Hania’s testimony

My name is Hania, I am 20 years old and I live in Poland.  In November this year I participated in the first module of the Discovery project, which took place in Münster, Germany.

During this trip I once again, experienced my own limits. Normally I find it difficult to adapt to new situations, I take it badly when I go to new places, and have to deal with new people, languages and customs. When everything is different, I go through a mixture of fear and curiosity.

However, from the first day, the words of Jesus sounded in my heart: “Go out into deep waters” (Lk5, 4). These words encouraged me and they helped me to look for what God wanted to offer me instead of shutting myself in. And, indeed, I received a great deal.

A silent walk through Münster in the middle of the night marked me a lot.  It may sound superficial or silly, but this walk was crucial for me, it changed my way of thinking. For the first time I didn’t see people as a threat. I started to see them as a treasure, a gift for me from a God who loves me.

The mission through the streets of Münster was also a great challenge for me, because it meant meeting people who did not always want to listen and I had to control the fear I had inside of a “NO” from others. But the mission was a very good experience, because I went out to talk to people who I would never have spoken to in other circumstances -people of other confessions and of different cultures. During the few words that we exchanged, I felt that God transformed the place inside me that was fearful, filling it with love towards others.

This was my first Discovery. I travelled to Germany with fear and I returned to Poland with a treasure of incalculable value (Mt 13, 44-46)

God always brings you something new, a novelty that makes you want to move forward, leave the place where you are and go beyond what you know, beyond your boundaries and limits. God is not afraid! Fear doesn’t hold him back! He dares to take us beyond our schemes and is not afraid to lead us away from the shore. He himself has given everything and gone to the extremes of love. That is why if we dare to go further, we will find him. Jesus is already waiting for us in the heart of every brother and sister, in their wounds, in their anguish, and in their darkness. (Gaudate et exultate)

Llanos MeseguerHania’s testimony