Mida yɛ Los Angeles, ni yɔɔ California yɛ U.S.A. lɛ, ni mihi akutsei srɔtoi ni awuiyelɔi akui kɛ mɛi ni kɛ tsofai tsuɔ nii yɛ gbɛ ni ejaaa nɔ yɔɔ mli lɛ amli. Afɔ́ wɔyi ekpaa, ni mi ji enyɔ nɔ.

Wɔmami tsɔse wɔ yɛ evangelical sɔlemɔ ko mli. Shi be ni miye afii 13 kɛyaa lɛ, mibaná jeŋbai enyɔ. Kɛ́ shɛ Hɔgbaa lɛ, mifataa kuu ni láa yɛ sɔlemɔ lɛ mli lɛ he kɛláa. Shi yɛ gbii ni eshwɛ lɛ amli lɛ, mikɛ mihe woɔ yeli kɛ numɔ mli, mikɛ tsofai tsuɔ nii yɛ gbɛ ni ejaaa nɔ, ni mikɛ mihe woɔ bɔlɛnamɔ jeŋba sha mli.

Mitsui shaa mi, ni miyitsoŋ wa waa. Mifeɔ nɔ fɛɛ nɔ ni baahã minine ashɛ nɔ ni mitaoɔ lɛ nɔ. Nibii ni mikase yɛ sɔlemɔ lɛ yeee ebuaa mi. Nɔ ni mifɔɔ kɛɛmɔ ji, “Nuŋtsɔ lɛ nɔ ji oweletɔɔ lɛ—ni miji edɛŋdade!” Yɛ afi 1960 naagbee gbɛ be ni miyɔɔ sɛkɛndre skul lɛ, maŋkwramɔŋ kuu ko ni bɔɔ mɔdɛŋ akɛ amɛkɛ basabasafeemɔ baafã mla naa hegbɛi ni mɛi yɔɔ lɛ ahe, ni atsɛɔ amɛ Black Panthers lɛ, ná minɔ hewalɛ waa. Miyafata skulbii akuu ko ni fãa mla naa hegbɛi ni skulbii yɔɔ lɛ he lɛ he. Wɔte shi wɔshi skul nɔyelɔi lɛ shii abɔ, ni be fɛɛ be ni ebaaba lɛ nakai lɛ, ahãa skulbii lɛ fɛɛ yaa shĩa be fioo.

Etamɔ nɔ ni shiteekɛwoo nifeemɔi lɛ hu shɛɛɛ minaa. No hewɔ lɛ, mikɛ mihe yabɔ mɛi ni kɛ hetsɛ̃ yeɔ mɛi awui lɛ ahe. Akɛ nɔkwɛmɔnɔ lɛ, be ko lɛ mikɛ minanemɛi lɛ yakwɛ sini ko ni kɔɔ niseniianii ni afee nyɔji ni ahe kɛjɛ Afrika kɛba United States lɛ he. Nɔ ni afee mɛi diji lɛ dɔ wɔ waa, no hewɔ lɛ wɔdɔ ma wɔshwie blɔfo gbekɛbii ni yɔɔ he ni ajieɔ sini lɛ yɛ lɛ anɔ, ni wɔtsoo amɛ jogbaŋŋ. Kɛkɛ ni wɔtee akutsei ni blɔfomɛi yɔɔ mli lɛ amli koni wɔyatao mɛi babaoo wɔyi.

Be ni mináa afii 19 lɛ, abale mi kɛ minyɛmimɛi hii lɛ akɛ awuiyelɔi. Polisifoi mɔmɔ wɔ shii abɔ. Minyɛmimɛi hii bibii lɛ ateŋ mɔ kome fata awuiyelɔi akuu ko ni he yɔɔ gbeyei lɛ ahe, ni mikɛ amɛ bɔ. Agbɛnɛ lɛ, mishihilɛ mli miiwo wu kwraa.

