Ndazalelwa kwidolophu iCalgary, eseAlberta, eKhanada. Abazali bam badivosa ndiselusana, ndaza mna nomama sayokuhlala nomakhulu notatomkhulu. Babesithanda kakhulu ibe ndandonwabile. Ndiyikhumbula kakuhle indlela endandonwabe ngayo ndisemncinci.

 Ubomi bam batshintsha xa ndandineminyaka esixhenxe. Abazali bam baphinda batshata, saza sayokuhlala eSt.Louis, eseMissouri, eUnited States. Ndakhawuleza ndabona ukuba utata ukhohlakele. Ngokomzekelo, kwisikolo sam esitsha ndabethwa ngabantwana endandifunda nabo ndaza andazilwela. Xa ndandifika endlini utata wayazi loo nto. Waba nomsindo nyhani waza wandibetha kakhulu ukodlula abantwana basesikolweni. Ndafunda isifundo, ndaza ndaqalisa ukulwa ndineminyaka esixhenxe.

 Umama waba ngumntu onomsindo nongonwabanga ngenxa yokuba utata wayengakwazi ukubamba umsindo wakhe ibe babesoloko bexabana. Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-11 ndaqala ukusebenzisa kakubi iziyobisi notywala. Ndaya ndisiba ngumntu ondlongondlongo ndisoloko ndisilwa nabantu. Ndathi ndigqiba isikolo, ndabe ndinguphuma silwe.

 Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-18, ndayokubhalisela ukufunda kwi-U.S. Marine Corps. Kulapho ndafunda khona indlela yokubulala umntu. Emva kweminyaka emihlanu, ndawushiya umkhosi ndaya esikolweni ndiyokufunda ngengqondo yabantu kuba ndandifuna ukufumana umsebenzi kwiFederal Bureau of Investigation. Ndafunda kwiyunivesithi yaseUnited States ndaza ndaqhubekeka kweseKhanada xa ndabuyela khona.

 Eyunivesithi ndaphoxwa kakhulu ngabantu. Babebonakala becingela iziqu zabo zodwa, kungekho njongo nje emhlabeni ibe iingxaki zabantu zazibonakala zingalungiseki. Ndabona ukuba abantu abanakuwulungisa umhlaba.

 Kuba ndandingayazi ukuba ndiphilela ntoni, eyona nto yayibalulekile kum yayibutywala, iziyobisi, imali nokulala namantombi. Ndandisoloko ndisezipatini, nditshintshatshintsha namantombi. Kuba ndandikhe ndasemkhosini, ndandizithembe gqithi ibe ndandisoloko ndisilwa. Ndandithethisa nabani na ophatha kakubi abanye abantu kuba ndandicinga ukuba ndiyayazi eyona nto ilungileyo nengalunganga. Kodwa eyona nyani kukuba ndandilawulwa ngumsindo.

 Ngenye imini, mna nomhlobo wam sasihleli kwigumbi elingaphantsi ekhaya ibe sasiqhunyiwe. Sasilungiselela ukuthumela intsangu esasiyithengisa ngokungekho semthethweni waza umhlobo wam wandibuza ukuba ndiyakholelwa na kuThixo. Ndathi, “Ukuba nguThixo lo wenza siphile kabuhlungu kangaka, andifuni kwanto endidibanisa naye.” Ngemini elandelayo, eyayilusuku lwam lokuqala kumsebenzi wam omtsha, ndadibana neNgqina lasemsebenzini elathi, “Ucinga ukuba nguThixo obangela ukuba siphile kabuhlungu kangaka?” Ndothuka ngenxa yento ebendiyithethe ngezolo ndaza ndanomdla. Kangangeenyanga ezintandathu ezalandelayo sasincokola ngeBhayibhile waza wandibonisa iimpendulo eziseBhayibhileni zeyona mibuzo inzima endandinayo ngobomi.

 Intombi endandiyingejile, endandihlala nayo ngela xesha, yayingafuni nokuva ngezinto endandizifundile. Ngenye imini, kwakungeCawa, ndamchazela ukuba ndicele amaNgqina ukuba azokusifundisa iBhayibhile apha endlini. Ngosuku olulandelayo, ndathi ndibuya emsebenzi ndafika ethuthe konke okwakhe wandishiya. Ndaphuma phandle ndaze ndakhala. Ndathandaza, ndimcenga uThixo ukuba andincede. Ndandiqala ngaloo mini ukusebenzisa igama likaThixo elinguYehova xa ndithandaza.​—INdu. 83:18.

