Every day we pass people, having no idea about the battles they have fought. Looking at Ewa and Cezary Byczkiewicz today, it is hard to imagine the intensity of the struggles they once endured.
Today, they are married, have two children, and serve as missionaries. They lead a church, teach others how to study the Bible, and work with youth. They bring hope where it is hard to find, even though not long ago they themselves lacked faith.
Ewa grew up in a traditional Polish home. At the age of seventeen, she decided that God was nothing more than a religious fiction and did not exist. A few months later, she went to a Christian basketball camp, where a breakthrough occurred. Six months after the camp, she began attending church services, engaging in volunteer work, and step by step, putting her life back together. A key moment was meeting an American missionary in Łódź, who introduced her to the world of discipleship. Ewa understood that Christianity is a living relationship with God and people, and that it is all about God's glory.
Cezary's path was much more complicated. He grew up in an environment marked by alcoholism and crime. He carried deep wounds, both emotional and physical, so he sought validation of his own worth in sports. Martial arts, which initially were meant for self-defense, became a way to gain status and recognition.
Cezary began fighting in MMA cages. Along with sports came drugs and the criminal underworld, which gradually drew him in.
"From a victim, I became a criminal," Cezary says plainly. Depression, drug addiction, and a complete loss of identity followed. At one point, Cezary ended up on the streets.
"I had never worked legally before," he says. Faced with the harsh realities of life, he had to learn how to live all over again. He got a job.
He met Ewa by chance in an office. He remembers one detail: she had a sharp knife for peeling fruit and vegetables.
"She was different somehow. Nice, smiling. She was the first person I told my story to who didn't judge me," says Cezary. After they had known each other for a few months, Ewa asked him a question: “Do you think you will go to heaven?” Cezary thought the answer was obvious. "Sure. I volunteer and do good things, after all." Ewa replied briefly: “No. Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works.”
Those words kept ringing in his ears. In August 2014, Ewa took him to the home of a Christian family. For several hours they talked about God, suffering, and the meaning of life. Cezary had many doubts, so he asked many questions. At one point, his resistance to trusting God finally gave way.
"I felt the immense joy of forgiveness. God simply freed me from the chains of sin. When I opened Scripture, I knew that life and truth were there. I absorbed it like a sponge," he recalls.
Ewa and Cezary began getting to know each other and growing spiritually. Together they led a small Bible study group, which over time transformed into a house church. Cezary increasingly spoke publicly about the transformation of his life. During one conference, he met Robert and Elżbieta Boryczko, Mt28 missionaries, who became their life mentors. In 2017, Ewa and Cezary joined Mt28 as missionaries themselves.
Today their church gathers around 50 people. At its heart are a relationship with God and discipleship. Their ministry also extends beyond the walls of the church. Cezary's extraordinary transformation became well known in the area. Parents looking for help for their children started knocking on Cezary and Ewa’s door.
This is how the Foundation of Life Association (Stowarzyszenie Fundament Życia) was established by a few members of the church. Twice a week, they run kickboxing training sessions, which have been attended by around 100 young people.
The training focuses on physical development, healthy communication, and building relationships. Once every two months, the Foundation offers free, intensive weekend workshops called Coaching Drogi (Path Coaching), during which youth and adults learn active listening, respect, and asking the right questions.
"Today's young person primarily needs time," Cezary emphasizes. Time is their main currency: one-on-one conversations, reading the Bible together, just being present. When a girl whom one of the young men from church had met was going through a life crisis, Cezary and a few others went to see her and shared how God had changed them. The girl put her trust in Jesus, moved to Łódź, and began studying at a Baptist seminary. Today, she is making an impact in the lives of other women.
Cezary puts his passion for Scripture into practice through the Institute of Bible Study at Mt28. He teaches inductive Bible study methods in churches all over Poland and co-runs a blog PisaneZSerca.pl, which includes a correspondence-based study of the Gospel of John.
Cezary is seen publicly more often than Ewa. However, without her work, much of this ministry simply would not function. Ewa studies Theology and Counseling at the Higher Baptist Theological Seminary (WBST) in Warsaw, teaches English, and manages the church's finances and the administration of their ministry.
As a highly sensitive person and an introvert, she has to set healthy boundaries, make time for rest, and protect her priorities: God, family, and ministry.
"I want to be consistent and authentic, instead of putting unnecessary pressure on myself," says Ewa. "I feel that God is forging me into something new. I don't know what will come of it yet, but I know I am in the process."
Cezary and Ewa do not hide that their marriage has gone through difficult seasons. A breakthrough came through their study of Galatians.
"I understood then that the Christian life is not about the law, but living filled with the Holy Spirit. When I allowed God to change my heart, He saved our marriage," confesses Cezary. Today they are relearning to understand each other, their wounds, and their needs. God is showing Cezary that many of his behaviors in the family and ministry are rooted in wounds from his childhood.
"As a boy, no one noticed me. I have deep wounds, but God is slowly healing them. I know that in His eyes I am important," he adds.
Their biggest challenge is learning to rest and set boundaries. They are learning that they do not have to rescue everyone from every problem and that they are not the ones saving the world.
When asked where he sees himself in a decade, Cezary does not mention large stadiums or spectacular projects. "I would simply like to be close to God, closer to myself. And I would like our children to have someone to look up to."
More about Ewa and Cezary's activities:
Foundation of Life Association: facebook.com/fundamentzycia
Written from the Heart Blog: pisanezserca.pl
Gospel of John Study: pisanezserca.pl/studium
Coaching Drogi: https://app.evenea.pl/event/coachingdrogiwrzesien2026/
© Ruch Chrześcijański Mt28. Wszelkie prawa zastrzeżone.
