Kamap Free From Fasin for Heit

STORY BILONG JOSÉ GOMEZ

MI BORN long September 8, 1964, long Rognac, wanfala smol taon long south bilong France. Parents and olketa grani bilong mi bilong olketa Gypsy wea kam from Andalusia, wea born long Algeria and Morocco, North Africa. Followim kastom bilong olketa Gypsy, olketa klos relative tu part long famili bilong mifala.

Dadi bilong mi hem wanfala raf man, and mi still rememberim wei wea dadi savve hitim mami. Gogo, mami bilong mi disaed for divorcem hem—samting wea no savve happen evritaem midolwan olketa Gypsy. Mami tekem mi witim smol brata and sista bilong mi go long Belgium, and mifala stap gud long there for eit-fala year.

Gogo living hem change. Mifala olketa pikinini want for lukim dadi, so Mami tekem mifala go long France and mifala stap tugeta moa witim dadi. Hem wanfala challenge for stap witim Dadi. Long Belgium mifala go evriwea witim Mami. Bat saed long famili bilong dadi, olketa man shud kaban nomoa witim olketa man. Olketa garem strongfala tingting hao olketa man garem rights long evri samting and olketa woman nao mas duim evri waka. Olsem example, wanday taem mi want for helpem aunty bilong mi for wasim olketa pleit bihaen kaikai, uncle bilong mi accusim mi and sei mi wanfala homosexual. Long famili bilong hem, wei for wasim olketa pleit hem waka bilong woman nomoa. Gogo, disfala tingting wea no balance hem affectim mi.

No longfala taem bihaen, dadi start for raf moa long mami. Samfala taem, taem mifala trae for protectim mami, mi and brata bilong mi mas ranawe thru long window mekem Dadi no hitim mitufala. Sista bilong mi insaed diswan tu. From diswan, mi savve spendem staka taem bilong mi awe from hom. Taem mi 15 year, mi no garem eni purpose long laef.

Gogo, pipol savve long mi olsem man for kros tumas. Mi enjoyim wei for mekem pipol fraet. Samfala taem mi min for mekem olketa nara young man kros, bat tu-thri nomoa no fraet for challengem mi—from evritaem mi savve karem naef or chain. Gogo mi start for stealim olketa car and sellim olketa. Samfala taem mi just bonem olketa long fire and enjoy for lukim olketa fireman killim dae fire. Bihaen mi start for brek-in long olketa store and ware-haos. Olketa arrestim mi samfala taem. And each taem, mi prea long God for help!

Tru nao, mi biliv long God. Taem mifala stap long Belgium, mi attendim wanfala lotu skul. So mi savve samting wea mi duim hem nogud. Nomata olsem, wei wea mi biliv long God nating mekem mi garem gudfala fasin. Mi tingse bae mi just askem God and hem bae forgivim olketa sin bilong mi.

Long 1984, olketa judgem mi for stap 11 month insaed prison from mi steal. Olketa sendem mi go long Baumettes Prison, long Marseilles. Long there, mi mekem tattoo long samfala part long body bilong mi. Wanfala tattoo hem garem toktok “heit and pei bak.” Winim wei for change, mi letem prison for mekem big moa wei for heitim olketa wea garem paoa and pipol long community. Taem mi aot from prison bihaen thrifala month, mi fulap witim heit winim bifor. Then, wanfala big trabol changem laef bilong mi.

Wei for Pei Bak Kamap Goal Bilong Mi

Famili bilong mi garem wanfala raoa witim nara Gypsy famili. Mi witim olketa uncle bilong mi disaed for feisim olketa for stretem problem hia. Tufala famili hia evriwan karem samting for faet. Insaed datfala raoa wea kamap olketa sutim dae uncle bilong mi, Pierre, and wanfala kasin bilong dadi bilong mi. From mi barava kros and feel nogud tumas mi standap long street witim gun and singaot big witim bigfala kros. Bat wanfala uncle kasholem mi and aotem gun from mi.

Dae bilong Uncle Pierre, wea mi ting long hem olsem wanfala dadi, barava mekem mi sorre. Mi followim kastom bilong Gypsy long wei for sorre. For planti day mi no shave or kaikaim eni meat. Mi no laek for lukluk long television or lisin long music. Mi promis for pei bak long dae bilong uncle bilong mi, bat olketa relative stopem mi for kasem wanfala gun.

Long August 1984, mi go for serve long army. Taem mi 20 year, mi joinim peacekeeping force bilong United Nations long Lebanon. For killim pipol or for olketa killim mi hem danger wea mi acceptim. Long datfala taem, mi go ahed for smokem staka marijuana. Witim wei wea disfala drug mekem mi feel gud, hem mekem mi feel hao no eni samting savve spoelem mi.

Hem isi for kasem olketa gun long Lebanon, so mi disaed for sendem samfala go long France for go ahed long plan bilong mi for pei bak for uncle bilong mi. Mi baem tufala gun, witim olketa bullet, from pipol bilong disfala ples. Mi pisisim olketa gun hia, haedem insaed tufala radio, and sendem olketa go hom.

Tufala week bifor end bilong waka bilong mi for serve long army, mi witim thrifala fren go wakabaot and no duim waka bilong mifala. Taem mifala kam bak, olketa lokim mifala insaed prison. Mi kros tumas and attakim gard insaed prison. Mi no laekem wanfala man wea no Gypsy for tok daonem mi. Long next day, mi faet moa, distaem witim wanfala bigman long army. Olketa sendem mi go long Montluc Prison, long Lyons, go kasem end bilong army service bilong mi.

