bahut sare sailani philippines de paigsnjan sheher de nerre mashhoor jharne dekhan aaunde han. ithe mere pita ji nardo leeron di parvarish gareebi vich hoi si. sarkar, polis atey kamm di tha ’te bhrishtachar dekh ke ohna de mann vich kurrttan te gussa bhar gaya.

 mere pita ji ne atth bachya di parvarish karan layi bahut sakht mehnat keeti. paharra ’te jhone di dekh-bhaal karan layi oh aksar lambe same tak ghar to door rehnde san. mainu atey mere vadde bhra rodeeliyo nu apna khayal khud rakhna painda si atey aksar asi bhukhe hi rehnde si. bachpan vich sanu kade kite hi khedan da mauka milda si. satt saal di umar vich sanu sare bhena-bhrava nu kheta vich kamm karna pya atey sidhi dhalan vale paharra ’te nareeal de bhare bore lai ke charhna pya. je bora bahut bhaara hunda si, taa sanu is nu gharrees ke lejaana painda si.

 sanu apne pita hatho kutt khani paindi si. par apni mata ji nu kutt khande dekh ke sanu bahut dukh laggda si. asi apne pita ji nu rokan di koshish karde si, par asi lachar si. mai atey rodeeliyo ne chupp-chupeete scheme banayi si ki vadde ho ke asi apne pita da katal kar dena. mai dilo chahunda si ki sadda pita vi sanu pyaar kare.

 pita ji de maaran-kuttan karke mai 14 saal di umar vich gusse vich apna ghar chhadd ditta. kujh same tak mai sarrka ’te reha atey mai bhang peeni shuru kar ditti. aakharkar, mainu kishti chalaun da kamm mil gaya te mai ghumman aaye lokaa nu jharnya ’te lai ke janda si.

 kujh saala baad mai maneela di university vich dakhla lai lya. mai shani-aetvaar nu kamm karan layi paigsnjan janda si jis karke mere kol parhan layi ghatt hi sama hunda si. meri zindagi aukhi te maksad to bina si atey bhang peen ’te vi meri chinta hun khatam nahi hundi si. mai kokeen te hairoin varge nashe karan lagg pya. nashe aksar anaitik zindagi val lai jande han. mai aniya, gareebi te dukha naal ghirya hoya si. mainu laggda si ki meriya ihna mushkla layi sarkar zimmevar si jis karke mai sarkar naal nafrat karda si. mai rab nu puchhya, “zindagi ajehi kyo hai?” par mainu kise vi dharam to is savaal da javab nahi milya. mai apni nirasha nu chhupaun layi hor nashe karne lagg pya.

 1972 vich philippines vich vidyaarthiya ne sarkar khilaf morche kadde. mai vi ik morche vich hissa lya atey morche dauran kaafi hinsa hoi. bahut sare lokaa nu giraftar kar lya gaya atey kayi mahineya baad poore desh vich fauji raj laagu kar ditta.

 mai fir to sarrak ’te aa gaya. is same mainu sarkar da dar si kyoki mai bagavat vich hissa lya si. apni nashe di lat poori karan layi mai chori karan lagg pya atey paisya layi mai ameera te pardesiya naal sareerak sambandh banaunda si. mainu koi parvah nahi si ki chahe mai jeeva ja mara.

 is same dauran mere mummy ji atey mere chhote bhra ne yahovah de gavaha naal bible study karni shuru kar ditti. mere pita ji bahut gusse vich san atey ohna ne bible-aadhaarit prakashan saarr ditte. par mere mummy ji te bhra study karde rahe atey ohna ne gavaha vajo baptisma lai lya.

 ik din ik gavah ne mere pita ji naal bible vich dasse ik vaade bare gall keeti jado poori duniya vich sarya nu niya milega. (zaboor 72:12-14) eh gall mere pita ji nu inni vadiya laggi ki ohna ne khud is bare sikhan da faisla keeta. bible vicho ohna nu sirf ehi pata nahi lagga ki parmeshwar ne niya karan vali sarkar da vaada keeta hai, sago ohna nu eh vi pata lagga ki rab ik pati atey pita to kee mang karda hai. (afsiya 5:28; 6:4) kujh same baad pita ji atey mere hor bhen-bhra gavah bann gaye. ghar to door rehen karke mainu is bare kujh vi pata nahi si.