 Emva kweentsuku ezimbini, ndaqalisa ukufundelwa ngamaNgqina, yayingumyeni nenkosikazi yakhe. Emva kokuba bemkile, ndayifunda ndayigqiba kwangobo busuku incwadi ababendifundela yona ethi, Unokuphila Ngonaphakade KwiParadisi Esemhlabeni. * Yandichukumisa into endandiyifunde ngoYehova uThixo nangoNyana wakhe, uYesu Kristu. Ndabona ukuba uYehova uyabavela abantu ibe uyakhathazeka xa kusenzeka izinto ezibuhlungu kuthi. (Isaya 63:9) Yandichukumisa kakhulu into yokuba uThixo endithanda nokuba uNyana wakhe wancama ubomi bakhe ngenxa yam. (1 Yohane 4:10) Ndabona ukuba uYehova ebenomonde kum “kuba akafuni kutshabalale nabani na ... kodwa angathanda ukuba wonke umntu aguquke.” (2 Petros 3:9) Ndabona ukuba uYehova ufuna ndibe ngumhlobo wakhe.​—Yohane 6:44.

 Kwangaloo veki, ndaqala ukuya kwiintlanganiso. Ndandineenwele ezinde, ndinamacici, ndisoyikeka kodwa amaNgqina andamkela ngokungathi ndisisihlobo abasigqibela kudala. AyengamaKristu okwenyani. Yayingathi ndisekhaya, kunye nomakhulu notatomkhulu kodwa ngoku kwimeko ebhetele kakhulu.

 Zange kube kudala, ubomi bam batshintsha ngenxa yezinto endandizifunda eBhayibhileni. Ndacheba iinwele, ndayeka ukuziphatha kakubi ngokwesondo nokusebenzisa kakubi iziyobisi notywala. (1 Korinte 6:9, 10; 11:14) Ndandifuna ukumvuyisa uYehova. Ngoko xa ndifunde ukuba akayithandi into endiyenzayo, ndandingazithetheleli. Endaweni yoko, ndandiye ndikhathazeke. Ndandiye ndizixelele ukuba ‘andinakuqhubeka ndisenza’ le nto ndize ndikhawuleze ndizame ukutshintsha indlela endicinga nendenza ngayo izinto. Loo nto yandinceda, kuba ubomi bam babuba bhetele xa ndisenza izinto ngendlela kaYehova. Emva kweenyanga ezintandathu ndifundelwa iBhayibhile, nge-29 kaJulayi 1989 ndabhaptizwa, ndaliNgqina LikaYehova.

 IBhayibhile iye yandinceda ndatshintsha ubuntu bam. Ndandidla ngokufuna ukulwa ngomntu ongavumelani nam. Kodwa ngoku ndizama “ukuba seluxolweni nabantu bonke.” (Roma 12:18) Akukho kwanto endiyenzileyo mna, kodwa nguYehova ondincedileyo esebenzisa iLizwi lakhe nomoya wakhe oyingcwele.​—Galati 5:22, 23; Hebhere 4:12.

 Endaweni yokuba ndilawulwe ziziyobisi, ukulwa, nokuziphatha kakubi, ngoku ndizama ukuvuyisa uYehova uThixo, ndize ndimnike konke endinako. Enye indlela endiyenza ngayo loo nto, kukunceda abantu bamazi. Emva kweminyaka embalwa ndibhaptiziwe, ndayokuhlala kwenye indawo, ukuze ndiyokuncedisa kwindawo apho kudingeka abantu bokushumayela khona. Iyandivuyisa into yokufundisa abantu abaninzi nokubona indlela iBhayibhile ebutshintsha ngayo ubomi babo. Ndivuyiswa nayinto yokuba umama waba liNgqina. Enye into eyamenza waba lilo, kukubona indlela enditshintshe ngayo.

 Ngo-1999, e-El Salvador, ndaphumelela kwisikolo ngoku esaziwa ngokuba siSikolo Sabavangeli BoBukumkani. Eso sikolo sandiqeqeshela ukukhokela kumsebenzi wokushumayela, ukufundisa nokukhathalela abanye ebandleni. Kwangalo nyaka, ndatshata umfazi wam omhle uEugenia. Sobabini ixesha lethu silichitha ekushumayeleni eGuatemala.

 Ngoku ndayeka ukuphoxwa bubomi, ndonwabe kakhulu. Ukusebenzisa izinto endizifunde eBhayibhileni kundenze ndayeka ukuziphatha kakubi ngokwesondo nokuthanda ukulwa. Kundincede ndafumana uthando lokwenene noxolo.