daniel," said an OM worker, “but there are many more teens there who are looking for someone who really cares for them. Could we do more?" 

Recently, the OM team met with the director and proposed to visit the centre more often, simply wanting to show the teens that Jesus cares, and so do they.

To learn more about God's work through OM Poland, visit the news page.   

In 2012, New Life ministry, under the leadership of an OM Poland team member, started a hospital ministry in Plock. The team was surprised to see so many female patients undergoing detoxification for alcohol addiction.

Aneta was one of these women. Though only 24, she looked over 40. Her parents were alcoholics and she had followed in their steps. Heavy alcohol consumption caused serious damage to her brain and she could no longer take care of herself. In the last few years she had been living on the street and surviving on garbage.

The team invited her to their New Chance weekend meeting with a few other patients. When she heard testimonies of how Jesus had transformed people’s lives, she knew it was what she wanted, and she received Jesus as her personal Saviour.

With her serious alcohol addiction, though, it would not be easy for Aneta to start a new life without a solid support group. The team helped her make arrangements for admittance to a Teen Challenge Christian rehabilitation centre. Besides therapy, she would also attend Bible study and Sunday services.

One morning, after receiving instructions and money for the train ticket, Aneta travelled the 350 kilometres (about 220 miles) to the centre. That evening, there was no sign of Aneta at the centre. The team thought she might have changed her mind and slipped back into her habit.

The team was shocked later to receive a call from the centre informing them that she had arrived two days late. When Aneta had got off the train in the nearby town, she was confused and didn’t know how to get in touch with the centre, which is located in a remote forested area. Without money or any idea where to find the centre, but with strong determination, she began walking and wandered in the forest for two days. Staff driving to the centre spotted her lying by the roadside covered in leaves.

Aneta has now been at the centre for five months and has completed half of the programme. The staff have informed the team that Aneta is a completely new person and continues to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.    

* The State Agency for the Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems: http://fas.nazwa.pl/parpa_en/basic-polish-data/52-basic-trends-pertaining-to-alcohol-use-in-poland

Paving the way

As a second generation Christian, Moner’s father went on to become pastor and established a Christian school in the same town. As a result of his help and support, one of the guilty men’s sons studied at the school, and years later, became vice president of Syria.

Moner worked as a Christian worker under the protection of a Muslim ambassador from Syria who knew Moner was a believer.

In an effort to secure his position at home, the president transferred the vice president of Syria to Poland as an ambassador of Syria. In 1968, Moner moved from Syria to Poland to study engineering. As a third generation believer, he married a Christian woman from Poland, but was unable to stay in communist Poland without a job. Although the ambassador of Syria knew that Moner was a believer, he agreed to hire him as a teacher of mathematics to the children of diplomats from Arab countries. Moner’s personal agenda became two-fold: to teach the children of diplomats and to do underground mission work.

Working in communist Poland

Moner worked as a Christian worker under the protection of a Muslim ambassador from Syria who knew Moner was a believer. The KGB in Poland never stopped Moner because the diplomatic relations between Syria and Poland were very strong. Moner would teach university students about God, and when asked by the KGB what Moner had taught, the students would say that he had only spoken about Jesus. Because Moner never mentioned politics, he was left in peace.

The ambassador of Syria worked in Poland until 1985, by which time the Solidarity movement led by Lech Walesa to end communism had become strong in Poland. The Communist Party and KGB concentrated their effort against this movement, and thus life for believers in the country got easier. Moner went on to establish Campus Crusade for Christ in Poland, which officially registered after the collapse of communism. Moner also established a church in Warsaw, where he lives with his wife, Stenia, and their seven children.

Power of testimony

“As I spent time with Moner, his humility and life experience radiated from him,” reported Esko, founder of OM Europe’s Bus4Life ministry. “I was encouraged to hear how Moner had worked as an underground Christian worker, protected by a Muslim diplomat, in a communist country. God's ways are truly amazing! Through Moner's testimony, I was reminded of two important things: the power of forgiveness and the impact of our actions on the lives of future generations.”