Lidia Czyż is an author, primary school teacher and publisher with Szaron in Poland. She has been writing articles for Christian magazines for 30 years and has published 12 books in various languages including German, Czech, Slovak and Russian. This story is part of the Journeys in Christian Publishing: Stories from LittWorld series.
How it all began
Twenty-five years ago, former MAI President John Maust trained us in Poland on how to write for a Christian magazine. My books are his fault, because he once said, “Always start with an example.”
And that’s what I did. I kept writing articles until finally one of the examples was too long to fit into a magazine, and this was how my first book was born, Stronger than Death.
It is the true story of a young man named Radek. He was the son of an alcoholic mother, had lost his beloved girlfriend, and had attempted to take his life. He heard my husband Leszek’s sermon on the radio – he is a pastor – and wrote to him. This correspondence lasted several years, and Radek gave his life to God. The story ends with a wedding, to which we were invited! It is about the power of God’s love, which lifts one from the deepest depression.
Reaching people through powerful stories
Stronger than Death was published in 2013, became a bestseller, and is now available in German, Czech and Slovak, and as an audiobook. Since then, I have written 11 books: nine novels (based on real-life stories with themes such as alcoholism, AIDS, abortion, addiction, narcissism), a collection of 12 stories for Christmas, and one memoir from my family’s life.
Regarding this memoir, in 2019 my husband had bladder surgery. This was followed by massive stroke, total aphasia, hospitalization due to covid and spinal cord inflammation. God heard the prayers of thousands of people and since 2021 my husband has been able to work as a pastor again in Wisła Malinka! We’ve been coordinating evangelism campaigns in Dzięgielów for 11 years.
I’m currently working on a non-fiction story designed to reach business people with the gospel. Many people do not hear the true gospel here in Poland, and more and more people are leaving the church. The Christian market is not large, but we do everything to reach as many people as possible. God is strong and He can do it.
An open door after LittWorld
On the way back from LittWorld 2024, a young Polish guy sat next to Grzegorz Przeliorz (CEO of Szaron Publishing) and I on the plane. Well, God acted quickly—he talked to us for a few hours! It turned out that he worked in Mexico as an IT specialist, so I told him about LittWorld. When he asked what I write about, I told him about my novel’s characters and God’s work in their lives.
Then he told us about his brother, who had died as a child. This was the starting point for Grzegorz to tell him about God’s plan for man. I gave him my New Testament, invited him to a meeting in April in Poznań (about 400 km from us), and Grzegorz promised to send him a Bible and books. The guy said, “I could see right away that you are different,” and he escorted us all the way to the airport gate.
The joys of LittWorld and beyond
I know now why someone once wrote that if they had to choose only one conference in their life, it would be LittWorld! The conference was a huge encouragement for me. Not to write—because I do it all the time with joy, it’s my passion and service—but it was a gift from God. I received a lot of joy, warmth, hugs in the name of Jesus. I learned what I’m doing well, and also what I can do better. Now back in Poland, I have snow outside my window, and I am still thinking about warm Mexico, about all those wonderful, smiling conference participants.
