00:00:05 Our parents loved us,
00:00:08 but they did it in the wrong way.
00:00:10 They would often turn violent, so we learned that way of life.
00:00:16 I remember that ever since I was young,
00:00:18 I was afraid of coming home one day and not finding my parents together.
00:00:22 Because as far back as I remember, they have always argued with each other.
00:00:28 So we grew up with those values and those ways of thinking
00:00:31 that led us to become a group that was known and feared
00:00:34 in the area because of our violent, immoral lifestyle
00:00:38 that was devoted to drugs.
00:00:42 We had no rules!
00:00:44 We were people that you should stay away from.
00:00:51 It was one of those regular mornings when we were home alone.
00:00:55 And it became our hideout —the place we would meet.
00:00:59 We had skipped school,
00:01:01 and our parents didn’t know.
00:01:03 I was with Federico and Raffaele when two sisters,
00:01:07 two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, rang the doorbell.
00:01:11 So we had them come in, so we could make fun of them.
00:01:14 And as a matter of fact, that’s what we did.
00:01:18 I remember that Maria and the sister that was with her
00:01:21 were two very sincere and genuine people.
00:01:26 They showed courage as they brought us the truth.
00:01:33 I was surprised that they were so kind, despite that my tone of voice was mocking.
00:01:37 And I really appreciated their kindness.
00:01:40 She didn’t let anything stop her, not even the way we looked.
00:01:44 I was really touched by the conversation with Maria,
00:01:50 but I thought I would never see her again.
00:01:52 Who would ever come back to people like us?
00:02:01 Maria didn’t give up.
00:02:04 She came back with an older pioneer brother who wasn’t scared of us
00:02:08 and with courage started to preach.
00:02:12 I really started to change my life and make progress.
00:02:16 Immediately, I started to speak
00:02:18 about what I was learning with all my friends.
00:02:21 What surprised me was my mother’s reaction.
00:02:25 She wasn’t happy at all.
00:02:27 She reacted really violently.
00:02:35 They thought that I was going mad
00:02:38 —that I was being brainwashed.
00:02:40 I remember that they would do everything to remind me
00:02:44 of the strong friendship that was between us.
00:02:47 So they would put pressure on me emotionally.
00:02:51 I had to make a choice.
00:02:53 Although I did love them and was close to them,
00:02:57 I made the drastic decision to tell them
00:03:00 that from then on I would no longer be staying in their company.
00:03:06 This situation made me really intrigued.
00:03:09 In fact, I ended up studying with Francesco.
00:03:11 His determination really made me think.
00:03:15 It was obvious that the things he was telling us
00:03:19 were actually real—it was the truth.
00:03:22 And also, the strength it took to go forward with this
00:03:26 —his determination to leave his friends— was surely what made
00:03:30 all of us seriously interested in the message he was preaching.
00:03:37 I would blame it on the truth because it was taking my friend away from me
00:03:39 —a friend with whom I used to do the things I liked.
00:03:44 However, inside I knew that even though I told him he had gone mad,
00:03:48 I knew that inside there must have been something powerful
00:03:53 because he was so convinced,
00:03:55 and we could all sense his conviction.
00:03:57 So I realized that there was really something there.
00:04:01 To my surprise, one after the other,
00:04:05 all of my friends started studying the Bible.
00:04:09 As I studied, I realized that it was the truth.
00:04:12 It used to be hatred that always motivated my choices.
00:04:16 Now I act according to love, and this makes me feel good.
00:04:22 I can now say that thanks to Maria
00:04:25 and Francesco, Jehovah tried to draw me to Him.
00:04:28 I believe it’s been a miracle from Jehovah.
00:04:31 The truth helped me cultivate the qualities
00:04:34 of peace and joy
00:04:37 —the personality that has made it possible
00:04:39 for me to have the family I never had.
00:04:43 The greatest satisfaction I have in life is to have a relationship with Jehovah.
00:04:47 When I see someone
00:04:50 like we used to be, I feel motivated to speak to them.
00:04:54 The patience that Maria showed motivates me to be patient.
00:04:59 Despite our reputation, Maria did not give up.
00:05:05 She showed us
00:05:07 that in Jehovah’s eyes, no one is beyond recovery
00:05:12 —no one.
