mera janm mexico mein chiapas raajya ke ek chhote-se kasbe mein hua tha. us kasbe ka naam hai, san juan chancalaito. mera parivar maaya sabhyata ki chol jaati se tha. mere 11 bhaai-behen hain, chaar mujhse bade aur saat chhote. bachpan mein main aur mere bhaai-behen yahova ke sakshiyon se bible padhte the. magar dukh ki baat hai ki us vakt mainne bible ki salah nahin maani.

terah saal ka hote-hote main drugs lene laga aur chori karne laga. usi dauran mainne ghar chhod diya aur idhar-udhar bhatakne laga. fir 16 saal ki umra mein main gaanje ki taskari karnevalon ke kheton mein kaam karne laga. vahaan mainne kareeb ek saal kaam kiya. ek raat main aur mere saathi naav mein bahot-saara maal lekar jaa rahe the ki tabhi hathiyaron se lais virodhi dal ke aadmiyon ne hamla kar diya. woh hum par goliyaan chalane lage. main kisi tarah bachkar nadi mein kood gaya aur paani ke andar-hi-andar kaafi door jaakar nikla. fir main amreeka bhaag gaya.

amreeka mein bhi main drugs ka dhandha karne laga aur main badi museebat mein pad gaya. unnees saal ki umra mein mujhe giraftar kar liya gaya aur lootpat karne aur kisi ko jaan se maarne ki koshish karne ke jurm mein mujhe jail ho gayi. jail mein main ek giroh mein shaamil ho gaya. vahaan main aur zyada maarpeet karne laga. is vajah se adhikariyon ne mujhe pennsylvania ke lewisburg mein kadi surakshavali jail bhej diya.

lewisburg ki jail mein mere vyavahar mein koi sudhar nahin hua, balki yah aur bhi badtar ho gaya. mere shareer par pehle se hi giroh ke tatoo gude huye the, isliye yahaan main aasani se usi giroh mein shaamil ho gaya. ab main pehle se kahin zyada maarpeet aur ladai-jhagde karne laga. ek din jail ke aangan mein hamare giroh ki ek doosre giroh se ladai ho gayi. hum baseball ke bat aur kasaratvale vazan se maarpeet karne lage. ladai itni bhayankar hone lagi ki jail ke pehredaron ko ladai rokne ke liye aansoo gas chhodni padi. is ghatna ke baad jail ke adhikariyon ne mujhe jail ke ek khaas hisse mein rakha, jahaan aam taur par khatarnak kaidiyon ko rakha jaata tha. main bahot gaali-galauj karta tha aur mera gussa jvalamukhi ki tarah tha, kabhi-bhi foot padta tha. main baat-baat par logon ko peetne lagta tha. apni kartooton par mujhe koi afsos nahin hota tha. sach kahoon to logon ki pitai karne mein mujhe bahot maza aata tha.

mujhe apni kothri mein lagbhag saara din band karke rakha jaata tha, isliye samay kaatne ke liye mainne bible padhna shuroo kar diya. kuch samay baad ek pehredar ne mujhe ek kitab di, jiska naam tha, aap prithvi par paradees mein sarvada jeevit reh sakte hain.  * jaise-jaise main yah kitab padhne laga, mujhe bachpan ki woh baatein yaad aane lagin, jo mainne sakshiyon se bible padhte vakt seekhi thi. ab mujhe ehsas hone laga ki apne khoonkhar swabhav ki vajah se main kitna gir chuka hoon. main apne parivar ke baare mein bhi sochne laga. meri do behenein yahova ki sakshi ban chuki thi, isliye main sochne laga, ‘woh to hamesha jeeyengi.’ fir mainne khud se poochha, ‘main kyon nahin ji sakta?’ tabhi mainne thaan liya ki main khud ko badloonga.

lekin main jaanta tha ki main apne dam par khud ko nahin badal sakta, isliye sabse pehle mainne parmeshvar yahova se gidgidakar prarthna kee ki woh meri madad kare. uske baad mainne amreeka mein yahova ke sakshiyon ke shaakha daftar ko khat likha, jismein mainne bible adhyan ki guzarish ki. shaakha daftar ne paas ki ek mandli ko mujhse sampark karne ke liye kaha. us vakt jail mein mere parivarvalon ko chhod koi aur mujhse nahin mil sakta tha. is vajah se us mandli ka ek sakshi khat likhkar mera hausla badhata tha aur bible par aadharit kitabein-patrikayen bhejta tha. unhein padhkar khud ko badalne ka mera irada aur mazboot ho gaya.

