Afɔ mi yɛ Paddington, ni ji he ko ni mɛi babaoo yɔɔ, yɛ London, yɛ England. No mli lɛ, mikɛ mimami kɛ minyɛmimɛi yei onukpai etɛ ni yɔɔ. Akɛni mipapa sumɔɔ dãa hewɔ lɛ, ekwɛɛɛ wɔ ekpakpa ko.

Be ni miji gbekɛ lɛ, mimami tsɔɔ mi ni misɔle daa gbɛkɛ. Miyɛ Biblia bibioo ko ni Lalai Awolo lɛ pɛ yɔɔ mli, ni mikɛ emli wiemɔ lɛ feɔ lala ni milaa. Mikaiɔ akɛ be ko lɛ, mikane nɔ ko yɛ miskul woji lɛ eko mli ní ka mijwɛŋmɔ mli, no ji, “Be ko baashɛ ni wɔ́ baaa dɔŋŋ.” Nakai wiemɔi lɛ hãa mijwɛŋɔ wɔsɛɛ he waa kɛ́ mihiɛ tsɛ̃ maŋkɛ. Mikɛɔ mihe akɛ, ‘Yiŋtoo ko kɛ̃ hewɔ wɔyɔɔ wala mli lɛ. Mɛni hewɔ miyɔɔ wala mli?’ Misumɔɔɔ ni magbo!

Mikɛ mihe bɔi mumɔi atsɛmɔ nifeemɔi amli woo fiofio. Mibɔ mɔdɛŋ akɛ mikɛ gbohii lɛ baawie, mikɛ minanemɛi ni mikɛyaa skul lɛ kwɛɔ sinii ni mumɔi fɔji anifeemɔi yɔɔ mli, ni wɔyaa gɔɔ lɛ mli hu. Wɔna akɛ sinii nɛɛ ŋɔɔ, shi nakai beiaŋ nɔŋŋ lɛ, amɛyɛ gbeyei.

Be ni miná afii nyɔŋma pɛ kɛkɛ ni mikɛ mihe bɔi jeŋba gbonyo mli woo. Mibɔi zigareti shɛrɛmɔ, ni etsɛɛɛ ni ebatsɔ misu. Sɛɛ mli lɛ, mibɔi wii diɛŋtsɛ shɛremɔ. Be ni mikɛɛ minaa afii 11 lɛ, mibɔi dãa numɔ. Eyɛ mli akɛ minaaa eŋɔɔmɔ tsɔ moŋ, shi misumɔɔ bɔ ni efeɔ mi kɛ́ mitɔ lɛ. Misumɔɔ lala kɛ joo hu waa. Miyaa paati kɛ disko be fɛɛ be ni maná hegbɛ. Mijuɔ shi kɛjeɔ kpo gbɛkɛ, ni nakai nɔŋŋ mifeɔ kɛbaa shĩa dani jetsɛreɔ. Akɛni be ni je baatsɛre lɛ etɔ mi waa hewɔ lɛ, bei pii lɛ, mibɔɔ ko. Kɛ́ mitee skul ni tsɔɔlɔ ko tsɔɔ nii egbe naa nɔŋŋ lɛ, minuɔ dãa dani tsɔɔlɔ kroko baa.

Mifeili kpɔtɔɔ yɛ wɔnaagbee kaa lɛ mli. Mimami ná ele akɛ mikɛ mihe miiwo jeŋba gbonyo mli be ni ena akɛ mifeili kpɔtɔɔ lɛ, ni no hã enijiaŋ je wui, ni emli fũ waa. Wɔbé waa, no hewɔ lɛ mijo foi kɛshi shĩa. Mikɛ mijɔle ni atsɛɔ lɛ Tony lɛ yahi shi. Ejuɔ, ehɔ̃ɔ wii kɛ kokein kɛ amɛhenɔi lɛ, ni ale lɛ akɛ mɔ ko ni yɔɔ basabasa. Etsɛɛɛ kɛkɛ ni miŋɔ hɔ, ni mifɔ wɔbinuu lɛ, no mli lɛ miye afii 16.

