Ndinabadwira m’banja lachikatolika ku Rochester, ku New York. Makolo anga anasiyana ndili ndi zaka 8. Choncho, mkati mwa wiki ndinkakhala ndi mayi anga kudera la anthu osauka, pomwe Loweruka ndi Lamlungu ndinkakhala ndi bambo anga kudera la anthu olemera. Nditaona kuti Mayi anga akuvutika kusamalira ana 6, ndinkafunitsitsa nditalemera kuti ndizithandiza abale anga.

 Bambo anga ankafunanso kuti ndikhale ndi moyo wabwino, choncho anakonza zoti ndipite kukachita maphunziro oyang’anira mahotelo. Ndinasangalala kwambiri moti ndinayamba sukuluyo. Ndinkaganiza kuti Mulungu akuyankha mapemphero anga oti ndilemere n’kukhala wosangalala. Ndinaphunzira ntchito yoyang’anira mahotelo, malamulo a zamalonda komanso kuyang’anira chuma cha makampani kwa zaka 5, uku ndikugwira ntchito pahotelo ina mu kasino ya ku Las Vegas, ku Nevada.

 Ndili ndi zaka 22, ndinali wachiwiri kwa bwana wa pahotelo yomwe inali pakasinoyo. Anthu ankaona kuti ndine wolemera komanso wosangalala. Nthawi zambiri ndinkadya chakudya chabwino komanso kumwa mowa ndi vinyo wodula kwambiri. Anthu amene ndinkagwira nawo ntchito ankakonda kunena kuti, “Mtima wako wonse uzikhala pa ndalama chifukwa ndiye chinthu chofunika kwambiri padziko lonse.” Iwo ankaona kuti ndalama ndi zimene zimathandiza munthu kukhala wosangalala.

 Ntchito yanga inkaphatikizapo kuperekera chakudya kwa anthu olemera amene ankabwera ku Las Vegas kudzatchova juga. Anthu ake anali a ndalama zambiri koma sankaoneka osangalala. Nanenso ndinayamba kukhala wosasangalala. Ndipo pamene ndalama zanga zinayamba kuchuluka, m’pamenenso ndinkasowa kwambiri mtendere ndi tulo. Ndinafika poona kuti moyo wanga ulibenso ntchito. Zitafika povuta kwambiri ndinapemphera kwa Mulungu n’kumufunsa kuti, “Kodi ndingatani kuti ndikhale wosangalala?”

 Pa nthawi imeneyi azichemwali anga awiri amene anali a Mboni anasamukira ku Las Vegas. Ndinkakana mabuku awo koma ndinkalola kuti tiziwerenga limodzi Baibulo langa. M’Baibulo langa, mawu a Yesu analembedwa m’zilembo zofiira. Azichemwali angawo ankafuna kuti tizikambirana mawu a Yesu okhaokha chifukwa ine ndinkavomereza chilichonse chimene Yesu ananena. Ndinkawerenganso Baibulo pandekha.

 Zinthu zambiri zimene ndinawerenga zinandidabwitsa kwambiri. Mwachitsanzo, Yesu ananena kuti: “Iwe popemphera usanene zinthu mobwerezabwereza ngati mmene amachitira anthu amitundu ina, chifukwa iwo amaganiza kuti Mulungu awamvera akanena mawu ambirimbiri.” (Mateyu 6:7) Koma wansembe wina anandipatsa chithunzi cha Yesu n’kunena kuti ndikamapempherera chithunzicho n’kubwereza mapemphero a Ambuye maulendo 10, komanso mapemphero otamanda Mariya maulendo 10, Mulungu akhoza kundipatsa ndalama zilizonse zimene ndingafune. Ndiye funso n’kumati, kodi pamene ndinkanena mawu amodzimodziwo, sindinkachita zimene Yesu analetsazi? Ndinawerenganso mawu a Yesu akuti: “Musamatchule aliyense kuti atate wanu padziko lapansi pano, pakuti Atate wanu ndi mmodzi, wakumwamba Yekhayo.” (Mateyu 23:9) Ndiye ndinkadzifunsa kuti, ‘N’chifukwa chiyani ineyo ndi akatolika anzanga timanena ansembe athu kuti “Atate”?’

