Serving the Stevens Point area, a local business offering assistance in your food experience. Each meal and baked good is prepared to order. Homemade is the name of our game. We offer you the customized flavor experience of eating what makes you happy.
Fighting Strong Amanda Filtz, Owner of Moia Meals f Julia Chodzinski: woman, fighter, generous, faithful.
Born in Poland in 1925, my grandmother has an amazing life story. I call her Babish, since I could not pronounce the Polish word for Grandmother, Babcia. She has always defined strength and inspired me to start my own business, Moia Meals, sparking family’s meals with my ready-made, home cooked lunches, dinners, and snacks. She taught me how to work hard and fight for what I believe in. Even now, at 91 years old, she still has that strength from her story every day. Babish’s power comes from her faith as well, and her life has been filled with miraculous, unexplainable events at countless turns. It seems as though she has the ability to whisper directly in God’s ear.
As the youngest in her household, she grew up on her family farm and loved picking cherries and plums from the trees on their property. She lived a normal life in her childhood years, simply going to school, being picked on by her favorite brother Frank, and listening to her dad play music on the violin. She never left her hometown of Przemyśl. But World War II changed all of that.
One night, like any other, Russian soldiers banged down the door and took my Grandmother, one of her sisters and brothers, and her parents hostage. I can’t imagine the fear that took over her life. As prisoners, they were escorted to Russia and forced to complete hard labor harvesting trees and preparing the land to gather salt. The grind that took over their lives was draining, but they relied on each other and found moments of faith banding together through my Great-Grandmother’s battle with blood poisoning. And Babish whispered to God, “Please keep my mother safe.” And He did. Against all odds, my Great-Grandmother lived.
As Polish and Russian alliances changed in the war, Babish’s brother was recruited into the army and her family was sent to Africa and lived the best memories amongst jungle adventures, all while making lifelong school friends. Eventually, after the war ended, Babish immigrated to England and saved time and energy until she could fulfil her father’s dream of immigrating to America. Ending up in Chicago, Illinois, she met a man named Julian. Though she thought she would never marry because of a childhood injury to her hips causing a permanent limp, Julian had a son he needed care for. My grandmother volunteered for the task, believing she could possibly not have children. After they married, she asked God quietly, “Please grant me a child.”
Another miracle of life occurred, and she had two daughters of her very own, Anna and Christine. Babish had a love of nature to share with the world, and took her family to the beaches in Chicago to experience wildlife even in the city. Eventually for the safety of their family, they moved to Bevent, Wisconsin and after the passing of her husband she settled in Stevens Point in early 1990’s. Here Babish inspired other people through her stunning flower gardens . Babish finds beauty outside in nature, or inside with her drawings of roses. She even smells of roses to me! She still lives in her own home today, gathering her family’s prayers and sharing them with God.
While my grandmother’s hardships are a far-cry from the “first world problems” of today from the long line in the Starbucks drive-thru to the endless disgruntled Facebook posts, her story is a reminder that anyone can triumph over his or her struggles, even in seemingly insurmountable circumstances. So when you feel frightened and like you just can’t go on with life’s troubles, I hope you remember my Babish. Perhaps you can even ask her to whisper in God’s ear, just for you.