Gbi klɛŋklɛŋ ni mikɛ Yehowa Odasefoi lɛ kpe lɛ, no mli lɛ, miyɛ he ko ni yei ni boteko gbalashihilɛ mli kɛ amɛbii bibii hiɔ. No mli lɛ, amralofoi lɛ ehã mi tsu yɛ jɛmɛ. Yei enyɔ komɛi ni amɛji Yehowa Odasefoi lɛ kɛ oblayei bibii ni efɔ ni yɔɔ jɛmɛ lɛ ateŋ mɛi komɛi bakaseɔ nii. Gbi ko lɛ, miyafata amɛhe kɛkase nii lɛ. No mli lɛ miitao mahã Odasefoi lɛ ana akɛ nɔ ni amɛtsɔɔ lɛ ejaaa. Shi amɛto amɛtsui shi kɛhã saji babaoo ni mibi amɛ lɛ eko fɛɛ eko hetoo kɛjɛ Biblia lɛ mli. Amɛmli hi, ni amɛhe jɔ hu, ni enɛ hã mihiɛ sɔ amɛ waa. No hewɔ lɛ, mi diɛŋtsɛ mikpɛlɛ ní amɛkɛ mi akase Biblia lɛ.

Etsɛɛɛ kɛkɛ ni mikase nɔ ko yɛ Biblia lɛ mli ni tsake mishihilɛ. Kɛjɛ migbekɛbiiashi fɛɛ lɛ, misheɔ gbeyei akɛ magbo. Shi amrɔ nɛɛ mibanu Yesu tsɔɔmɔ ni kɔɔ gbohiiashitee lɛ he lɛ shishi! (Yohane 5:28, 29) Kɛfata he lɛ, mikase akɛ Nyɔŋmɔ susuɔ mihe. (1 Petro 5:7) Ŋmalɛ ni yɔɔ Yeremia 29:11 lɛ ta mitsuiŋ waa; jɛmɛ kɛɔ akɛ: “Shi mi lɛ mile jwɛŋmɔi ní mijwɛŋɔ yɛ nyɛhe, Yehowa kɛɛ: hejɔlɛ jwɛŋmɔi ni, shi jeee efɔŋ nɔ ni, koni mikɛ naagbee ní nyɛhiɛ kã nɔ lɛ ahã nyɛ!” Mibahe miye akɛ manyɛ mahi shi kɛya naanɔ yɛ shikpɔŋ ni afee lɛ Paradeiso lɛ nɔ.​—Lala 37:29.

Yehowa Odasefoi lɛ jie suɔmɔ kpele kpo amɛtsɔɔ mi. Gbi klɛŋklɛŋ ni mitee amɛsafoŋ kpee lɛ eko lɛ, nɔ ni mina yɛ jɛmɛ lɛ hã mimii shɛ mihe waa​—mɔ fɛɛ mɔ hiɛ yɛ ŋmɔlɔŋmɔlɔ! (Yohane 13:34, 35) Bɔ ni amɛkɛ mi ye hã lɛ yɛ srɔto kwraa yɛ bɔ ni akɛ mi yeɔ yɛ sɔlemɔ ni no mli lɛ miyaa lɛ he. Yɛ bɔ ni mishihilɛ ji lɛ fɛɛ sɛɛ lɛ, Odasefoi lɛ kɛ mi ye jogbaŋŋ. Amɛná be amɛhã mi, amɛjie mɔhesusumɔ kpo amɛtsɔɔ mi, ni amɛfee nibii krokomɛi hu kɛye bua mi. Minu he tamɔ nɔ ni mibafata weku agbo ko ni yɔɔ suɔmɔ kɛhã amɛhe lɛ he.

