“je tu vakayi rab bare sikhna chahunda hai, taa yahovah de gavaha naal study karda reh.” eh gall sunn ke mai hairan reh gaya si. os same mainu yahovah de gavaha naal study kardya thoda hi sama hoya si. par meri hairani di vajha samjhan layi aao mai tuhanu apni zindagi bare thoda-bahuta dassa.

 mera janam ael sailvedar de kesaltepeke sheher vich hoya. asi 15 bhen-bhra si te mai chheve number ’te si. mere maapya ne saddi parvarish is tarha karan di koshish keeti taaki asi imandar baniye te kanoona di paalna kariye. nale kade-kadayi leonardo te hor yahovah de gavah aa ke sanu bible bare sikhaunde san. par mai sikhiya galla di koi kadar nahi keeti te ik to baad ik galat faisla keeta. 14 saala di umar vich mai apne school de dosta naal mil ke sharaab peeni te nashe karne shuru kar ditte. gang de member bannan layi sare ik-ik kar ke school chhadd gaye atey mai vi ohna vang hi keeta. asi sara din sarrka ’te ghummde si, apne nashe di lat poori karan layi asi dhakke naal lokaa to paise mangde si atey choriya karde si.

 mai gang nu apna parivar mannda si. mai mannda si ki mainu is prati vafadar rehna chaheeda. misal layi, ik din mere gang de member ne nashe di haalat vich mere guandi ’te hamla kar ditta. ladai dauran mere guandi ne mere dost nu daboch lya te police nu phone kar ditta. gusse vich aa ke mai dande naal guandi di kaar bhannan lagg pya taaki oh mere dost nu chhadd deve. mere guandi ne mere agge idda na karan diya minnta keetiya, par mai os di ik na suni te ik to baad ik sheesha torrda gaya atey os di sari kaar kharab kar ditti.

 18 saala di umar vich police te saddi gang vich jharrap ho gayi. mai bomb suttan hi vala si ki oh mere hath vich fat gaya. mainu nahi pata ki eh kive hoya. mainu sirf inna yaad hai ki mere hath de chithrre udd gaye te fir mai behosh ho gaya. mainu hospital vich ja ke hosh aayi te mainu pata lagga ki mera sajja hath nahi si atey mainu sajje kann to sunn-na atey sajji akkh to lagbhag dikhna band ho gaya.

 par eh sara kujh hon de bavjood vi, hospital vicho chhutti milan to baad mai sidha apne gang kol gaya. par is to jaldi baad hi police ne mainu giraftar kar lya atey jail bhej ditta. uthe gang membra naal mera rishta hor gooda hoya. asi savere bhang diya cigarette peende nashta karde si atey raat nu saun tak sara kujh ikatthe karde si.

 leonardo jail vich mainu milan aaya. os ne gall kardya meri sajji baah ’te bane tatoo val ishara keeta. os ne puchhya: “kee tainu pata ki tatoo vich baniya tinn bindiya da kee matlab hai?” mai keha: “bilkul pata. sex, drugs te rock and rol.” par leonardo ne keha: “mai kahanga ki ihna da matlab hai, hospital, jail atey maut. tu hospital vich si atey hun tu jail vich hai. tainu pata ki agge kee hona.”

 leonardo di gall sunn ke mai sunn hi reh gaya. oh sahi kehnda si. mai apne jeeun de tareeke raahi apni kabar khud putt reha si. leonardo ne mainu bible study di peshkash keeti te mai mann gaya. bible vicho sikhiya galla karke mai apni zindagi vich tabdeeliya karan layi prerit hoya. misal layi, bible kehndi hai ki “buriya sangta changiya aadata vigarr dindiya han.” (1 kurinthiya 15:33) so pehli cheez jo mainu karni paini si oh si, nave dost banaune. is karke mai gang diya meetinga vich jaan di bajaye jail vich hundiya yahovah de gavaha diya sabhava vich jaan lagg pya. uthe mai aandrez nu milya jo mere naal jail vich si atey os ne jail vich yahovah de gavah vajo baptisma lya si. os ne mainu apne naal nashta karan layi keha. is to baad, mai bhang diya sigrta naal apne din di shuruaat nahi karda si. is di bajaye, mai te aandrez har saver bible di kise aayat ’te charcha karde si.

