mera parivar toga to hai jis vich lagbhag 170 tapu han. eh desh dakhni-pachhmi shant mahasagar ’te sthit hai. toga vich saddi zindagi bahut sadi si. sadde na taa bijli si te na hi sadde kol aaun-jaan da koi sadhan si. par sadde ghar paani aaunda si atey sadde kol kujh murgiya san. school diya chhuttiya dauran mai te mere do bhra apne kheta vich apne pita di madad karde si jithe asi kele, arbi, kachalu atey kasava ugaunde si. ihna fasla to mere pita di aamdni vich thodi-bahuta vaadha hunda si jo oh alag-alag kamm kar ke kamaunde san. tapu ’te rehen vale bahut sare lokaa vang sadda parivar vi bible da gehra aadar karda si atey asi bakaida church jande si. par fir vi asi mannde si ki changi zindagi paaun da sirf ikko-ik raah hai, kise ameer desh vich ja ke vassna.

 jado mai 16 saala da si, taa mere uncle ji ne sadde parivar nu california, amreeka vich bula lya. uthe de sabhyachar mutabak dhalna kinna hi aukha si! bhave ki saddi aarthik haalat vich sudhar hoya, par asi gareeb ilake vich rehnde si jithe apradh te nashya da bolbala si. asi aksar raat nu goliya chalan di avaaz sunde si atey sadde ziadatar guandi aparadhak gainga to darde san. bahut sare lok apni surakhya ja ladai-jhagrre niptaun layi apne naal hathyaar rakhde san. meri chhaati vich aje vi ik bandook di goli hai jo is tarha de kise ladai-jhagrre dauran chali si.

 hayi school vich mai doosre naujavana da dost ban-na chahunda si. mai hauli-hauli partiya vich rangralia manaun lagg pya, haddo vadh sharaab peen lagg pya, hinsak ho gaya atey nashe karan lagg pya. same de beetan naal, mai kokeen da aadi ho gaya. nashe khareedan layi mai chori karan lagg pya. bhave ki mere parivar de member church jande san, par fir vi mainu kade vi idda di salah nahi mili jo haniya de dabaa da samna karan vich meri madad kardi. kayi vaar mainu mere ladai-jhagrrya kar ke giraftar keeta gaya. meri zindagi mere vasso bahar si! akheer mainu jail ho gayi.

 1997 vich ik din jail vich hundya mai dekhya ki ik kaidi ne bible farri hoi si. os din christmas si te toga de ziadatar lok os din nu bahut pavittar mannde han. os ne mainu puchhya ki mai jaanda ha ki bible masih de janam bare kee kehndi hai. par mainu is bare kujh vi pata nahi si. os ne mainu bible vicho yisu de janam da saukha jeha birtant dikhaya. mai jaanya ki christmas ’te keete jande bahut sare reeti-rivaja da bible vich zikar tak vi nahi hai. (matti 2:1-12; luka 2:5-14) eh jaan ke meriya akkha khulliya hi reh gaiya te mai sochya ki bible hor kee kehndi hai. oh aadmi har hafte jail vich hundiya yahovah de gavaha diya sabhava vich haazar hunda si atey mai vi os naal jaan da faisla keeta. oh bible di prakash di kitab ’te charcha kar rahe san. bhave ki uthe dassiya galla mainu thodiya-bahutiya hi samajh laggiya, par mainu ehsas hoya ki oh sara kujh bible to hi sikha rahe san.

 jado gavaha ne mainu bible study karan layi puchhya, taa mai mann gaya. mai pehli vaar jaanya ki bible vich dharti nu sohna banaun da vaada keeta gaya hai. (yasayah 35:5-8) mainu saaf-saaf samajh lagg gayi ki parmeshwar nu khush karan layi mainu apni zindagi vich vaddiya-vaddiya tabdeeliya karan di lorr si. mainu ehsas hoya ki yahovah parmeshwar os sohni dharti ’te meri kise vi burayi nu bardasht nahi karega. (1 kurinthiya 6:9, 10) is layi mai apne gusse ’te kaabu paaun da, cigarette chhaddan da, haddo vadh sharaab na peen da atey nashe chhaddan da pakka irada keeta.

 jail di saza poori hon to pehla adhikariya ne mainu 1999 vich imigration camp bhej ditta. ik to ziada saal tak mera gavaha naal koi sampark nahi reha. par mai lagatar tabdeeliya karan da irada keeta hoya si. saal 2000 vich sarkar ne amreeka vich rehen da mera veeja radd kar ditta atey mainu toga vapas bhej ditta.

 toga pahunch ke mai jaldi hi yahovah de gavaha nu labhya atey dobara bible study karni shuru keeti. mai jo vi sikh reha si, oh mainu bahut pasand si. mai odo bahut prabhavit hoya jado mai dekhya ki amreeka vich rehnde gavaha vang tapu de gavaha diya sariya sikhyaava bible ’te aadhaarit san.

 church vich ik vadiya auhde ’te hon karke mere pita ji samaaj vich manne-pramanne viakti san. so pehla-pehel taa mera parivar pareshan ho gaya atey gusse ho gaya ki mai yahovah de gavaha naal milda-gilda si. par baad vich mere maape khush san ki bible de asool meri zindagi nu behtar banaun vich madad kar rahe san.

 sabh to mushkal tabdeeliya vicho ik tabdeeli si, oh cheez peeni chhaddni jo sadde sabhyachar vich aam si. bahut sare toga de aadmi har hafte kahva peen vich bahut sama bitaunde san. kahva ik tarha da nasha hunda hai jo kali mirch de paude diya jarrha to banaya janda hai. apne desh vapas aa ke mai har raat aadmiya naal ja ke odo tak kahva peenda si jad tak mai behosh nahi ho janda si. eh sabh meri sangti da natija si kyoki mere dost bible de myaara di ghatt-vadh hi parvah karde san. akheer meri eh dekhan vich madad keeti gayi ki meriya aadata karke parmeshwar mere to khush nahi si. mai apne vich tabdeeliya keetiya taaki mai yahovah to barkata atey os di meher pa saka.

 mai yahovah de gavaha diya sariya sabhava vich haazar hon lagga. parmeshwar nu khush karan vale lokaa naal sangti kar ke partavya da samna karan vich meri madad hoi. mai 2002 vich yahovah de gavah vajo baptisma lai lya.

 mainu parmeshwar de dheeraj to faida hoya jis bare bible dassdi hai: “yahovah . . . tuhade naal dheeraj rakh reha hai kyoki oh nahi chahunda ki kise da naash hove, sago chahunda hai ki sarya nu toba karan da mauka mile.” (2 patras 3:9) bina shakk, oh is bhrisht duniya nu kite pehla naash kar sakda si, par os ne is duniya nu mere varge lokaa karke naash nahi keeta taaki oh parmeshwar naal dosti kar sakan. mainu eh soch ke vadiya laggda hai ki shayad oh mainu vi doojya di madad karan layi varte.

 yahovah di madad naal mai apni zindagi nu vass vich keeta hai. hun mai ohna aadata nu pooriya karan layi chori nahi karda jinha nu mai chhadd chukka ha. is di bajaye, mai apne guandiya di yahovah de dost bannan vich madad karda hai. yahovah de gavaha vich mai apni patni teea nu milya. asi dove jane mil ke doojya nu bible to umeed dinde ha ki bhavikh vich insaan hamesha layi sohni dharti ’te shantmayi mahaul vich rehnge.