“agar tum sach mein ishvar ke baare mein jaanna chahte ho, to yahova ke sakshiyon se seekhna band mat karo.” yah baat sunkar main hairan reh gaya! darasal us vakt mujhe yahova ke sakshiyon ke saath adhyan karte huye kuch samay ho chuka tha. par main hairan kyon hua, is baat ko samajhne ke liye chaliye main aapko apne baare mein shuroo se batata hoon.

mera janm el salvador mein quezaltepeque naam ke ek kasbe mein hua tha. hum 15 bhaai-behen hain aur main parivar ka chhatha bachcha hoon. mere maa-baap ne khoob koshish kee ki main imandar banoon aur niyam-kaanoonon ka paalan karoon. iske alava, leonardo aur doosre sakshi hamein bible ke baare mein sikhane aate the. lekin mujhe jo bhi sikhaya gaya, uski mainne kadar nahin ki aur ek-ke-baad-ek kai galat faisle kiye. chaudah saal ki umra mein mainne school ke doston ke saath sharab peena aur drugs lena shuroo kar diya. ek-ek karke in doston ne school chhod diya aur woh ek giroh mein shaamil ho gaye. main bhi unki dekha-dekhi giroh mein shaamil ho gaya. hum sadkon par poora-poora din aavara ghoomte the, logon se paise ainthte the aur apni buri aadaton ke liye chori-chakari karte the.

yah giroh maano mera parivar ban gaya tha, mujhe laga ki mujhe iska har haal mein saath dena hai. misal ke liye, ek din giroh ke ek sadasya ne drugs ke nashe mein mere ek padosi par hamla kar diya. is ladai mein mere padosi ne kisi tarah usko kaaboo mein kar liya aur police ko phone kar diya. mujhe itna gussa aaya ki mainne ek mota danda liya aur padosi ki gaadi ki khidki ke sheeshe todne laga taaki woh mere dost ko chhod de. mera padosi baar-baar mujhse rukne ke liye minnat karta raha, lekin mainne uski ek nahin suni aur uski gaadi ka bura haal kar diya.

jab main 18 saal ka tha, to mere giroh ke logon ki police ke saath muthbhed ho gayi. hamne jo bam banaye the, unmein se main ek feinknevala hi tha ki woh mere haath mein fat gaya. yah sab kaise hua, pata nahin, mujhe bas itna yaad hai ki mera haath taar-taar ho gaya aur fir main behosh ho gaya. jab aspatal mein meri aankh khuli, to mujhe bataya gaya ki mera daayaan haath kat gaya hai, main daayen kaan se behra ho chuka hoon aur apni daayin aankh se lagbhag andha ho chuka hoon.

mujhe itni chot lagi thi fir bhi aspatal se chhootne ke baad main seedhe apne giroh mein gaya. uske kuch hi samay baad police ne mujhe giraftar karke jail bhej diya. jail mein giroh ke sadasyon ke saath meri dosti aur bhi gehri ho gayi. hum subah naashta saath mein karte the, gaanje ki pehli cigarette saath mein peete aur raat ko sone tak sabkuch saath-saath karte the.

jail mein leonardo mujhse milne aaya. baaton-baaton mein usne mere daayen haath par gude tatoo ki taraf ishara kiya aur poochha, “kya tumhein pata hai ki in teen binduon ka kya matlab hai?” mainne kaha, “haan pata hai, inka matlab hai sex, drugs aur gaana-bajana.” lekin leonardo ne kaha, “mere hisab se inka matlab hai, aspatal, jail aur maut. tum aspatal to jaa hi chuke ho, ab jail mein ho. iske baad kya hoga, tumhein pata hai naa?”

leonardo ki baat sunkar main chup ho gaya. woh sach keh raha tha. main jaisi zindagi ji raha tha, us hisab se main apni hi kabra khod raha tha. leonardo ne mujhse bible adhyan ke liye poochha aur main maan gaya. bible se seekhi baaton ne mujhe apni zindagi badalne ke liye ubhara. misal ke liye, bible kehti hai ki “buri sangati achhe usoolon ko bigaad deti hai.” (1 kurinthiyon 15:33, footnote) is vajah se sabse pehle mujhe apne purane doston ko chhodkar naye dost banane the. mainne giroh ki sabhaon mein jaana chhod diya aur iske bajay yahova ke sakshiyon ki sabhaon mein jaane laga jo jail ke andar hi rakhi jaati thi. vahaan meri mulakat aandres naam ke ek kaidi se hui jisne jail mein hi baptisma liya tha aur yahova ka sakshi ban gaya tha. usne mujhe apne saath naashta karne ke liye bulaya. iske baad se mainne subah uthte hi gaanja peene ki aadat chhod di. iske bajay, har subah main aur aandres bible ki ek aayat par charcha karne lage.