Biblia lɛ ni akɛ mi kaseɔ lɛ hã miyɔse akɛ, esa akɛ matsake mishihilɛ, ni mahi shi yɛ Nyɔŋmɔ shishitoo mlai lɛ anaa. Mináaa lɛ mlɛo kwraa akɛ makpa zigareti shɛremɔ. Miyɔse hu akɛ, lalai komɛi atoi ni miboɔ lɛ hãa wii shɛremɔ baa mitsine, no hewɔ lɛ, mikpa lalai nɛɛ atoiboo. Akɛni miisumɔ ni makpa dãatɔɔ hewɔ lɛ, mikpa paati kɛ disko yaa, ejaakɛ kɛ́ mitee hei nɛɛ, ewaaa kwraa akɛ mayanu dãa. Agbɛnɛ hu, mitao nanemɛi hei ni yɔɔ jeŋba kpakpa ni baanyɛ aye abua mi ni maya nɔ mafee tsakemɔi yɛ mishihilɛ mli.​—Abɛi 13:20.

No mli lɛ, Yehowa Odasefoi lɛ kɛ Tony hu miikase Biblia lɛ. Bɔ ni Odasefoi lɛ jɛ Biblia lɛ mli amɛhã esanebimɔi lɛ ahetoo lɛ hã lɛ hu eyiŋ tsɔ akɛ anɔkwale lɛ ji nɔ ni ekaseɔ lɛ. Efee tsakemɔi wuji yɛ eshihilɛ mli. Ekɛ etsutsu nanemɛi ni yɔɔ basabasa lɛ kpa bɔɔ, ekpa juu, ni ekpa wii lɛ hu shɛremɔ. Mi kɛ Tony fɛɛ yɔse akɛ, dani wɔbaanyɛ wɔsa Yehowa hiɛ kɛmɔ shi lɛ, esa akɛ wɔkpa jɔle ni wɔfeɔ lɛ, ni wɔbote gbãla mli yɛ mla naa; ni no baaye abua wɔ ni wɔnyɛ wɔkwɛ wɔbinuu lɛ jogbaŋŋ. No hewɔ lɛ, wɔbote gbãla mli yɛ afi 1982.

Mikaiɔ akɛ be ko lɛ, mitao saji komɛi yɛ Buu-Mɔɔ lɛ kɛ Awake! * lɛ mli ni kɔɔ mɛi komɛi ni amɛnyɛ amɛfee tsakemɔ ni miitao mafee lɛ eko lɛ he. Amɛnɔkwɛmɔnii lɛ wo mi hewalɛ waa! Ewo mi hewalɛ ní maya nɔ mamia mihiɛ ní minijiaŋ akaje wui. Misɔleɔ mihãa Yehowa daa koni eye ebua mi. Yɛ July 1982 lɛ, abaptisi mi kɛ Tony fɛɛ akɛ Yehowa Odasefoi.

Wekukpãa ni yɔɔ mi kɛ Yehowa Nyɔŋmɔ teŋ lɛ ebaa miwala yi. Yehowa eye ebua mi kɛ Tony fɛɛ yɛ shihilɛi ni jaraa amli. Wɔkase bɔ ni esa akɛ wɔkɛ wɔhiɛ afɔ̃ Nyɔŋmɔ nɔ yɛ shihilɛi ni jaraa amli, ni wɔna akɛ eye ebua wɔ, ni ebaa wɔweku lɛ yi hu.​—Lala 55:23.

Eŋɔɔ minaa akɛ minyɛ miye mibua wɔbinuu kɛ wɔbiyoo lɛ ni amɛbale Yehowa. Amrɔ nɛɛ, kɛ́ mina bɔ ni amɛ hu amɛbii lɛ kaseɔ Nyɔŋmɔ he nilee lɛ, mimii shɛɔ mihe waa.

Amrɔ nɛɛ, miyeee mitsui dɔŋŋ yɛ wɔsɛɛ loo gbele he kɛ́ mihiɛ tsɛ̃ maŋkɛ̃. Amrɔ nɛɛ, mi kɛ Tony yasaraa Yehowa Odasefoi asafoi srɔtoi daa otsi, ni wɔwoɔ amɛ hewalɛ. Wɔkɛ amɛ feɔ ekome kɛtsɔɔ mɛi krokomɛi akɛ, kɛ́ amɛná hemɔkɛyeli yɛ Yesu mli lɛ, amɛ hu amɛbaanyɛ amɛná naanɔ wala.