Mi Faendem Freedom—Insaed Prison

Long firstfala day bilong mi long Montluc Prison, wanfala naesfala young man sei hello long mi. Mi faendem aot hao hem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness and hao hem witim olketa narawan bilong datfala sem religion stap insaed prison bikos olketa no laek joinim army. Datwan mekem mi sapraes. Mi want for savve moa.

Mi faendem hao Olketa Jehovah’s Witness garem trufala love for God, and mi barava tinghae long haefala mark bilong olketa saed long fasin. Nomata olsem, mi garem staka kwestin. Wanfala samting wea mi want for savve nao hem sapos pipol wea dae finis savve story witim olketa wea laef thru long olketa dream—samting wea planti long olketa Gypsy bilivim. Wanfala Witness wea nem bilong hem Jean-Paul offer for iusim datfala buk You Savvy Stop All-the-way long Paradise long Earth for studyim Bible witim mi.a

Mi readim datfala buk insaed wanfala naet nomoa, and samting wea mi readim muvim heart bilong mi. Hia, insaed prison, mi faendem trufala freedom! Gogo taem mi kamaot from prison, mi kasem train for go hom witim bag bilong mi wea fulap witim olketa Bible pablikeson.

For meetim olketa Witness long hom area bilong mi, mi go long Kingdom Hall long Martigues. Mi go ahed moa for studyim Bible witim wanfala young full-taem minister wea nem bilong hem Eric. Insaed tu-thri day nomoa, mi stop for smoke, and stop for kaban witim olketa gang bilong mi wea mifala duim criminal fasin bifor. Mi disaed strong for duim samting followim Proverbs 27:11, wea sei: “Kamap wise, son bilong mi, and mekem heart bilong mi hapi, mekem mi givim ansa long wan wea tok daonem mi.” Jehovah nao hem olsem loving Dadi wea mi want for mekem hapi.

Challenge Long wei for Change

Hem no isi long mi for mi followim olketa Christian principle. Olsem example, mi start for iusim drug moa for samfala week. Bat challenge wea moa hard tumas for aotem evribit nao hem feeling for want for pei bak. Eric no savve, bat mi karem wanfala gun evritaem and still planim wei for pei bak long olketa wea killim dae uncle bilong mi. Staka taem mi spendem full naet for trae faendem olketa.

Taem mi talem Eric abaotem diswan, hem explainim klia long mi hao hem hard for fren witim God sapos mi keepim samting for faet and lukaotem wei for pei bak. Mi need for chus. Stretawe mi ting raonem toktok bilong Paul long Romans 12:19: “Iufala no pei bak, iufala wea mi lovem, bat mekwe for datfala kros.” Diswan, witim barava strongfala prea, helpem mi for kontrolem olketa feeling bilong mi. (Psalm 55:22) Gogo, mi torowem olketa gun bilong mi. Long December 26, 1986, bihaen mi studyim Bible for wan year, mi showimaot dedication bilong mi long Jehovah God taem mi baptaes long wata.

Famili Bilong Mi Duim Samting

Wei wea mi changem fasin bilong mi encouragem parents bilong mi for studyim Bible. Tufala marit moa, and mami hem baptaes long July 1989. Gogo, samfala moa member long famili bilong mi acceptim message bilong Bible and kamap Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.

Long August 1988, mi disaed for kamap wanfala full-taem minister. Then mi garem love for wanfala young sista long kongregeson bilong mi wea nem bilong hem Katia. Mitufala marit long June 10, 1989. Firstfala year wea mitufala marit hem no isi, bikos mi still garem samfala fasin for changem long wei wea mi deal witim olketa woman. Hem hard for followim toktok bilong 1 Peter 3:7, wea encouragem olketa hasband for showimaot honor long waef bilong olketa. Mi need for prea evritaem for kasem strong for kontrolem praod fasin and changem tingting. Gogo olketa samting kamap moabeta long diswan.

Mi still feel nogud tumas long dae bilong uncle bilong mi, and samfala taem mi krae taem mi tingim hem. Mi stragol witim strongfala feeling taem mi tingim wei wea olketa killim hem dae. For planti year, nomata bihaen baptism bilong mi, mi fraet for meetim olketa member bilong datfala famili wea mifala enemy bifor. Wanem nao mi bae duim sapos olketa attakim mi? Waswe, mi bae kontrolem fasin wea mi garem bifor?

Wanday mi givim pablik tok long wanfala kongregeson. Long there mi lukim Pepa, wanfala relative bilong olketa man wea killim dae uncle bilong mi. For tok stret, wei wea mi lukim hem barava testim trufala Christian fasin bilong mi. Bat mi aotem olketa feeling hia. Bihaen, long day wea Pepa baptaes, mi go holem hem and praisem hem for disison wea hem mekem for servem Jehovah. Mi acceptim hem olsem spiritual sista bilong mi, nomata wanem nao happen bifor.

Evriday, mi thankiu long Jehovah for wei wea hem helpem mi kamap free from fasin for heit. Mi bae wea nao distaem sapos Jehovah no showimaot mercy long mi? Mi enjoyim wanfala hapi famili laef bikos Jehovah helpem mi. Mi garem tu wanfala hope for future—wanfala niu world wea free from heit and raf fasin. Tru nao, mi trustim evribit hao disfala promis bilong God bae fulfill: “And olketa bae sidaon, each wan anda long vine bilong hemseleva and anda long fig tree bilong hemseleva, and no eniwan bae mekem olketa seksek; from barava mouth bilong Jehovah bilong olketa army hem talem finis.”—Micah 4:4.

[Footnotes]

[Piksa long page 21]

Witim olketa peacekeeping force bilong UN long Lebanon, 1985

[Piksa long page 22]

Witim Katia and tufala son bilong mi, Timeo and Pierre