HELLO, I'M ALICJA
Serving on Young Life Staff in POLAND
Hi!
My name is Alicja. I live in Poland, by the sea, and this is my home. I believe that every teenager deserves to hear about Jesus, and I want to be a part of that. When I was a teenager, Young Life helped me take the next step with my faith. Now I am here to offer that support to others.
I have been with Young Life for many years. I started as a volunteer and then I was chosen for the DGL scholarship programme, which I was part of for five years. During this time I also started work as a part-time staff member to support my area and gain experience. Now I am the Area Director.
I want the vision for this city to be God's vision, which is why I have been giving Him the lead for years. During that time, thanks to Him, we have been able to meet hundreds of teenagers.
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MY DREAM:
There are 42,044 students of WyldLife and Young Life age in Gdańsk, and 68,228 university students. My God-sized dream is that each of them will hear about Jesus and have a place where they can grow in faith. My current focus is on ministry with high school students. I visit their school and meet them in parks and shopping malls, where I can also meet their friends. We often spend time together at the library, too.
Every day, one of my main tasks is to look for leaders and donors for these ministries because, without them, establishing a mission in such a big city is nearly impossible. There is huge potential for WyldLife and University Ministry in my city. I am looking for team leaders for these ministries while I am giving my whole heart to high school students.
MY STORY:
I grew up in a Christian home, but we only went to church on Sundays. My parents sent me and my brother to a Catholic school. That's where I learned more about God. But I didn't want to have a relationship with Jesus. A difficult situation at home didn't help me believe that life with God could be good, and I stopped believing in Him I didn't want anything to do with Him for many years.
During my final year of high school, when I was a teenager, He called me by name. I believed that He existed and was calling me to something I didn't yet understand. I felt stronger, my inner life changed, and I wanted to live. But that same year, everything started to fall apart in my family. My parents divorced, my beloved grandmother died, and I was left alone. It was only God who saved me. His care and love are what brought me to the Church and the community. I survived that time thanks to Him.
In high school, I found Young Life, and it showed me that I could share my faith with others. There wasn't a Young Life group in my city, so I traveled to another city 3.5 hours away to be able to enjoy and get to know Young Life. I became a leader and started a mission in my city where I met wonderful girls whom I took to camps. I was included in the DGL program, and two years later, a Young Life employee came to my city and became the Area Director there. We worked together - that's how Young Life started in Gdańsk, and that's my story.
MY EDUCATION
DGL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
(Master) Management 2024, Social Work 2022
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SERVE IN poland
Many young people have never experienced a positive relationship with the Church, and many walked away before they truly had a chance to understand it. As a result, they don’t want to hear about the Church—or even about God. Yet through the relationships we’ve built with them, doors are opening. They are giving us space to share about Jesus. More and more are listening, asking questions, and even taking steps toward Him.
MY FUNDING NEEDS
To cover daily living expenses including housing, food, and transportation, I must raise my salary. Please consider joining my support team so that I can focus on ministry with the teenagers in my neighborhood and expand God's Kingdom in Poland.
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MY INTERESTS
I love spending time outdoors. I love windy and cloudy weather. I play instruments a lot. It makes me happy, especially when I play with others! I also love learning. I'm always learning, and when I don't have anything to learn, I look for new things. Fortunately, there is always something new.
FUN FACTS ABOUT ME - The funny thing is that I also really like cleaning. I discovered this some time ago when I cleaned my whole house, and then I cleaned my friends' houses, too—spoiler alert: they were very happy about it. I don't like parsley, but I don't like upsetting people, so when it's on my plate, I eat it. I also went through a period of intense studying without coffee, and now I don't even like it. I've never drunk a whole cup!
I've learned a lot from my leader and mentor, Dominik Fąferek, Young Life country director of Poland. This is a picture of when I celebrated 5 years in Young Life and became an Area Director.
SOME FAVORITE SCRIPTURES
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:12-13
I want to do what Jesus taught us, I want to live by it: to give my life for His glory. To give my life to young people. This passage fills me with joy and motivation to always choose HIM and bring only good into this world.
“Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).” — John 20:16
Jesus called me by name when I needed him the most. This convinced me that he knows me and is not a distant God, but someone who is close to me and knows my name. I believe it is important to know the names of students. So that they can be called, and so that they can respond to God's call: Rabbuni.
Gdansk, Poland
MY STORY
I was born into a Muslim household that followed Allah without any questions until my older sister received Christ and become a Christian. Our parents followed in the faith. Ever since my life has not been the same because Jesus is at the center of it now. I'm an ordained minister of the Gospel in my church. Now a Developing Global Leader, I am combining my gifts and passions and pursuing a degree in graphic design and video editing at Milton Margai Technical University.
My greatest strength is my ability to motivate and help the younger generation by bringing out the best in them. My vision is to remain actively involved in the next generation through Young Life and give counsel and help as they identify their own talents.
MY MINISTRY FOCUS
I work in a community where many teenagers have to work to support their families as street vendors, on farms, or low-paying informal jobs. Teenage pregnancies, early marriages, and the need to support family income often force teens—particularly girls—out of school. Crime, drug abuse, and gangs are a common threat.
That's why Young Life is such an important part of this community. We give kids opportunities for healthy friendships, fun activities, positive role models and, most of all, the chance to hear the gospel and grow in faith.
I currently lead two clubs, one in the city center and the other one that is just starting in a nearby neighborhood. Our focus is on high school kids and we are training leaders to open a Wyldlife club in the next six months.
MY PRAYER REQUESTS
• More volunteer leaders for the Waterloo club. We are expanding and reaching younger kids so we want to start a Wyldlife Club in that community but we do not have enough leaders to do it well.
• Upcoming camp - that we would be able to have dependable transportation there and that many kids hear and respond to the Gospel.
• For God's favor on my family – improved health for my mom. My sister is finishing secondary school and dreams of going to university. We are praying that she will receive a scholarship.
YL MINISTRY IMPACT IN NORWAY
LEARN MORE ABOUT DEVELOPING GLOBAL LEADERS
Through sponsorship, Young Life's Developing Global Leaders (DGL) Program offers Young Life leaders in the world's poorest developing countries a pathway to a future they never thought possible – the opportunity to attend university in their own country and impact their community with the Gospel. $250 per month is all it takes. LEARN MORE