Transcripts: Enjoy Life Forever!

Transcript: Find friends in unexpected places
[Akil sits in his room on his bed. Holding his camera in his hands his parents carry boxes down the hallway past his room]
Akil: My name is Akil. When I was 18, my family moved to a new city. It was bad enough leaving my friends behind. But now, I wasn’t sure if I could make new ones.
[He gazes through the view finder of his camera at a picture of his friends]
My parents seemed really happy.
[During a meal, Akil leaves the table]
I didn’t want to make them feel bad by telling them how I really felt. The new school wasn’t much better
[At his locker he yanks on a padlock. He hits the locker]
until I met Cameron. He seemed like a pretty cool guy.
[Cameron opens the locker; they slap hands together and gives a side hug]
Soon, his friends became my friends . . .
[He joins Cameron and the other teens for lunch]
[Now at the Kingdom Hall Akil pulls out his phone. Text from Cameron. 7:56pm ‘Hey what’s up?’ Akil 7:56pm ‘Hey Not much’ He puts his phone away]
Brother giving talk from the platform: something that David believed was true, he actually proved it by the association that he kept. We think about one of the closest friendships recorded in the Scriptures, and it was that of David and Jonathan. What was it that David and Jonathan shared in common? It wasn’t their age.
[At home]
Mum: Akil, you were texting in the meeting.
Akil: I shouldn’t have sent the text. I’m sorry.
[They sit in the living room]
But Cameron is a good person. He might even study one day.
Dad: I understand that Akil. But we all have to be careful with how much time we spend with people that don’t love Jehovah. See, their values are just different. You know what Proverbs 13:20 says: ‘Walk with those who are wise.’ So why don’t you seek out friends who love Jehovah? And you will make friends that last a lifetime.
Akil: How am I supposed to do that? There’s no one my age in the congregation.
Mum: Akil, good friends can come from unexpected places.
Akil: Mom, I had good friends—back home.
[He stands, with slumped shoulders he walks away. Later Akil’s parents tap on his bedroom door]
Akil: We all felt bad that night.
[Hi parents sit with him on his bed, pat his back and talk. Now at school a group of kids gather around Cameron, Cameron holds up his phone for all to see]
Akil: The next day, Cameron posted pictures of a party he had. My parents were right.
[Akil leaves the group and walks away]
I broke off my association with Cameron and his friends, but I still felt lost.
[Later at the Kingdom Hall Akil stands alone in the back]
Brother: Hi, Akil? Do you have field service plans for Saturday?
Akil: Ah, no.
Brother: Good. Now you do. I’ll see you at the 9:30 a.m. meeting, OK?
[Akil smiles and nods to the grey-haired brother. Now in the ministry Max hands Akil his tablet to help him show a video at the door. They get invited in]
Akil: After service, Max had the group over for refreshments.
[Akil peers at the framed photos in the hallway]
Akil: Did you take these?
Max: Do you like them?
Akil: Yeah.
Max: My wife, she was always the photographer. She loved photography. And then one anniversary she went out and bought me a camera, and from that moment on, I was hooked too. Time flies so quickly. It’s hard to believe she passed away 12 years ago now.
Akil: I’m sorry.
Max: It’s OK.
Akil: But you still take pictures?
Max: I do. I really enjoy photography. There’s something about being close to Jehovah’s creation. It reminds me that we’re never really alone, you know?
[Akil’s mouth forms a soft smile as he looks at Max]
Akil: Good friends can come from unexpected places and unexpected ages. As I spent more time with Max, I realized it was just like David and Jonathan. Their friendship was based,
not on age, but on their love for Jehovah. And they helped each other.
[in Bible times Jonathan and David sit by a fire, converse, nod and smile to one another]
And with Max’s help, I was able to keep a good spiritual routine without interruption. Although we weren’t the same age, Max became my good friend. I just needed to see what was right in front of me.
[Max and Akil on a bridge overlooking a stream, cameras in hand, joined by Akil’s parents] (Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2017 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania)