Atheist testimony

Tereza came to Krakow from the Czech Republic through the European study abroad network called Erasmus. She would classify herself as a gamer, scholar of Medieval Church Archives, and atheist who was quite comfortable in her large apartment within her family home in the Czech Republic. When she saw an English-immersion housing opportunity with the JP2 Project, she was prompted to inquire...and then dared to join.  Her time with us spanned the course of both the Spring and Summer terms of 2019. Here's the testimony of this woman we all fell in love with immediately and miss a lot.

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“Over the last four months, thanks to JP2 Project, I've learned a lot of important information for my studies, but not just that. I went to the JP2 Project without expecting anything. All I needed at that time was a change. Change of my lifestyle and the way I look at it things that are happening around me all the time and in the whole world. I was probably the first non-Catholic person and, in fact, the first person with no faith at all, to join this project. I always thought that there is something beyond us, but I would never think about it the way I do now, without my adventure in Poland. Everyone who knew me thought I was crazy and maybe I was, but what I experienced with my new friends and my JP2 family showed me the opposite. Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe I knew deep down that I needed it and maybe it was the will of God that showed me the way. The JP2 Project allowed me to visit many places and experience a lot of unforgettable moments.  I am not a Catholic and before I arrived in Krakow I knew little about my faith. It was all new to me, just to go to Mass and just try to speak to God; to meet so many amazing people from different countries, share our stories together and through that, discover trust, and realize how amazing and full of love is my life...I don’t have to be afraid of who I am and I should embrace it. I can open my heart and be the best person I can be. Although my path of faith probably just started, thanks to the Project, I believe that I am going in the right direction and again I believe that people can be good. Thank you" - Tereza, 24 years old