A gro ɔp na Lɔs Anjɛlis, Kalifonia, insay Amɛrika. Wi bin liv na difrɛn eria dɛn we pipul dɛn bin sabi fɔ bad gɛŋ ɛn drɔgs. Mi mama ɛn papa dɛn bɔn siks pikin dɛn, ɛn na mi na di sɛkɔn wan.

Mi mama bin de mek wi go na wan ivanjɛlikal chɔch. Bɔt we a bin ol lɛk 13 to 19 ia, a bin de liv dɔbul layf. Sɔnde a bin de siŋ na di chɔch kwaya. Insay di wik, a kin de go pati, tek drɔgs, ɛn du mami ɛn dadi biznɛs di we aw Gɔd nɔ want.

A bin de vɛks kwik. A kin yuz ɛnitin as wɛpɔn fɔ win fɛt. Wetin a bin de lan na chɔch nɔ bin de ɛp mi. A kin se: “Na di Lɔd fɔ tɔn-am-gi, ɛn na mi i de yuz fɔ du dat!” We a bin de sɛkɔndri skul insay dɛn 1960, wan grup we nem di Black Panthers bin de afɛkt di we aw a bin de tink ɛn du tin. Di Black Panthers na wan pɔlitikal grup we pipul dɛn bin sabi se de fɛt fɔ ɔda pipul dɛn rayt. A bin jɔyn wan studɛnt yuniɔn we de fɛt fɔ pipul dɛn rayt. Bɔku tɛm wi kin strayk ɛn wi kin lɔk di skul fɔ sɔm tɛm.

I bin tan lɛk di strayk dɛn nɔ bin de mek a lɛf fɔ vɛks. So a bigin fɔ tek pat pan kraym dɛn we de sho se a et pipul dɛn. Fɔ ɛgzampul, wan tɛm mi ɛn mi padi dɛn bin go wach wan fim we de sho aw blak pipul dɛn bin de sɔfa as slev na Amɛrika. We wi si di bad we aw dɛn bin de trit di blakman dɛn, wi bigin fɔ atak di yɔŋ wetman dɛn we bin de na di sinima. Afta dat, wi go na ɔda eria dɛn usay wetman dɛn de ɛn luk fɔ mɔ pipul dɛn fɔ bit.

As a de gro ɔp, mi ɛn mi brɔda dɛn bin de du bɔku bad bad tin dɛn. Wi bin de gɛt bɔku polis kes. Wan pan mi smɔl brɔda dɛn bin jɔyn wan bad gɛŋ, ɛn a bin de spɛn tɛm wit dɛn. Mi layf bin de go frɔm bad to wɔs.

Wan mi padi in mama ɛn papa na Jiova Witnɛs dɛn. Dɛn bin invayt mi fɔ atɛnd kɔngrigeshɔn mitin, ɛn a bin gri fɔ atɛnd. Frɔm di fɔs de we a atɛnd di mitin, a bin si se Jiova Witnɛs dɛn difrɛn. Ɔlman bin gɛt Baybul ɛn dɛn bin de yuz am na di mitin. Yɔŋ pipul dɛn bin de ivin gi tɔk na di program! A bin rili kɔle fɔ lan se Gɔd gɛt nem we na Jiova, ɛn fɔ yɛri we dɛn de yuz am. (Sam 83:​18) Di kɔngrigeshɔn gɛt pipul dɛn we kɔmɔt difrɛn say dɛn, bɔt yu go si se dɛn ɔl gɛt wanwɔd.

Fɔs, a nɔ bin want fɔ stɔdi di Baybul wit Jiova Witnɛs dɛn, bɔt a bin lɛk fɔ atɛnd dɛn mitin dɛn. Wan nɛt, we a bin atɛnd wan pan Jiova Witnɛs dɛn mitin dɛn, sɔm pan mi padi dɛn bin go wan kɔnsat. Dɛn bin bit wan yɔŋ bɔbɔ te i day bikɔs i nɔ gri fɔ gi dɛn in lɛda kot. Di nɛks de, dɛn bin de blɔf wit wetin dɛn dɔn du. Dɛn bin ivin de laf we dɛn kɛr dɛn go na kɔt. Dɛn bin sɛntɛns bɔku pan dɛn fɔ de na prizin te dɛn day. A bin rili gladi we a nɔ bin de wit dɛn da nɛt de. A bin mekɔp mi maynd fɔ chenj mi layf ɛn stat fɔ stɔdi di Baybul.

