mera parivar tonga desh ka rehnevala hai. yah desh dakshin-pashchimi prashaant mahasagar mein hai aur kareeb 170 dveepon se bana hai. hamare parivar ke paas koi khaas sukh-suvidhayen nahin thi. ghar mein na bijli thi aur na hi hamare paas gaadi thi. lekin paani ki suvidha thi aur hamne kuch murgiyaan paal rakhi thi. hamara ek baag tha jahaan pitaji kele, rataloo, arbi aur kasava ugate the. school ki chhuttiyon mein main aur mere do bhaai is kaam mein pitaji ka haath batate the. isse ghar chalane mein thodi madad mil jaati thi, kyonki pitaji chhote-mote kaam karte the jisse koi khaas aamdani nahin hoti thi. hamara parivar bhi dveep ke zyadatar logon ki tarah bible ka bahot maan karta tha. hum barabar church bhi jaaya karte the. lekin hamara maanna tha ki ghar ki haalat sudharne ka bas ek hi tareeka hai, kisi ameer desh mein jaa basna.

jab main 16 saal ka tha tab hamare maama ki madad se hum amreeka ke california raajya mein jaa base. vahaan ki sanskriti bilkul alag thi, isliye uske anusar dhalna hamein bahot mushkil laga. ghar ki haalat to thodi sudhar gayi, lekin hamein kuch mushkilein bhi jhelni padin. hum jahaan rehte the, vahaan bahot gareebee thi. aaye din jhagde hote the aur drugs lena bahot aam tha. raat mein aksar goli chalne ki aavazen sunayi deti thi. gunde-badmashon ki toliyon ki vajah se hamare yahaan log dar-darkar jeete the. kai log to apne saath bandook rakhte the taaki apni hifazat kar sakein ya kisi se jhagda hone par use nipta sakein. ek baar mujhe bhi jhagde mein goli lag gayi jo abhi bhi meri chhaati par hai.

jab main high-school mein padhta tha, to vahaan ke javanon se dosti karna chahta tha. dheere-dheere main unki partiyon mein bahot zyada jaane laga, khoob sharab peene laga, gundagardi karne laga aur gair-kaanooni drugs lene laga. kuch samay baad mujhe cocaine ki lat lag gayi. drugs khareedne ke liye mere paas paise nahin the, isliye main chori karne laga. hamara parivar barabar church jaaya karta tha, magar mujhe vahaan se kabhi achhi salah nahin mili. isliye main doston ke dabav ko thukra nahin paaya. kai baar to gundagardi karne ki vajah se mujhe giraftar kar liya gaya. meri zindagi bad-se-badtar hone lagi. fir ek din mujhe jail ho gayi.

san 1997 ki baat hai. jail mein christmas ke din main apne haath mein bible liye huye tha, kyonki tonga ke log us din ko pavitra maante hain. jab ek kaidi ne mere haath mein bible dekhi, to usne mujhse poochha ki kya main jaanta hoon ki bible mein yeeshu ke janm ke baare mein kya likha hai. mujhe is baare mein kuch pata nahin tha. fir us aadmi ne mujhe bible mein dikhaya ki usmein yeeshu ke janm ke baare mein kya likha hai. tab mujhe pata chala ki christmas mein jo reeti-rivaz maane jaate hain, unka bible mein kahin zikra tak nahin hai. (matti 2:1-12; luka 2:5-14) main bilkul chaunk gaya aur jaanna chahta tha ki bible mein aur kya-kya bataya gaya hai. jail mein har hafte yahova ke sakshiyon ki sabhayen hoti thi aur woh kaidi un sabhaon mein jaata tha. mainne faisla kiya ki main bhi vahaan jaaunga. jab main vahaan gaya, to mainne dekha ki vahaan bible ki prakashitvakya kitab se kuch samjhaya jaa raha tha. mujhe kuch bhi palle nahin pad raha tha, magar ek baat main saaf dekh sakta tha ki woh jo bhi bata rahe the, woh bible se tha.

sakshiyon ne mujhse poochha ki kya main unse bible seekhna chahoonga. mainne khushi-khushi haan keh diya. bible ka adhyan karne par mujhe pata chala ki yahova parmeshvar bhavishya mein poori dharti ko ek sundar baag bana dega. (yashayah 35:5-8) mainne yah bhi jaana ki mujhe zindagi mein kaafi badlav karne honge, tabhi parmeshvar mujhse khush hoga. agar mainne buri aadatein nahin chhodin, to yahova mujhe nayi duniya mein jeene ka mauka nahin dega. (1 kurinthiyon 6:9, 10) isliye mainne thaan liya ki main apne gusse par kaaboo karoonga, cigarette peena chhod doonga aur fir kabhi sharab mein dhutt nahin hounga aur na hi drugs loonga.

