Ndinakulira m’madera osiyanasiyana a ku Los Angeles, m’chigawo cha California, m’dziko la United States. M’maderawa munkakhala achinyamata okonda kugwiritsa ntchito mankhwala osokoneza bongo komanso kuchita zachiwawa. Kwathu tinabadwa ana 6, anyamata 4 ndi atsikana awiri.

Mayi ankapita nafe kutchalitchi cha evanjeliko. Koma ndili mnyamata ndinkakhala moyo wachiphamaso. Lamlungu lililonse, ndinkaimba kwaya kutchalitchi. Koma masiku ena onse ndinkangokhalira kupita kumaphwando, kumwa mankhwala osokoneza bongo ndiponso kuchita zachiwerewere.

Ndinali wamtima wapachala komanso wokonda ndewu. Ndipo ndinkagwiritsa ntchito chilichonse chimene chandiyandikira ngati chida chomenyera anthu. Zomwe ndinkaphunzira kutchalitchi sizinandithandize kusintha khalidweli. Ndikamamenyana ndi anthu ndinkakonda kunena kuti, “Kubwezera ndi kwa Mulungu ndipo ine ndi chida chake.” Chakumapeto kwa m’ma 1960, pa nthawi imene ndinali kusekondale, ndinayamba kutengera zochita za anthu a m’gulu linalake la ndale limene linkamenyera ufulu wa anthu pogwiritsa ntchito mphamvu. Kenako ndinalowa m’gulu la ana a sukulu lomenyera ufulu wa anthu. Tinachita zionetsero maulendo angapo ndipo nthawi iliyonse tikachita zionetserozi, sukulu inkatsekedwa kwa kanthawi.

Komabe sindinkakhutira ndi kuchita zionetsero kokha. Choncho ndinayamba kudana ndi anthu a mitundu ina ndipo ndinayamba kuwachitira nkhanza. Mwachitsanzo, nthawi ina ndili ndi anzanga tinaonera filimu yosonyeza mmene akapolo a ku Africa anazunzidwira ku United States. Zimenezi zinatikwiyitsa kwambiri moti nthawi yomweyo tinayamba kumenya azungu achinyamata amene ankaonera nawo filimuyo. Kenako tinayamba kusakasaka m’nyumba za anthu oyandikana nawo kuti tikapeza azungu tiziwamenya.

Mmene ndinkakwanitsa zaka 20, ine ndi mchimwene wanga tinali titapalamula milandu ikuluikulu yokhudzana ndi zachiwawa moti tinkangoti tagwidwa tagwidwanso. Mng’ono wanga wina anali m’gulu la zigawenga zoopsa ndipo nanenso ndinayamba kuchita nawo zauchigawenga. Moyo wanga unkangoipiraipirabe.

Makolo a mnzanga wina anali a Mboni za Yehova. Iwo anandipempha kuti ndidzapite kumisonkhano ya mpingo wawo ndipo ndinalola. Nditapitako tsiku loyamba, ndinaoneratu kuti a Mboni ndi osiyana ndi anthu ena. Aliyense anali ndi Baibulo ndipo ankaliwerenga nthawi ya misonkhanoyo. Komanso achinyamata ena ankakamba nkhani. Ndinadabwa nditamva kuti  Mulungu ali ndi dzina, lomwe ndi Yehova, ndipo ndinamva akuligwiritsa ntchito pamisonkhanopo. (Salimo 83:18) Mumpingowu munali anthu a mitundu yosiyanasiyana moti ndinachita kuoneratu kuti mulibe zosankhana mitundu.

Poyamba ndinkangofuna ndizipita kumisonkhano yawo basi osati kumaphunzira Baibulo ndi munthu wa Mboni. Tsiku lina usiku, anzanga anapita kudansi ndipo pa nthawiyi n’kuti ine ndili kumisonkhano ya Mboni za Yehova. Ali kumeneko, anzangawo anamenya mnyamata wina mpaka kumupha chifukwa choti ankakana kuwapatsa jekete lake. Kutacha, anzangawo ankachita kudzichemerera kuti apha munthu. Atapita kukhoti, analibe nazo ntchito zoti apha munthu moti ankangozitenga ngati zamasewera. Komatu anaona zakudza chifukwa ambiri analamulidwa kuti akakhale kundende moyo wawo wonse. Ndinasangalala kwambiri kuti ine kunalibeko pa tsiku limene anapha munthulo. Ndinaona kuti ndikufunika kusintha moyo wanga moti ndinayamba kuphunzira Baibulo.