Miyɛ naanyo ko, ni efɔlɔi ji Yehowa Odasefoi. Amɛfɔ̃ mi nine koni mikɛ amɛ aya asafoŋ kpee, ní mikpɛlɛ. Be ni mibɔi yaa nɔŋŋ lɛ, miyɔse akɛ esoro Odasefoi lɛ kwraa. Mɔ fɛɛ mɔ hiɛɔ Biblia, ni amɛkwɛɔ mli be ni kpee lɛ yaa nɔ lɛ. Gbekɛbii po hãa wiemɔ yɛ kpee lɛ shishi! Be ni miná mile akɛ Nyɔŋmɔ gbɛ́i ji Yehowa, ni akɛmiitsu nii lɛ, miná miishɛɛ waa. (Lala 83:19)  Mɛi ni jɛ maji srɔtoi anɔ yɛ asafo lɛ mli, shi eyɛ faŋŋ akɛ hewolonɔ su mlijiemɔ ko kwraa bɛ amɛteŋ.

Shishijee lɛ, kulɛ misumɔɔɔ ni mikɛ Odasefoi lɛ kaseɔ Biblia lɛ, shi miisumɔ ni maya amɛsafoŋ kpeei lɛ. Gbi ko gbɛkɛ be ni mitee Odasefoi lɛ akpeei lɛ, minanemɛi lɛ ekomɛi tee amɛyakwɛ sini. Amɛyi gbekɛ nuu ko aahu kɛyashi egbo, akɛni ekɛ ekootu hãaa amɛ lɛ hewɔ. Enɔ jetsɛremɔ lɛ, amɛkɛ gbekɛ lɛ ni amɛgbe lɛ shwã. Be ni ayeɔ amɛsane lɛ, amɛnaaa po akɛ amɛfee nɔ ko gbonyo. Akojo amɛteŋ mɛi pii akɛ amɛbaaye amɛwala be ni eshwɛ lɛ yɛ tsuŋwoo mli. Eŋɔɔ minaa waa akɛ mikɛ amɛ eyaaa nakai gbɛkɛ lɛ. Mitswa mifai shi akɛ matsake mishihilɛ ní mabɔi Biblia lɛ kasemɔ.

Akɛni hewolonɔ su mlijiemɔ ehe mitsui waa hewɔ lɛ, nibii komɛi ni mina yɛ Odasefoi lɛ ahe lɛ fee mi naakpɛɛ waa. Akɛ nɔkwɛmɔnɔ lɛ, be ni Odasefonyo ko ni ji blɔfonyo lɛ miifã gbɛ lɛ, eshi ebii lɛ ehã mɛidiji aweku ko. Agbɛnɛ hu lɛ, blɔfomɛi aweku ko ŋɔ oblanyo ko ni ji mɔdiŋ ní miitao he ko ahi lɛ kɛba amɛshĩa. Enɛ hã mina faŋŋ akɛ, bɔ ni Yehowa Odasefoi lɛ feɔ amɛ nii lɛ kɛ nɔ ni Yesu wie yɛ Yohane 13:35 ni kɛɔ akɛ: “Kɛji nyɛsumɔɔ nyɛhe lɛ, no mɛi fɛɛ kɛbaale akɛ mikaselɔi ji nyɛ” lɛ kpãa gbee. Mina akɛ mibafata nyɛmimɛi ni sumɔɔ amɛhe lɛɛlɛŋ lɛ ahe.

Be ni mibɔi Biblia lɛ kasemɔ lɛ, mibana akɛ ehe miihia ni matsake misusumɔi. Ehe bahia ni matsake mijwɛŋmɔ jeee koni mikɛ mɛi ahi shi yɛ toiŋjɔlɛ mli pɛ kɛkɛ, shi moŋ lɛ, koni ale mi akɛ mɔ ni tiuɔ toiŋjɔlɛ sɛɛ. (Romabii 12:2) Fiofio lɛ, mifee tsakemɔi. Yɛ January 1974 lɛ, abaptisi mi akɛ Yehowa Odasefonyo.

