Dear Friends,
It is so good to be back in the US, visiting our friends and partners in ministry. It is always a special time for us where we can connect with our network of supporters and have an opportunity to build new relationships. Each of these relationships are God’s gift to us and makes a difference in our ministry. I could write a story about how each of you have impacted our lives, but today, I’ll focus on one relationship.
Recently we visited Lexington, KY, where we have a long term relationship with the Cranfill family. Let me share a little personal story which makes this relationship so meaningful in my life.
I was brought up in a home where my father was more of a superstar than a daddy I could count on. My dad worked really hard to support us, but as a seaman, he usually spent six months at sea and then two months at home. Just as I became secure in having my father in my life….he would be gone again.
It was hard to build a close relationship with my father when I had such a limited and sporadic time with him. As a child, I remember how I missed him on a daily basis.
The father-void became even larger when my mother passed away; I was just ten years old. With the loss of my mother, my emotional safety net was gone. My relationship with my dad, although appearing proper and supportive on the outside, was never deep enough to sustain and lead me.
Despite this very large hole in my life, I can clearly see how God graciously provided men in my life who became a father to me over the years. One of these godly men was Larry Cranfill of Lexington, KY. He was a man of God with a great heart for world missions. The very first time we met in Wroclaw, he and his wife, Jane, had a heart connection with Agnieszka and me immediately.
As missions pastor of Porter Memorial Baptist 
Church in Lexington, Larry was deeply involved in our Pastors2Pastors ministry. For several years, he coordinated the work of numerous missions teams sent to our church in Poland.
For me personally, Larry was more than a pastor with great commitment to world missions. He became a father to me, someone who always believed in me and loved me in ways that I can’t describe. When he was critically ill in the hospital, I flew from Poland just to see him and his family.
I will never forget his greeting to me: “Welcome, my Polish son!”. These were the last words I heard from him, and the memory is deeply moving.
A short time after my last visit with him, Larry left this life to spend eternity with our Heavenly Father. I miss him greatly!
Last week, it was a honor to spend a week with Jane Cranfill who has become a mother to Agnieszka and me. We deeply appreciated having fellowship with Larry’s family who lives up to his caring and loving legacy. The world map engraved on his tombstone is a wonderful reminder of his mission in life.
Clark, Larry’s son, is carrying on his father’s love and involvement with missions. He started his own non-profit organization and helped us to connect with Crossroads Christian Church and Wellspring Prayer Center in Lexington. Both of these new relationships have blessed our ministry and us personally.
We are grateful for the Cranfill family who means so much to us!
Blessings,
Wojtek, Agnieszka and Dawid