Famili blo mi from Tonga, wanfala kantri wea garem samting olsem 170 island, and hem stap lo south west Pacific. Lo Tonga mifala garem simpol laef nomoa, no eni paoa and mifala no garem trak tu. Bat haos blo mifala garem wata, and mifala feedim tu-thri kokorako. Taem mifala skul holiday, mi and tufala brata blo mi savve helpem dadi blo mifala for lukaftarem olketa garden blo mifala, mifala plantim olketa banana, yam, taro, and kasava. For kasem selen for famili, mifala salem olketa kaikai wea mifala plantim and mifala duim samfala sismol waka. Olsem staka pipol lo olketa Pacific island, famili blo mi barava tinghae lo Bible and mifala savve go lo church evritaem. Nomata olsem mifala tingse for kasem gudfala laef, mifala mas muv lo nara kantri wea garem staka selen.

 Taem mi 16 years old, uncle blo mi muvim famili blo mifala go lo California, U.S.A. Mifala faendem hem hard for change fitim culture lo there! Nomata mifala garem staka selen winim bifor, mifala stap lo wanfala area wea poor and pipol raf tumas and iusim olketa drug. Samfala naet mifala savve herem olketa sutsut lo gun, and staka lo olketa neiba blo mifala savve fraetem tumas olketa criminal gang. For protectim olketa seleva and for stretem olketa problem, staka pipol savve karem gun witim olketa. Mi still garem yet wanfala bullet lo chest blo mi bikos lo wanfala raoa.

 Taem mi lo hae skul, mi laek for semsem witim olketa nara young wan. Gogo mi joinim olketa wild party, drinkim tumas alcohol, raf tumas, and mi iusim olketa drug. Mi kamap addict lo cocaine. For baem olketa drug, mi start for steal. Nomata famili blo mi savve go lo church olowe, mi no kasem eni advaes wea helpem mi for stap klia lo wei for join witim olketa narawan for duim olketa nogud samting. Staka taem olketa arrestim mi bikos mi insaed olketa faet. Mi no savve kontrolem laef blo mi! Gogo, mi end ap lo prison.

 Wanday, lo 1997 taem mi stap lo prison, nara prisoner lukim mi holem wanfala Bible. Hem Christmas taem, and for staka pipol lo Tonga, Christmas hem barava holy. Hem askem mi sapos mi savve wanem nao Bible talem abaotem taem wea Christ hem born, bat mi no garem eni idea lo datwan. Hem showim lo mi story lo Bible abaotem taem wea Jesus born, and mi lukim dat staka kastom wea join witim Christmas hem no stap lo Bible. (Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:5-14) Mi barava sapraes tumas, and mi laek for savve wanem moa olketa nara samting wea Bible storyim. Datfala man hem bin attendim olketa meeting blo olketa Jehovah’s Witness wea kamap lo prison evri week, so mi disaed for go witim hem. Lo datfala meeting, olketa storyim Bible buk blo Revelation. Nomata mi no barava minim gud wanem olketa storyim, mi luksavve evri samting wea olketa teachim hem kam from Bible.

 Taem olketa Witness ask for studyim Bible witim mi, mi hapi for acceptim. Hem firstaem for mi lanem olketa promis lo Bible abaotem paradaes earth wea bae kamap lo future. (Aesaea 35:5-8) Gogo, mi luksavve for mekem God hapi, mi need for mekem olketa bigfala change. Mi luksavve hao Jehovah God bae no letem mi for stap lo niu world sapos mi still keepim olketa nogud wei blo mi. (1 Corinth 6:9, 10) Mi disaed strong for kontrolem wei blo mi for kros kwiktaem, mi disaed for lusim smoke and no iusim moa olketa drug and for no drunk.

 Lo 1999, bifor mi finisim prison sentence blo mi, olketa muvim mi go lo wanfala prison wea olketa keepim pipol wea kam from nara kantri. For winim wan year, mi no savve contactim olketa Witness. Bat mi disaed for mas changem wei blo mi. Lo 2000, gavman cancelim permit blo mi for stap lo United States, and olketa sendem mi go bak lo Tonga.

 Taem mi kasem bak Tonga, Mi traem best for faendem olketa Jehovah’s Witness and mi gohed moa lo Bible study blo mi. Mi laekem tumas olketa samting wea mi lanem, and mi sapraes tumas lo olketa Witness lo island blo mi, bikos mi lukim wei wea olketa iusim Bible for sapotim wanem olketa teachim hem semsem tu witim olketa Witness lo United States.

 Pipol lo community savve lo dadi blo mi bikos hem garem big waka lo church blo hem. Lo firstaem, famili blo mi no minim and kros lo wei wea mi associate witim olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Bat, gogo parents blo mi hapi bikos olketa Bible principle helpem mi for lusim olketa nogud wei blo mi and garem gudfala laef.

 Wanfala lo olketa samting wea hem barava no isi for changem hem nao wei blo mi for drinkim kava wea staka lo hom blo mi savve ova tumas for drinkim. Staka man lo Tonga savve spendem staka hour evri week for drinkim kava, wea hem wanfala kaen drink for mekem man relax wea olketa mekem from rut blo pepper plant. Taem mi kam bak lo hom, mi start for gogo lo wanfala kava bar klosap evri naet and drinkim kava go kasem taem mi no savve lo eniting nao. Part lo datfala problem hem bikos mi associate witim pipol wea no respectim standard blo Bible. Gogo, mi kasem help for luksavve olketa wei blo mi hem no mekem Jehovah hapi. So mi changem wei blo mi mekem Jehovah savve blessim mi and hapi lo mi.

 Mi start for attendim evri meeting blo olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Wei for associate witim olketa narawan wea traem best for mekem God hapi hem helpem mi for againstim olketa temptation. Lo 2002, mi baptaes and kamap wanfala Jehovah’s Witness.

 Mi kasem gud samting from wei wea God hem patient, olsem wanem Bible talem: “Jehovah . . . hem patient witim iufala. Diswan hem bikos hem no laekem eniwan for dae bat hem laekem evriwan for garem chance for repent.” (2 Peter 3:9) Hem fit for finisim disfala nogud world lo bifor kam yet, bat hem no duim datwan bikos hem givim chance for pipol olsem mi for kamap fren blo hem. Mi laekem Jehovah for iusim mi for helpem olketa narawan for olsem tu.

 Witim help blo Jehovah, mi fit for kontrolem laef blo mi moa. Mi no savve steal nao from olketa narawan for baem olketa drug wea mi addict lo hem. Bat, mi trae for helpem olketa neiba blo mi for kamap fren blo Jehovah tu. Thru lo wei wea mi associate witim olketa Jehovah’s Witness, mi meetim waef blo mi, Tea. Mitufala garem wanfala son and famili blo mifala hapi tumas. Mifala savve waka tugeta for teachim olketa narawan wanem Bible talem abaotem hope for laef olowe lo future lo wanfala paradaes wea garem peace.