 gang membra nu ikdam pata lagg gaya ki mai badal reha si. is karke gang de ik leader ne mainu gall karan layi bulaya. mai darya hoya si. mainu pata nahi si ki mere iradya nu jaan ke oh mere naal kee karega kyoki gang nu chhaddna namumkin hunda hai. os ne keha: “asi dekhya hai ki tu hun gang diya meetinga vich aaun di bajaye yahovah de gavaha diya sabhava vich janda hai. tu karna kee chahunda?” mai os nu keha ki mai lagatar bible di study karni te apni zindagi badlani chahunda ha. mai hairan reh gaya jado os ne mainu keha ki gang meri odo tak izzat karega jad tak mai eh saabat karda rahanga ki mai vakayi yahovah da gavah ban-na chahunda ha. fir os ne keha: “je tu vakayi rab bare jaan-na chahunda hai, taa yahovah de gavaha naal study karda reh. sanu umeed hai ki tu bure kamm karne chhadd devenga. mai tainu vadhayi dinda ha ki tu sahi raah chunya. gavah teri vakayi madad kar sakde han. mai amreeka vich gavaha naal parhda hunda si atey mere parivar de kujh member vi gavah han. dar na. study karda reh.” mainu aje vi dar lagg reha si, par mai bahut khush si. mai mann vich yahovah parmeshwar da dhanvad keeta. mai os panchhi vang mehsoos keeta jis nu pinjre vicho azaad kar ditta gaya hove. mai yisu de ihna shabda nu samjhya: “tusi sachayi nu janoge atey sachayi tuhanu azaad karegi.”​—yuhanna 8:32.

 par mere kujh purane dosta ne nashe de ke mainu parkhya. mai eh gall mannda ha ki kayi vaar mai nasha kar lainda si. par same de beetan atey bahut sariya prarthnava karan to baad mai apnia bhairriya aadata to chhutkara pa sakya.​—zaboora di pothi 51:10, 11.

 bahut sare lok sochde san ki jail vicho reha hon to baad mai pehla vang zindagi jeeun lagg pavanga, par mai idda nahi keeta. is di bajaye, mai aksar jail ja ke hor kaidiya nu bible vicho sikhiya galla dassda hunda si. akheer mere purane dosta nu yakeen ho gaya ki mai badal gaya si. par afsos di gall hai ki mere purane dushman idda nahi sochde san.

 ik din jado mai te ik bhra prachar ’te si, taa sabka virodhi gang de hathyaarband membra ne aa ke sanu ghera pa lya. oh mainu maarna chahunde san. bhra ne pyaar, par daleri naal ohna nu samjhaya ki mai hun gang da member nahi si. is same dauran mai shant reha. ohna ne mainu kuttya atey os ilake vich dobara na aaun layi keha. is to baad ohna ne apne hathyaar thalle kar laye atey sanu jaan ditta. bible ne sach-much meri zindagi badal ditti si. pehla mai badla lain di koshish karda si. par hun mai 1 thassluneekiya 5:15 di salah mannda ha: “dhyaan rakho ki koi kise naal burayi de vatte burayi na kare, sago ik-dooje layi atey sarya layi hamesha ohi karde raho jo changa hai.”

 yahovah da gavah bannan to baad mai imandar bannan di koshish keeti. idda karna saukha nahi si. par yahovah parmeshwar di madad, bible di salah atey nave dosta di madad naal mai idda karan vich safal hoya ha. mai kade vi apni purani zindagi val nahi murrna chahunda.​—2 patras 2:22.

 mai gussekhor te hinsak si. mainu yakeen hai ki je mai ladai-jhagrre karda rehnda, taa mai ajj jeeunda nahi hona si. bible diya galla ne mainu poori tarha badal ditta. mai apnia buriya aadata chhadd dittiya. mai apne purane dushmana naal shanti naal rehna sikhya. (luka 6:27) nale hun mere kol vadiya dost han jo change gunn vadhaun vich meri madad karde han. (kahauta 13:20) mai os rab di seva kar ke khushhaal te maksad bhari zindagi jeeunda ha jis ne meriya sariya galtiya maaf kar dittiya han.​—yasayah 1:18.

 2006 vich mai kuaare bhrava layi chalaye jande school vich haazar hoya. kujh same baad mai viah karaa lya. saddi ik pyaari jehi kudi hai. hun mai doojya nu bible de oh asool sikhaun vich apna sama laaunda hai jinha asoola ne meri madad keeti si. mai mandli vich bazurg vajo vi seva karda ha atey mai naujavana di ohna galtiya to bachan vich madad karda ha jo mai ohna di umar vich keetiya san. hun mai apni kabar puttan di bajaye apna bhavikh banaa reha ha jis da vaada rab ne bible vich keeta hai.