“If you really want learn about God, no stop to study Bible with Jehovah Witness people.” I surprise to hear this one. That time, e never tey wey I start to study Bible with Jehovah Witness people. But make I explain small thing about my life so that you go fit know why I surprise.

 Them born me for one town wey them de call Quezaltepeque for El Salvador. Na 15 children my papa and mama born, and na me be number 6. My papa and mama try to train me to be better pikin wey de talk true and de obey law. Apart from that one, one man wey e name na Leonardo and two other women wey be Jehovah Witness de come teach us Bible for our house sometimes. But I no value the things wey them de teach me and because of this one, I begin make different-different bad decision. So when I reach 14 years, I start to drink alcohol and take drugs with my friends for school. And one by one, them comot for school to go join gang, na so me too follow their bad example. Na for street we de always dey and we de use force collect money from people, and even thief people things to support ourself for the bad life wey we de live.

 The gang come be my family. So I believe say na them I must support everytime. For example, one day, one of my gang member don take drug sotey e no fit control imself, so e begin attack one of my neighbors. So as them de fight, my neighbor manage to hold my friend down and call police. This one make me vex sotey I begin use big stick hit my neighbor car so that e go leave my friend make e go. My neighbor beg me make I stop but I no gree, I continue to de break the windows one by one until I scatter the motor finish.

 When I dey 18 years, my gang fight with police. As I want throw one local bomb wey I hold for hand, e burst for my hand. I no know how e happen. The only thing wey I remember be say my hand scatter, and I faint. When I wake up for hospital, I see say them don cut my right hand comot, I no de hear with my right ear again, and I don nearly blind for my right eye.

 Even with all the wound wey I get, after them discharge me from hospital, I still go back to my gang. But small time after, police arrest me, and them put me for prison. For there, my friendship with my gang come strong more-more. We de always dey together from morning till night​​—from when we chop morning food and smoke marijuana, until we go sleep for night.

 When I dey for prison, Leonardo visit me. As we de talk, e point the tattoo wey dey for my right hand and ask me say: “you know wetin this three tattoo mean?” I say “Yes, I know, na sex, drugs, and rock and roll music.” But Leonardo say, “For me, I go say them mean hospital, prison, and death. You don go hospital, and now you dey for prison. You know the next thing wey go happen.”

 Wetin Leonardo talk really touch me. Na true e talk. I de dig my own grave with the way I de live my life. Leonardo invite me make I study Bible with-am, and I agree. The things wey I learn from Bible move me to change my life. For example, Bible talk say: “Bad friends de spoil better character.” (1 Corinthians 15:​33, footnote) So, one of the first things wey I do na to make new friends. This one make me stop to go the gang meeting. Instead, I start to go meetings wey Jehovah Witness people de do for the prison. For the meeting, I meet one prisoner wey e name na Andrés wey don baptize as Jehovah Witness inside the prison. E invite me to come chop morning food with-am. After that time, I no come de start my day with marijuana again. But, me and Andrés de discuss one Bible verse every morning.

 The gang members notice-am quick-quick say I don de change. So because of this one, one of the gang leaders talk say e want talk with me. Fear catch me. I no know wetin e go do me when I tell-am wetin I plan to do because, e really de hard for person to comot from gang. So e tell me say: “We don see say you no de come our gang meeting again, instead you de attend Jehovah Witness meeting. So, wetin be your plan?” I tell-am say I want continue to study Bible and change my life. I really surprise when e talk say the gang no go disturb me only if I mean-am say I really want be Jehovah Witness. Then e talk say: “If you really want learn about God, no stop to study Bible with Jehovah Witness people. We expect say you go stop to do bad things. I happy for you. Na the correct road you dey. Jehovah Witness people go fit help you. I don study with them before when I dey United States, and some of my family members na Jehovah Witness. Make you no fear. No stop to go their meeting.” Fear still de catch me, but for the same time, I really happy. I thank Jehovah God for my heart. I feel like bird wey them just release from cage. Na that time I understand wetin Jesus talk when e say: “una go know the truth, and the truth go free una.”​​—John 8:​32.

 Some of my former friends test me with drugs whether I go still take-am. The truth be say, sometimes I take-am. But as time de go, I finally stop all the bad-bad things wey I de do before.​​—Psalm 51:​10, 11.

 After them release me from prison, many people think say I go go back to the way I de live my life before, but I no go back. But, many times I de go the prison to tell other prisoners the things wey I don learn from Bible. So at last, my former friends come believe say I don change. But the gang members wey be enemies to my former gang no believe say I don change.

 One day, wey I dey for preaching, the gang members wey be enemies to my former gang carry weapons come surround me and my partner and them want kill me. My partner no fear and talk to them with respect say I no be gang member again. I just dey quiet and calm as all this things de happen. After them don beat me finish and warn me make I no ever come that area again, them drop their weapon and allow us to go. Bible don really change my life. If na before, I for don try to fight back. But now, I de do wetin Bible talk for 1 Thessalonians 5:​15: “Make una make sure say nobody pay bad with bad to anybody. But, make una always de try to do good to one another and to everybody. But make wuna de always do wetin good for each other and for other people.”

 Ever since I become Jehovah Witness, I don try to be person wey them fit trust. This one no really easy. But with help from Jehovah, advise from Bible, and support from my brothers and sister wey be my new friends, I don really succeed. I no ever want go back to the way I live my life before.​​—2 Peter 2:​22.

 Before, I get hot temper and de quick vex. I dey sure say I for don die if to say I continue for that bad way. The things wey I learn from Bible don really change my life. I stop to live bad life and all the bad things wey I de do. I don learn to make peace with my former enemies. (Luke 6:​27) And now, the kind friends wey I get na the ones wey de help me get better character. (Proverbs 13:20) I de live happy life wey get meaning and I de serve God wey always dey ready to forgive all the bad things wey I don do.​​—Isaiah 1:​18.

 For 2006, I attend one special school wey de train Christians wey never marry. Then after some years, I marry my dear wife, and two of us de train our daughter together. Now I de use plenty of my time de teach people different-different advice for Bible wey help me. I be elder for my congregation, and I de try to help young people so that them no go do the same mistake wey I do when I dey their age. Instead make I de dig my own grave, now I de work hard to get the better future wey no go end wey God promise for Bible.