 1978 vich mai australia chala gaya. par is shant te ameer desh vich vi mere kol mann di shanti nahi si. mai lagatar sharaab peenda reha te nashe karda reha. 1979 vich yahovah de gavah mainu milan aaye. ohna ne mainu bible vicho vadiya dharti bare jo dassya mainu changa lagga, par mainu ohna bare shakk si.

 chheti baad mai kujh haftya layi philippines chala gaya. mere bhena-bhrava ne mainu dassya ki pita ji ne ik vadiya insaan bannan layi kinni mehnat keeti si. par mere dil vich ohna layi inni kurrttan bhari hoi si ki mai ohna to door rehen di poori koshish keeti.

 meri chhoti bhen ne bible vicho mainu dassya ki zindagi vich inne dukh kyo han atey aniya kyo hunda hai. mai hairan si ki ik naujavan kudi kol mere savaala de javab san. mere vapas jaan to pehla mere pita ji ne mainu tusi sadaa de layi dharti utte paradees vich jeeunde reh sakde ho naa di kitab ditti. * ohna ne keha: “nashe kar ke ja kise hor galat tareeke naal apne savaala de javab lain atey mann di shanti paaun di koshish na kar. eh kitab teri madad karegi.” pita ji ne mainu keha ki mai australia vich yahovah de gavaha naal gall karaa.

 mai apne pita ji di salah manni atey brisbane vich apne ghar de nerre yahovah de gavaha da kingdom haal labhya. mai bible study karan layi mann gaya. daniel 7 atey yasayah 9 vagaira vich dittiya bhavikhbaniya to mainu pata lagga ki bhavikh vich rab di sarkar sadde ’te raj karegi jo bhrisht nahi hovegi. mai sikhya ki asi sohni dharti ’te zindagi da anand manange. mai rab di meher pauni chahunda si, par mainu ehsas si ki mainu apnia bhavnava ’te kaabu paaun, nashe, sharaab atey anaitik zindagi chhaddan di lorr si. mai os kudi nu chhadd ditta jis naal mai rehnda si atey nashe karne chhadd ditte. jidda-jidda yahovah ’te mera bharosa vadhda gaya, udda-udda hor tabdeeliya karan vich mai os to madad mangda reha.

 hauli-hauli mainu ehsas hoya ki bible diya galla sikh ke ik insaan badal sakda hai. bible kehndi hai ki koshish karan naal asi “nave subhaa” de insaan bann sakde ha. (kulussiya 3:9, 10) jado mai idda karan di koshish keeti, taa mainu ehsas hoya ki mai apne pita ji de subhaa vich aayi tabdeeli bare jo sunya si, oh shayad sach hove. gusse te badle di bhavna rakhan di bajaye mai ohna naal shanti kaiyam karni chahunda si. akheer mai apne pita ji nu maaf kar ditta atey bachpan to mann vich pali nafrat nu khatam kar ditta.

 naujavan vajo, mai aksar doojya de maarre raaha ’te chalya. bible di chetavni mere bare sach saabat hoi yani buriya sangta ne mainu vigarr ditta. (1 kurinthiya 15:33) par mai yahovah de gavaha vich bharosemand dost banaye jinha ne meri hor vadiya insaan bannan vich madad keeti. nale ihna vicho hi mai loreta nu milya jis naal mai viah karaa lya. asi doojya nu sikhaunde ha ki bible ohna di kive madad kar sakdi hai.

 mai bible di sikhya da shukarguzar ha jis karke mere pita ji ik pyaar karan vale pati atey ik nimar te shant subhaa de masihi bann sake. mai kade sochya vi nahi si ki mere pita ji inne badal sakde san. 1987 vich mere baptisme vele pita ji ne pehli vaar mainu gale laya.

 35 to ziada saal mere pita ji mere mummy ji naal mil ke doojya nu bible to mildi umeed bare dassde rahe. oh mehnti te parvah karan vale viakti bann gaye jo doojya di madad karan layi jaane jande san. ohna saala dauran mai ohna da aadar karna te ohna nu pyaar karna sikhya. mainu ohna da puttar hon ’te maan hai! saal 2016 vich ohna di maut ho gayi, par mai ohna nu pyaar naal yaad karda ha kyoki mainu pata hai ki mai te ohna ne bible diya sikhyaava laagu kar ke apne vich vaddiya tabdeeliya keetiya han. mere mann vich ohna layi bilkul vi nafrat nahi hai. nale mainu bahut khushi hai ki mai apne swargi pita yahovah parmeshwar bare vi jaan sakya jo sare dukha nu khatam karan da vaada karda hai.