My name is Pawel Bartosik. I was born in Gorzow Wielkopolski (the city at the West of Poland, close to the German border) in 1977 where I lived for 19 years. Now I live with my wife and 8 years old daughter Zuzia, 6 year old son - Janek and Maja who is 4. From many years we live in Gdansk. I met my wife (Jola) at the Conference with pastor Dennis Tuuri (Reformation Covenant Church in Portland, OR, USA) in Lezyce (Poland) in May 2001. We have been married the 5th of October 2002.
My parents are Roman Catholics (as well as my wife's). I was baptized in infancy in Roman Catholic Church. When I was in high school I met believers of ISKCON (Hare Krishna Movement). For 2 years I visited their meetings, I was a vegetarian and I believed in reincarnation, karma and that Krishna and Yahweh are one and the same God. But thanks God I didn't decide to be a formal member of this Movement. I left the circle of these people after my visit in the Temple of Hare Krishna in Wroclaw. I met there a Guru form the USA (there are 12 Gurus in the world after the death of Srila Prabhupada and all are Americans J ). I saw idolatry and big pressure on me and all members.
After this event I became a zealous Catholic. I used to attend an evening mass 3 or 4 times a week. My neighbor and I used to go to the meetings of small charismatic group of teenagers in the Catholic Church.
When I was in the last class of high school I decided to take the entrance exams to the Academy of Catholic Theology in Warsaw. I wanted to be a teacher of Catholic religion or do something in my Church (but I didn't want to be a priest).
My conversion to Lord Jesus
I began my studies in Warsaw on the 1st of October 1996. In December on my way to play basketball I met 2 missionaries from the US. One of them preached in Polish at the street and the second one gave out tracts about salvation in Jesus Christ. I heard a the sermon of the first guy and today I remember that he said that salvation if a gift, not payment. And it is given by faith in Jesus. And that everyone who believes in the name of Jesus – can be sure of salvation. It was something new for me. As a Catholic I thought that I had to give something to God as a condition of my salvation. They encouraged me to read the Bible (Gospel of John and the Epistle to Romans) and highlight the verses where the authors say about justification and eternal life. Then I started meeting these 2 missionaries in Pizza-Hut and other restaurants and we talked about the Bible and basics of faith while drinking milk.
December '96 was the time of my conversion to Jesus. I saw my sin and consequences of it. Thanks to God's grace I saw that the only rescue is in the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross and His resurrection. He opened my eyes and He forgave my sins. I attended the church of these Americans and Polish Brethren. Some months later it appeared that Church of this missionaries is modalistic and these Americans believe not only in One God who plays three roles (heresy of Sabelianism, Modalism) but they are "King James Only" believers. In their opinion only Gdanska Bible (old Polish Bible) is inspired translation which they have read at the Services. But God used them to show me that Jesus is the only way to heaven.