Shi be ni abaptisi mi lɛ sɛɛ po lɛ, ehe bahia ni makudɔ bɔ ni mitsui shaa mi lɛ. Akɛ nɔkwɛmɔnɔ lɛ, be ko be ni wɔmiishiɛ yɛ shĩ fɛɛ shĩa lɛ, miwo foi kɛyi mɔ ko ni baju mikar lɛ mli redio lɛ sɛɛ. Be ni mibɛŋkɛ lɛ lɛ, eŋmɛɛ redio lɛ he ni ejo foi. Be ni mikɛɛ mɛi ni fata mihe lɛ bɔ ni fee ni minine shɛ miredio lɛ nɔ, asafoŋ onukpa ko ni fata he lɛ bi mi akɛ, “Stephen, eji omɔ lɛ kulɛ mɛni obaafee?” Sanebimɔ nɛɛ hã mijwɛŋ waa, ni ehã mina akɛ esa akɛ maya nɔ matiu toiŋjɔlɛ sɛɛ.

Yɛ October 1974 lɛ, mibɔi sɔɔmɔ akɛ be fɛɛ sɔɔlɔ, ni mikɛ ŋmɛlɛtswai 100 tsɔɔ mɛi Biblia lɛ mli saji daa nyɔɔŋ nɔ. Sɛɛ mli lɛ, mikɛ mihe hã akɛ matsu nii yɛ Yehowa Odasefoi ajeŋ muu fɛɛ nitsumɔhe yitso ni yɔɔ Brooklyn, yɛ New York lɛ. Yɛ afi 1978 mli lɛ, miku misɛɛ miba Los Angeles koni mibakwɛ minyɛ ni he miiye lɛ. Afii enyɔ sɛɛ lɛ, mikɛ Aarhonda bote gbala mli. Eye ebua mi waa kɛkwɛ minyɛ kɛyashi minyɛ gbo. Sɛɛ mli lɛ, mi kɛ Aarhonda tee Buu-Mɔɔ Gilead Biblia Skul lɛ eko, ni ahã wɔyasɔmɔ yɛ Panama akɛ maŋsɛɛ sɔɔlɔi, ni wɔkã he wɔmiisɔmɔ yɛ jɛmɛ.

Kɛjɛ be ni abaptisi mi nɛɛ, mikɛ shihilɛi srɔtoi ni kulɛ ebaahã malɛmɔ atswɛrɛ naa lɛ ekpe. Amrɔ nɛɛ kɛ́ mɔ ko tsɔ̃ minaa lɛ, mitsiɔ mihe kɛjeɔ ehe loo mitsɔɔ gbɛi krokomɛi anɔ mijɔɔ sane lɛ he. Mɛi pii, ni miŋa hu fata he lɛ, ejie miyi waa yɛ bɔ ni mitsuɔ shihilɛi ni tamɔ nɛkɛ lɛ ahe nii lɛ hewɔ. Mi diɛŋtsɛ po lɛ, efeɔ mi naakpɛɛ! Jeee minyɛmɔ naa minyɛ mifee tsakemɔi nɛɛ yɛ mishihilɛ mli. Moŋ lɛ, miheɔ miyeɔ akɛ, eji odaseyeli ni tsɔɔ akɛ Biblia lɛ yɛ hewalɛ ni ekɛtsakeɔ mɛi.—Hebribii 4:12.

Biblia lɛ ehã mitsɔ gbɔmɔ, ni etsɔɔ mi bɔ ni mafee mikɛ mɛi ahi shi yɛ toiŋjɔlɛ mli. Amrɔ nɛɛ miyiii mɛi dɔŋŋ; moŋ lɛ miyeɔ mibua amɛ koni amɛbale Nyɔŋmɔ. Mi kɛ mɔ ko ni ji mihenyɛlɔ yɛ sɛkɛndre skul lɛ po kase Biblia lɛ! Be ni abaptisi lɛ lɛ, mi kɛ lɛ yahi tsu kome mli be fioo. Wɔkã he wɔji nanemɛi. Kɛbashi ŋmɛnɛ lɛ, mi kɛ miŋa kɛ mɛi ni fa fe 80 ekase Biblia lɛ ni amɛbatsɔmɔ Yehowa Odasefoi.

Midaa Yehowa shi babaoo akɛ ehã miná shihilɛ kpakpa, ni ehã miná miishɛɛ yɛ nyɛmimɛi ni sumɔɔ amɛhe lɛɛlɛŋ lɛ ateŋ.