Bikɔs a bin dɔn si bɔku bad bad tin dɛn we bin de apin to bɔku pipul dɛn, dat bin mek a sɔprayz we a si di we aw Jiova Witnɛs dɛn bin de du sɔm tin dɛn. Fɔ ɛgzampul, we wan wetman we na Jiova Witnɛs bin want fɔ travul, i bin lɛf in pikin dɛn to wan blak famili fɔ tek kia ɔf dɛn. Dɔn bak, wan wayt famili bin mek wan yɔŋ blak bɔbɔ kam de wit dɛn bikɔs i bin nid say fɔ de. Dis bin mek a rili biliv se Jiova Witnɛs dɛn de du wetin Jizɔs bin tɔk na Jɔn 13:​35 we se: “If una lɛk una kɔmpin dɛn, ɔlman go no se una na mi disaypul dɛn.” A bin no se a dɔn fɛn ɔganayzeshɔn we gɛt wanwɔd.

Frɔm mi Baybul stɔdi, a bigin si se a nid fɔ chenj di we aw a de tink. A bin nid fɔ mekɔp mi maynd nɔto fɔ jɔs gɛt pis wit pipul dɛn, bɔt fɔ si am as di bɛst we fɔ liv mi layf. (Romans 12:​2) A bin de go bifo smɔl smɔl. Insay Janwari 1974, a bin baptayz as wan pan Jiova Witnɛs dɛn.

Bɔt ivin afta we a baptayz, a bin nid fɔ kɔntinyu fɔ kɔntrol mi wam-at. Fɔ ɛgzampul, wan tɛm we a bin de prich frɔm os-to-os, a bin rɔn afta wan tifman we bin tif di redio na mi motoka. As a bin de rich nia am, i ib di redio ɛn rɔnawe. We a tɛl di ɔda brɔda dɛn aw a gɛt mi redio bak, wan ɛlda bin aks mi se: “Stivin, wetin yu fɔ bin dɔn du if yu bin kech di tifman?” Da kwɛstyɔn de bin mek a tink, ɛn i bin mek a want fɔ kɔntinyu fɔ wok tranga wan fɔ gɛt pis wit pipul dɛn.

Insay Ɔktoba 1974, a bigin fɔ spɛn 100 awa ɛni mɔnt fɔ tich pipul dɛn bɔt di Baybul. Leta, a bin gɛt di ɔnɔ fɔ ɛp na Jiova Witnɛs dɛn wɔl ɛdkwata na Bruklin, insay Nyu Yɔk. Insay 1978, a bin go bak na Lɔs Anjɛlis fɔ kia fɔ mi mama we nɔ bin wɛl. Tu ia leta, a bin mared mi wɛf we nem, Aɔnda. I bin rili sɔpɔt mi fɔ kia fɔ mi mama te i day. Leta, mi ɛn Aɔnda bin atɛnd di Wachtawa Baybul Skul ɔf Giliad ɛn dɛn bin sɛn wi na Panama, usay wi kɔntinyu fɔ sav as mishɔnari dɛn.

Frɔm we a baptayz, bɔku tin dɛn dɔn apin to mi we fɔ bin dɔn mek a vɛks bad bad wan. A dɔn lan fɔ kɔmɔt nia pipul dɛn we de tray fɔ provok mi ɔ a dɔn lan fɔ du sɔntin fɔ mek a nɔ vɛks. Bɔku pipul dɛn ɛn ivin mi wɛf, dɔn tɛl mi tɛnki fɔ we a biev fayn we pipul dɛn tray fɔ du sɔntin fɔ mek a vɛks. Sɔntɛnde, misɛf kin sɔprayz! A nɔ de tink se a ebul fɔ mek dɛn chenj dɛn ya bay misɛf. Bɔt a biliv se na di pawa we di Baybul gɛt na in dɔn ɛp mi fɔ mek dɛn chenj dɛn ya.​—Ibruz 4:​12.

Di Baybul dɔn mek mi layf gɛt minin, ɛn i dɔn tich mi aw fɔ gɛt pis wit pipul dɛn. A nɔ de bit pipul dɛn igen; bifo dat, a de ɛp dɛn fɔ gɛt tayt padi biznɛs wit Gɔd. A ivin stɔdi di Baybul wit wan pan mi ɛnimi dɛn na sɛkɔndri skul! Afta we i baptayz, wi bi rumet dɛn fɔ sɔm tɛm. Rayt naw, mi ɛn in na tayt padi. Mi ɛn mi wɛf dɔn ɛp pas 80 pipul dɛn fɔ bi Jiova Witnɛs bay we wi de stɔdi di Baybul wit dɛn.

A tɛl Jiova bɔku tɛnki fɔ we i dɔn mek mi layf gɛt rial minin ɛn mek a gladi fɔ de insay dis ɔganayzeshɔn we gɛt wanwɔd.