Magda was born in 1977 in Częstochowa, city in southern part of Poland known as 'spiritual capital of Poland for Catholics because of Black Madonna Shrine. Magda is not so much spoiled only child, was raised in a loving family. At the age of 16 she was exposed to other church than Catholic and she decided to stay in that church. In the spring of 1993 she gave her life to Jesus. She laughs that she is 'a by-product' of her uncle's (dad's brother) witnessing to her parents. First years in Christian life were not so strong, but she felt strongly that no matter what God should be number one in her life. She started helping in the children's ministry, later in the uni students' group and finally was asked to lead a youth group. And that's when her love for the youth started. In the year 2000 Magda became an administrator for the Southern Poland Church Planting School. In that time she also studied and lead the youth group. 
Zibi was born in 1971. He is the middle one of three brothers and he has a little sister. He was born and raised in a town called Strzelce Opolskie, about half an hour drive from Opole. When he was 18 communism ended in Poland. But the most important thing is - that's when he gave his life to God. After his first year of studies in Wroclaw, he decided to go to a Bible School. He did a two-year missions course. After that he spent few months in England in Wycllife Centre. When he came back he moved to the mountains and worked for two years in a Christian holiday center. He organized camps for children and youth. Then he went to the US where he spent 6 months. He was involved in a Polish church in Chicago. After coming back he was offered a job in a Norther Poland Church Planting School that was based in Gdansk. He took a role of Short Term Missions Coordinator. That was in 1997. While working in the CP School Zibi started thinking of sending Polish teams to other nations. And he started working towards that. Within the next few years he sent and led groups to Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, Germany, France and even England.
Magda and Zibi met for the first time in 1999 in Budapest during an annual conference for people involved in ministry through Next Level International - an organisation that started the church planting schools in Poland in cooperation with Pentecostal Church. Since then they were seeing each other once - twice a year because of the conference or other church planting events. Some time later they started working together coordinating a mission team from Canada that was doing a bit of a tour around Poland. They got to know one another better and at the beginning of 2003 Zibi decided to ask Magda if they could become something more than just friends :) As you can imagine she agreed and as a result of that they got engaged in June and married in November of 2003! At that time Magda lived in a town in Western Poland called Głogów, and Zibi lived in Gdańsk - six hours train ride. So there was no chance for 'dating'. They could see each other for a day or two every three-four weeks, usually because of some trainings, conferences or other church events.
As a couple they are a part of Home Missions team, where together few other great people they work to see a church planting movement in Poland. They also run Young Christians' conference called RADICALS. In January 2009 they are going to move to Kraków - second largest city in Poland. They feel God is calling them to plant a church there. They have a dream to start an influential church that will be relevant for the 21st century people and full of God's glory and power.
Since July 2007 Zibi and Magda are proud parents of Bartek who is their greatest gift from God. Bartek loves 'reading' books and playing with cars, but he also loves being on stage! He spent lots of time there while still in his mom's tummy. When Magda was pregnant she interpreted during RADICALS and later on women's conference with Christine Caine - just a month before Bartek was born. Bartek is crazy about his daddy. They love playing and laughing together.
Whatever Zibi, Magda and Bartek do - they do it together as a family, because that's how they see life - God put them together, gave them one another so that together they could serve Him and do great things for Him.
3 comments:
czesc Wam!
życzymy Wam sukcesow w budowaniu Kosciola Bozego w dawnej stolicy. Mamy nadzieje ze spolecznosc szybko urosnie w liczbie, i ze bedzie nam dane odwiedzic wasw nowym miejscu. U nas wszystko ok, chodzimy tutaj do zboru, mamy spolecznosc z fajnymi ludzmi. Musimy kiedys pogadac jezeli znajdziemy wspolny wolny czas. nasz nick naskype to: m.kuska, a e-mail: estiandmark@gmail.com. Tesknimy za wami. zyczymy powodzenia i sciskamy.w
hi Zibi, you are looking good and looks like being a father is doing you well. We are proud parents of four girls now... you've got a way to go, brother! Wish you the best for Krakow. I don't travel too much in the last years since I've had to cover for our senior pastor. But maybe times will change.
Blessings,
Andy
Hi Zibi and Magda! J-P here from !Audacious Manchester. Am beginning to miss weekend trips to Krakow and the folks there... I know yours is an "old" post, but I was interested to read your biographies, particularly about Zibi spending a good deal of time at Wycliffe in UK. I wonder what years that was, and what you were actually doing with them. I trained with them, and worked for them for over 10 years in Africa. I was wondering if our paths may have crossed in the past but we did not connect then. (You can reply via Mark Steele. I don't post my email address on websites)
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