THE BIBLE CHANGES LIVES-"I Yearned for a Father"

                            "I yearned for a father"-Marco Antonio Alvarez Soto

MY PAST: I was raised by my mother in Punta Arenas, a pleasant city on the strait of Magellan near the southern tip of South America. My parents separated when I was five years old, which left me feeling abandoned. I yearned for a father.

My mother studied the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, and she took me to Christian meetings at the Kingdom Hall. However, I had an aversion to the meetings, and I would often throw a tantrum on the way there. When I was 13, I stopped attending altogether. 

By that time, I had developed a lover for music, and I realized that I had a knack for it.  By age 15, I was playing  heavy-metal and death-metal music at festivals, bars, and private gatherings.  My association with talented musicians spawned in me a classical music. I began to study music at a local conservatory. At age 20, I moved to the capital, Santiago, to further my studies. I also continued playing in heavy-metal and death-metal bands.

At this time, I was plagued with feelings of emptiness. In an effort to alleviate those feelings, I would get drunk and take drugs with my band mates, whom  I considered my family. I had a rebellious attitude, which was evident  in my appearance. I wore dark clothing, grew a beard, and let my hair grow almost down to my waist. 

Next time: Conclusion of THE BIBLE CHANGES LIVES -"I Yearned for a Father

From the Watchtower magazine, 2012