giroh ke sadasyon ne gaur kiya ki main badal raha hoon. uske ek leader ne kaha ki woh mujhse baat karna chahta tha. main bahot dar gaya. darasal giroh ko chhodna lagbhag naamumkin tha aur main nahin jaanta tha ki jab use pata chalega ki main giroh chhodna chahta hoon, to woh mere saath kya karega. usne kaha, “hamne dekha hai ki ab tum hamari sabhaon mein nahin aate, balki yahova ke sakshiyon ki sabhaon mein jaate ho. tumhara irada kya hai?” mainne use bataya ki main bible seekhna chahta hoon aur apni zindagi badalna chahta hoon. usne kaha ki agar mainne sach mein saabit kar diya ki main ek sakshi banna chahta hoon, to giroh mere faisle ka aadar karega. mujhe yakeen hi nahin hua. fir usne kaha, “agar tum sach mein ishvar ke baare mein jaanna chahte ho, to yahova ke sakshiyon se seekhna band mat karo. hum ummeed karte hain ki tum bure kaam karna chhod doge. tumhein bahot-bahot badhai! tum sahi raah par chal rahe ho. yahova ke sakshi sach mein tumhari madad kar sakte hain. main amreeka mein unke saath adhyan karta tha aur mere parivar ke kuch sadasya yahova ke sakshi hain. daro mat, tum jo kar rahe ho, usi mein lage raho.” main fir bhi ghabraya hua tha, par mujhe bahot khushi bhi mehsoos ho rahi thi. mainne man-hi-man yahova ko shukriya kaha. mujhe aisa laga maano ek chidiya ko pinjre se aazad kar diya gaya ho aur main yeeshu ki yah baat aur achhe se samajh paaya, “tum sachchai ko jaanoge aur sachchai tumhein aazad karegi.”​—yuhanna 8:32.

lekin mere kuch purane saathiyon ne drugs ka laalach dekar meri pareeksha lene ki koshish ki. sach kahoon to kabhi-kabhi main is laalach mein aa gaya. lekin fir mainne baar-baar yahova se gidgidakar binti ki aur aakhirkar main apni buri aadatein chhod paaya.​—bhajan 51:10, 11.

jab main jail se riha hua to kai logon ko laga ki main vaapas pehle ki tarah zindagi jeene lagoonga, lekin aisa nahin hua. main baar-baar jail gaya zaroor magar saza kaatne nahin balki doosre kaidiyon ko bible se sikhane. yah sab dekhkar mere purane saathiyon ko aakhirkar yakeen ho gaya ki main badal gaya hoon. magar dukh ki baat hai ki mere purane dushmanon ko aisa nahin laga.

ek din jab main aur ek bhaai prachar mein the, to achanak doosre giroh ke sadasyon ne hamein gher liya. unke paas hathiyar the aur woh mujhe maar daalna chahte the. mere saath jo bhaai tha, usne badi himmat ki aur aadar ke saath unhein samjhaya ki ab main kisi giroh ka sadasya nahin hoon. is beech main shaant raha. fir bhi unhonne mujhe peeta aur khabardar kiya ki main us ilake mein dobara na aaun. iske baad unhonne hamein jaane diya. bible ne sach mein meri kaayaplat kar di hai. agar aisi ghatna mere saath pehle hui hoti, to main badla lene ki sochta. lekin ab main bible ki yah salah maanta hoon jo 1 thisslunikiyon 5:15 mein di gayi hai, “is baat ka dhyan rakho ki koi kisi ki burai ka badla burai se na de, magar tum hamesha ek-doosre ki aur baaki sabki bhalai karne mein lage raho.”

jab se main yahova ka sakshi bana hoon, main imandar rehne ki koshish karta hoon. yah mere liye aasan nahin hai. lekin yahova parmeshvar, bible mein di salah aur apne naye doston ki madad se main aisa kar paaya hoon. main kabhi apni purani zindagi mein lautna nahin chahta hoon.​—2 patras 2:22.

sachchai seekhne se pehle main bahot gussail aur khoonkhar tha. main yakeen ke saath keh sakta hoon ki agar mainne apne jeene ka tareeka na badla hota, to aaj main zinda nahin hota. bible se seekhi baaton ne mujhe badal diya hai. mainne apni buri aadatein chhod di hain. mainne apne purane dushmanon ke saath shaanti banaye rakhna seekha hai. (luka 6:27) ab meri dosti aise logon se hai, jo mujhe achhe gun badhane ka hausla dete hain. (neetivachan 13:20) mujhe apni zindagi mein ek maksad mil gaya hai, main us parmeshvar ki seva karta hoon, jo mere sabhi bure kaam maaf karne ko taiyar tha.​—yashayah 1:18.

san 2006 mein main avivahit maseehi pracharakon ke liye ek school mein haazir hua aur mujhe khaas training mili. iske kuch saal baad meri shaadi ho gayi. ab main aur meri patni apni beti ki parvarish kar rahe hain. ab main apna zyadatar samay doosron ko bible ke siddhaant sikhane mein bitata hoon, vahi siddhaant jinse mujhe faayda hua hai. main apni mandli mein ek pracheen ke naate bhi seva kar raha hoon aur mandli ke javanon ki bhi madad karta hoon taaki woh vahi galti na dohrayen jo mainne unki umra mein ki thi. ab main apni hi kabra khodne ke bajay us shaandar bhavishya ke liye ninv daal raha hoon, jiska vaada parmeshvar ne bible mein kiya hai.