Popeza ndinakula ndi moyo watsankho, ndinkachita chidwi kwambiri ndi zimene a Mboni ankachita. Mwachitsanzo, pa nthawi ina banja linalake la a Mboni achizungu linkachoka, ndipo linasiyira ana ake banja la a Mboni achikuda. Komanso banja lina lachizungu linkakhala ndi mnyamata wachikuda yemwe ankasowa pokhala. Ndinaona kuti a Mboni za Yehova amatsatira zimene Yesu ananena pa Yohane 13:35. Palembali, iye anati: “Onse adzadziwa kuti ndinu ophunzira anga, ngati mukukondana.” Sindinkakayikira kuti ndapeza abale anga enieni.

Nditayamba kuphunzira Baibulo, ndinazindikira kuti ndikufunika kusintha mmene ndimaganizira. Ndinafunika kusintha maganizo anga kuti ndizichita zinthu mwamtendere komanso kuona kuti kuchita zimenezi n’kofunika kwambiri pamoyo wanga. (Aroma 12:2) Ndinkasintha pang’onopang’no moti mu January 1974, ndinabatizidwa n’kukhala wa Mboni za Yehova.

Nthawi zina zinkandivutabe kuugwira mtima ngakhale pambuyo pobatizidwa. Mwachitsanzo, tsiku lina ndikulalikira kunyumba ndi nyumba, mbava inaba wailesi m’galimoto mwanga ndipo ndinaithamangitsa. Nditatsala pang’ono kuigwira, inaponyera pansi wailesiyo n’kupitiriza kuthawa. Nditafotokozera anzanga amene ndinkalalikira nawo kuti ndalanditsa wailesi yomwe inabedwa, mkulu wa mumpingo mwathu anandifunsa kuti, “Stephen, mbavayo ukanaigwira ukanaitani?” Funso limeneli linandipangitsa kuti ndiganize mofatsa komanso kuti ndiziyesetsa kumachita zinthu mwamtendere.

Mu October 1974, ndinayamba utumiki wanthawi zonse ndipo mwezi ulionse ndinkathera maola 100 pa ntchito yophunzitsa anthu Baibulo. Kenako, ndinayamba kutumikira kulikulu la padziko lonse la Mboni za Yehova lomwe lili ku Brooklyn, mumzinda wa New York. Mu 1978, ndinabwerera ku Los Angeles kukasamalira mayi anga omwe ankadwala kwambiri. Patapita zaka ziwiri, ndinakwatirana ndi Aarhonda. Mkazi wangayu anandithandiza kwambiri kusamalira mayi anga mpaka pamene mayiwa anamwalira. Kenako ine ndi Aarhonda tinalowa Sukulu ya Giliyadi Yophunzitsa Baibulo ndipo titamaliza maphunziro tinatumizidwa ku Panama, komwe tikutumikira monga amishonale.

Kuyambira nthawi imene ndinabatizidwa, ndimakumanabe ndi zinthu zina zimene zingandipangitse kuti ndisaugwire mtima. Anthu akandiputa, ndimangochokapo kuopera kuti ndingachite zachiwawa. Mkazi wanga komanso anthu ena ambiri amandiyamikira chifukwa chakuti ndimayesetsa kuugwira mtima. Moti ndekhanso sindimvetsa mmene ndinasinthira. Ndimaona kuti sindinasinthe chifukwa cha nzeru zanga koma chifukwa chakuti Baibulo lili ndi mphamvu zotha kusintha munthu.—Aheberi 4:12.

Baibulo landithandiza kuti ndikhale ndi moyo wosangalala komanso kuti ndizichita zinthu mwamtendere. Panopa ndinasiya kumenya anthu koma ndimawaphunzitsa Baibulo kuti akhale ndi moyo wabwino. Mwachitsanzo, ndinaphunzira Baibulo ndi munthu yemwe ndinkadana naye pa nthawi imene ndinali kusekondale. Atabatizidwa, tinakhala nyumba imodzi kwakanthawi ndipo ndi mnzanga wapamtima mpaka pano. Pofika pano, ine ndi mkazi wanga tathandiza anthu oposa 80 kuphunzira Baibulo ndipo anabatizidwa n’kukhala a Mboni za Yehova.

Ndimathokoza kwambiri Yehova chifukwa chondithandiza kusintha moyo wanga komanso pondipatsa mwayi wosangalala ndi ubale wa padziko lonse.