mera janam albania di rajdhani tirana vich hoya. sadda parivar bahut gareeb si. mere daddy ik imandar viakti san. oh ghar da guzara toran layi sara-sara din kamm karde san, fir vi guzara torna bahut aukha si. chhote hundya apni gareebi dekh ke mai bahut dukhi hunda si kyoki na taa pairi paaun layi jutti si te na hi tid bhar ke khaan nu roti.

 bahut hi chhoti umar vich mai chori karan lagg pya. mainu laggda si ki chori kar ke mai apne parivar di guzara toran vich madad kar reha si. akheer, police ne mainu farr lya. is layi 1988 vich jado mai 14 saala da si, taa mere pita ji ne mainu sudhar kendar bhej ditta. mai do saal uthe reha te welding da kamm sikhya. utho niklan to baad mai imandari naal rozi-roti kamauni chahunda si, par mainu koi kamm nahi milya. rajneetik uthal-puthal hon karke albania vich bahut berozgari si. mai ak-thakk ke apne purane dosta nu dobara milan lagg pya atey chori karni shuru kar ditti. mainu te mere dosta nu giraftar kar lya gaya atey sanu tinn saala layi jail di saza ho gayi.

 jail vicho reha hon to baad vi mai apradh karne jaari rakhe. albania di arth-vivastha kharab si atey poore desh di haalat dava-dol si. is uthal-puthal de daur vich mai gair-kanooni kamm kar ke bahut sare paise kamaye. ik vaar mai apne sathiya naal hathyaara di nok ’te dakaiti keeti. is dauran mere saathi farre gaye atey mai jail di lambi saza de daro desh chhadd ke bhajj gaya. fir mai yoolinda naal viah karaa lya te sadde ik munda hoya.

 akheer, asi england aa ke vass gaye. mai apne parivar naal navi zindagi shuru karna chahunda si. par mere layi apnia puraniya aadata nu chhaddna bahut aukha si. mai ik vaar fir to apradh di duniya vich vapas chala gaya. mai nashe da vapaar karan lagga atey is vapaar vich mai kaafi sare paisya da lain-den karda si.

 yoolinda mere kamm bare kee sochdi si? os kolo hi puchh lo: “albania varge gareeb desh vich rehen karke mai hamesha ameer bannan de hi supne dekhdi si. mai vadiya zindagi paaun layi kise vi hadd tak jaan layi tyaar si. mainu laggda si ki sirf paisya naal hi saddi zindagi vadiya banegi. is layi mai jhooth bolan, chori karan ja nashe vechan vich aartan da pair-pair ’te saath ditta taaki asi ziada to ziada paise kama sakiye.”

 fir 2002 vich saddiya ameer bannan diya sariya schema atey umeeda ’te paani fir gaya. kaafi matra vich nashe di taskari kardya mai farrya gaya te mainu ik vaar fir to jail ho gayi.

 mainu pata vi nahi lagga ki bible da meri zindagi ’te asar paina shuru ho gaya si. saal 2000 de shuru vich yoolinda yahovah de gavaha nu mili atey os ne ik jode naal bible study karni shuru kar ditti. bible ’te charcha karni mainu boring laggdi si is layi mai study nahi karni chahunda si. par yoolinda nu bible bare sikhna bahut vadiya laggda si. oh dassdi hai: “mere maape rab nu bahut mannde san atey mai bible da bahut aadar kardi si te mainu is vich dassiya galla changiya laggdiya san. mai hamesha bible bare sikhna chahundi si atey yahovah de gavaha naal study kar ke mainu bahut ziada khushi hoi. bible diya bahut sariya sikhyaava mainu changi tarha samajh aaun lagg paiya atey mai sikhiya galla mutabak apni zindagi vich tabdeeliya keetiya. par paise prati meri soch odo tak nahi badli jado tak aartan nu giraftar nahi kar lya gaya. is to baad hi meri soch poori tarha badli. mainu ikdam ehsas hoya ki paise bare bible jo vi kehndi hai, oh bilkul sach hai! asi paise pichhe hi bhajjde rahe, par is to sanu koi khushi nahi mili. mainu fir ja ke samajh aayi ki mainu poori tarha bible de myaara mutabak chalan di lorr si.”

 2004 vich mainu jail vicho reha kar ditta gaya atey mai fir to nashe da vapaar karan di koshish keeti. par os vele yoolinda di soch poori tarha badal gayi si. os di eh gall sunn ke mai sochan layi majboor ho gaya: “mainu tere paise nahi chaheede. mainu mera pati atey mere mundya da pita vapas chaheeda.” yoolinda diya galla sunn ke mainu dhakka taa zaroor lagga, par oh bilkul sahi keh rehi si. mai kayi saal apne parivar to door reha si. nale mai eh vi sochya ki paisya pichhe bhajjan karke sanu sirf dukh hi dukh mile. mai khud apni zindagi vich dekhya ki beimaani naal paise kamaun de kee natije nikalde han. is layi mai khud nu badlan da faisla keeta atey apne sare purane dosta nalo poori tarha nata torr lya.

 meri zindagi vich odo ik nava morr aaya jado mai apni patni te do mundya naal yahovah de gavaha diya meetinga vich gaya. uthe sare jane jidda ik-dooje nu mil rahe san, oh mere dil nu chhooh gaya. akheer, mai vi bible study karni shuru kar ditti.

 mai bible vicho sikhya ki “paise naal pyaar tarha-tarha diya buraiya di jarrh hai. paise naal pyaar hon karke kaiya ne . . . apne aap nu bahut sare dukha de teera naal vinnehya hai.” (1 ti. 6:9, 10) mai apni zindagi de tajarbe to dekhya si ki bible di eh gall sola aane sach hai. meri purani zindagi karke jo kujh vi mainu te mere parivar nu bhugtna pya, os da mainu bahut ziada afsos si. (galatiya 6:7) jado mai sikhya ki yahovah atey os da puttar yisu masih sanu kinna pyaar karde han, taa mai apne aap nu badalna shuru kar ditta. mai apne to pehla doojya bare sochan lagga jis karke mai apne parivar naal ziada sama bitaun shuru keeta.

 mainu bible di eh salah mann ke faida hoya: “tusi zindagi vich paise naal pyaar na karo atey tuhade kol jo vi hai, ose vich santusht raho. (ibraniya 13:5) hun meri zameer saaf hai atey mainu mann di shanti mili hai. is karke mainu oh khushi mili hai jo mainu pehla kade nahi mili. sadda viahuta rishta mazboot hoya hai atey sadda sara parivar hun ik-dooje de nerre mehsoos karda hai.

 mai hamesha ehi sochda si ki bahut sara paisa hon karke hi sanu khushi milegi. hun mai changi tarha samajh gaya ki apradh atey paise naal pyaar hon karke mainu sirf dukh hi mile. hun chahe sadde kol bahute paise nahi han, par sadde kol ik beshkeemti cheez hai, oh hai yahovah parmeshwar naal sadda rishta. nale apne poore parivar naal mil ke os di bhagti karan naal hi sanu sachi khushi mildi hai.