I was born in the small town of Texcoco. At the time, most of the streets were unpaved and dusty. It was common to see people from nearby villages bringing their donkeys to town loaded with things to sell. We were a very poor family of nine children, of which I was number seven. My father repaired guaraches (rustic sandals) to support the family. But he died when I was seven years old. From then on, my mother struggled to provide food for the family.

My grandfather played the violin and was the conductor of an orchestra that specialized in classical religious music. Almost all my family members played an instrument. My mother sang in the church choir, and my uncle was an opera singer and pianist. We were religiously inclined—I was an altar boy, and I dreamed of becoming a Catholic missionary. At the same time, I was a fan of karate movies. The more I watched those movies, the more I developed a violent nature.

I entered a religious school in Puebla that functioned like a seminary. My goal was to become a Catholic priest. But during my last year of studies, I became disillusioned with the Catholic Church. A young nun made sexual advances toward me. I resisted the temptation, but the situation awakened in me the desire to get married. Moreover, I observed that several priests were living a hypocritical lifestyle. Eventually, I abandoned my goal of becoming a priest.

 I decided to study music at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City. When I graduated, I got married, and my wife and I soon had four children. I provided for the family by singing Mass in the Catholic Church.

From the very beginning, our marriage was in trouble. My wife and I were violent toward each other, largely because we harbored feelings of jealousy. At first we attacked each other verbally, then physically. Finally, after 13 years, we decided to separate and later to divorce.

My first contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses came before I separated from my wife. Two Witnesses knocked on our door and offered to discuss the Bible. I thought that I knew a lot about religion, so I set out to prove them wrong. I posed difficult questions that I thought had no answer. But to my surprise, they always gave me good answers based on the Bible. I began to see how little I really knew. However, my wife was very rude to the Witnesses, and I was very busy, so the visits ended.

Five years later, I was living with another woman, Elvira, when I once again came in contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Elvira didn’t oppose the Witnesses, so I found it easier to study the Bible on a regular basis. Even so, it took me several years to break free from my past.

I realized that if I wanted to worship Jehovah wholeheartedly, I needed to make some big changes. First I had to quit my job singing Mass in the Catholic Church, which meant that I had to find another means of making a living. (Revelation 18:4) I also needed to legalize my marriage with Elvira.

One of the hardest changes, though, was to learn to control my explosive temper. Two Bible verses especially helped me: Psalm 11:5, which shows that Jehovah hates violence, and 1 Peter 3:7, which taught me that if I want Jehovah to hear my prayers, I must treat my wife with honor. As I meditated on those verses and prayed for Jehovah’s help, I was gradually able to bring my temper under control.

I now enjoy a happy family life. I am striving to repair my relationship with my sons from my first marriage and to help my present family to stay strong in the faith.

When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a priest and helping people. Now I feel that my life has true meaning. I support my family by teaching music. I am so grateful that Jehovah was patient with me, giving me the opportunity to change and become a better person!