fir mainne ek bada kadam uthaya. mainne faisla kiya ki main apne giroh ko chhod doonga, jisse main kai saal se juda tha. us giroh ka sardar mere saath us jail ke khaas hisse mein tha. ek din main uske paas gaya aur mainne usse kaha ki main yahova ka sakshi banna chahta hoon. uski baat sunkar main hairan reh gaya. usne kaha, “agar tum sachmuch banna chahte ho, to bano. main tumhare aur ishvar ke beech nahin aaunga. lekin agar tum giroh se nikalne ka sirf bahana dhoondh rahe ho, to tum achhi tarah jaante ho ki iska anjam kya hoga.”

agle do saalon ke dauran jail ke karmchariyon ne mere swabhav mein huye badlav par dhyan diya. is vajah se woh mera lihaz karne lage. udahran ke liye, jab nahane ke liye mujhe kothri se baahar le jaaya jaata tha, to pehle pehredar mujhe hathkadiyaan lagakar le jaate the. magar ab unhonne hathkadiyaan lagana band kar diya. ek baar to ek pehredar ne aakar mujhe shaabashi bhi di aur kaha ki aise hi badlav karte raho. darasal jab meri saza ka aakhiri saal reh gaya tha, to adhikariyon ne mujhe kam surkshavale shivir mein rakha, jo mukhya jail ke paas tha. das saal ki saza kaatne ke baad 2004 mein mujhe riha kar diya gaya aur jail ki ek bus mein bithakar mexico bhej diya gaya.

mexico pahunchte hi mainne yahova ke sakshiyon ka raaj-ghar dhoondha. main pehli baar sabha mein gaya aur woh bhi jail ke kapdon mein, kyonki mere paas dhang ke kapde hi nahin the. sakshiyon ne mere kapdon aur shakl-soorat par dhyan dene ke bajay garmjoshi se mera swagat kiya. unka pyar dekhkar mujhe ehsas hua ki main sachche maseehiyon ke beech hoon. (yuhanna 13:35) us sabha mein mandli ke pracheenon ne intazam kiya ki mera bible adhyan karaya jaaye. fir ek saal baad 3 sitambar, 2005 mein mera baptisma ho gaya aur main yahova ka sakshi ban gaya.

janvari 2007 se main poore samay ki seva karne laga aur logon ko bible ke baare mein sikhane mein har maheene 70 ghante bitane laga. san 2011 mein main ‘avivahit bhaaiyon ke liye bible school’ mein gaya (ise ab ‘raaj pracharakon ke liye school’ kaha jaata hai). yahaan mainne bahot kuch seekha aur main mandli mein apni zimmedariyaan achhi tarah nibhane ke kaabil bana.

san 2013 mein pilar naam ki ek sakshi se meri shaadi hui. jab main apni pyari patni ko apne beete kal ke baare mein batata hoon, to kai baar woh mazak mein kehti hai ki use to meri baaton par yakeen hi nahin hota. main dobara us raah par kabhi nahin gaya, jis par pehle chalta tha. mujhe aur meri patni ko poora yakeen hai ki aaj main jaisa hoon, woh is baat ka saboot hai ki bible mein logon ki kaayaplat karne ki taakat hai.​—romiyon 12:2.

mujhe lagta hai ki luka 19:10 mein likhi yeeshu ki baat mujh par ekdam sahi baithti hai. usne kaha, “jo kho gaye hain, [main] unhein dhoondhne aur unka uddhaar karne aaya” hoon. ab mujhe nahin lagta ki main khoya hua hoon maano mere jeene ka koi maksad na ho. ab main kisi ko maarta-peetta bhi nahin hoon. sach mein, bible se mujhe bahot faayda hua. mujhe jeene ka sabse badhiya maksad mila, ab main logon se pyar aur shaanti se pesh aata hoon aur sabse badhkar apne srishtikarta yahova ke saath mera achha rishta hai.