Greetings to you in Jesus' name. I am a young man and I am facing lots of problems with my girlfriend. Everywhere we go together, men are calling her and trying to take her away from me. She said she is not interested in them, so I told her she should not smile with them when we are together. We used to attend the same school and she got involved with one of the male students. He took her virginity but the relationship did not last long because he got himself in trouble with the law.

Pastor, I am very jealous of her. She stays with me sometimes. I want to marry her but my father always tell us that we should never get married until the girls we are in love with get pregnant. Her parents filed for her so she doesn't want to get married until her papers come through. She will go away and come back and marry me. Every time I think about her going away, I get nervous because I believe her people wouldn't want her to come back and marry me.

Her parents are teachers and she is going to college out here. I do plumbing. I feel that you can give me some good advice.

R.C., St Catherine

Dear R.C.,

Don't worry. Please, understand that other men will always see and admire your girlfriend. However, admiring her does not mean she will respond to them and become emotionally or sexually involved with them. You need not worry. If this woman loves you, she may endeavour to be truthful and faithful to you. If she wants to be unfaithful to you, she would do it.

Concerning what your father told his sons about getting women pregnant before they marry them. That was a very poor advice coming from a father. I hope you will do the most honourable thing by protecting this young woman from getting pregnant.

You have a good trade. Plumbers are well paid. If you want, you probably should go back to school and make sure you are certified.

You are a very jealous young man. You need to be more assertive and have more confidence in yourself. You will surely lose this young lady if you believe you have the right to tell her what she should or should not do.

Pastor