meri jail ki saza khatm hone se pehle 1999 mein mujhe adhikariyon ne ek aur jail mein bhej diya. vahaan sakshiyon se mera koi sampark nahin ho paaya aur is tarah ek saal se zyada samay beet gaya. magar mainne thaan liya tha ki main apne taur-tareeke badalna nahin chhodoonga. fir saal 2000 mein amreeka ki sarkar ne faisla kiya ki mujhe amreeka mein rehne ki ijazat nahin milegi. isliye mujhe tonga bhej diya gaya.

tonga lautne ke baad mainne turant sakshiyon ko dhoondhna shuroo kar diya taaki main dobara unse bible seekh sakoon. main jo seekh raha tha, woh mujhe bahot achha laga. mujhe yah baat bhi achhi lagi ki tonga ke sakshi bhi jo sikhate the woh sab bible se tha, theek jaise amreeka ke sakshi sikhate the.

tonga mein hum jahaan rehte the, vahaan mere pitaji ko bahot log jaante the, kyonki vahaan ke church mein unka bada ohda tha. isliye jab main yahova ke sakshiyon ke saath milne-julne laga, to mere parivarvalon ko yah bilkul pasand nahin aaya. unhein samajh mein nahin aa raha tha ki main aisa kaise kar sakta hoon. lekin baad mein mere maata-pita ko yah dekhkar khushi hui ki main bible ke siddhaanton ko maan raha hoon aur mainne buri aadatein chhod di hain.

ek buri aadat ko chhodna mujhe bahot mushkil laga tha. tonga lautne ke baad mujhe kaava naam ki sharab peene ki lat lag gayi thi. yah sharab kaali mirch ke paudhon ki jadon se banayi jaati hai aur ise peene par bahot nasha ho jaata hai. hamare yahaan zyadatar aadmi kaava peekar dhutt ho jaate hain. main har raat kaava peenevalon ki toli mein mil jaata aur pi-peekar behosh ho jaata tha. is lat mein padne ki ek vajah yah thi ki main bure logon se dosti karne laga tha jo bible ke niyamon ko bilkul nahin maante the. lekin kuch samay baad sakshiyon ne mujhe ehsas dilaya ki parmeshvar meri buri aadaton se nafrat karta hai. isliye mainne yah lat chhod the taaki parmeshvar mujhe aasheesh de.

main yahova ke sakshiyon ki saari sabhaon mein jaane laga. unse mel-jol karne se mujhe buri aadaton se chhutkara paane mein madad mili, kyonki woh parmeshvar ki marzee ke mutabik jeene ki koshish karte hain. fir saal 2002 mein main baptisma paakar yahova ka ek sakshi ban gaya.

parmeshvar mere saath sabra se pesh aaya hai, isliye mujhe bahot faayda hua. bible kehti hai, ‘yahova tumhare saath sabra se pesh aa raha hai, kyonki woh nahin chahta ki koi bhi naash ho balki yah ki sabko pashchatap karne ka mauka mile.’ (2 patras 3:9) parmeshvar chahta to kaafi samay pehle hi is buri duniya ko mita sakta tha. magar usne ab tak ise rehne diya hai taaki mere jaise log uske dost ban paayen. main bahot khush hoon ki mujhe bhi doosron ko yahova ke baare mein batane ka mauka mila hai taaki woh bhi uske dost ban paayen.

yahova ki madad se main apni zindagi poori tarah badal paaya. main ab pehle ki tarah jaanleva aadaton ka gulam nahin hoon aur na hi drugs ke liye chori karta hoon. iske bajay, main doosron ko sikhata hoon ki woh yahova ke dost kaise ban sakte hain. yahova ke sakshiyon ke saath sangati karne ki vajah se mujhe ek achha jeevan-saathi mila hai aur hamara ek beta bhi hai. hamara parivar bahot khush rehta hai. main apni patni tea aur bete ke saath milkar doosron ko bible se sikhata hoon ki hamein bhavishya mein ek khoobsoorat nayi duniya mein hamesha tak jeene ka mauka milega.