 Koma maganizo anga pa nkhani ya zinthu zimene zingatithandize kukhala wosangalala anasintha nditawerenga buku la Yakobo. Mu chaputala 4, Yakobo analemba kuti: “Kodi simukudziwa kuti kuchita ubwenzi ndi dziko n’kudziika pa udani ndi Mulungu? Choncho, aliyense amene akufuna kukhala bwenzi la dziko akudzisandutsa mdani wa Mulungu.” (Yakobo 4:4) Mfundo imene inandikhudza kwambiri ndi ya muvesi 17. Likunena kuti: “Chotero, ngati munthu akudziwa kuchita chabwino koma sakuchichita, akuchimwa.” Choncho ndinaitana azichemwali anga n’kuwauza kuti basi ndikufuna kusiya kugwira ntchito kuhotelo yomwe ili kukasino kuja chifukwa kunkachitika zinthu ngati juga komanso dyera zomwe si zabwino.

 Ndinkafuna kuti ndikhale pa ubwenzi wabwino ndi Mulungu, makolo anga komanso abale anga. Choncho ndinaganiza zoti ndisinthe n’kuyamba moyo wosalira zambiri. Koma kusintha kumeneku sikunali kwa pafupi. Mwachitsanzo kuhotelo komwe ndinkagwira ntchito kuja anandiuza kuti andikweza udindo ndipo ndalama zomwe ndizilandira ndi zochuluka kuwirikiza katatu zimene ndinkalandira kale. Koma nditaipempherera nkhaniyi ndinaona kuti ndisapange zimenezo. Ndinasiya ntchitoyo n’kupita kumakakhala mugalaja ya mayi anga. Kenako ndinayamba kabizinesi kakang’ono kokonza mamenyu a m’malesitiranti.

 Baibulo linandithandiza kuti ndidziwe zinthu zofunika kwambiri koma sindinkapitabe kumisonkhano ya Mboni za Yehova. Tsiku lina mchemwali wanga anandifunsa kuti ndimuuze chifukwa chake a Mboni sankandisangalatsa. Ndinamuyankha kuti: “Chifukwa chakuti Mulungu wanu Yehova amagawanitsa mabanja. Nthawi imene ndimakonda kucheza ndi achibale anga ndi pa Khirisimasi ndi pa befide koma inuyo simuchita nawo maholide amenewo.” Ndiye mchemwali wanga wina anangoyamba kulira n’kundifunsa kuti: “Kodi masiku ena onse pachaka mumakhala muli kuti? Ifetu timakhala okonzeka kukulandirani pa masiku onsewa. Koma inuyo mumangofuna kuti muzikakamizika kubwera pa maholide okha.” Mawu akewo anandikhudza kwambiri moti nanenso ndinayamba kulira.

 Ndinazindikira kuti ndinkalakwitsa kwambiri chifukwa a Mboni za Yehova amakonda kwambiri anthu a m’banja lawo. Ndinaganiza zoti ndikapezeke pamisonkhano ku Nyumba ya Ufumu. Nditafika kumeneko ndinakumana ndi Kelvin yemwe amadziwa kuphunzitsa bwino Baibulo ndipo anayamba kuphunzira nane.

 Kelvin ndi mkazi wake ankakhala moyo wosalira zambiri n’cholinga choti azikhala ndi nthawi yambiri yophunzitsa anthu ena Baibulo. Ankasunga ndalama pang’onopang’ono zomwe zinawathandiza kuti athe kupita ku Africa komanso ku Central America komwe ankathandiza kumanga nthambi za Mboni za Yehova. Ankaoneka osangalala kwambiri ndipo ankakonda kwambiri. Nditaona zimenezi ndinaganiza kuti, ‘Umenewu ndiye moyo umene ndimafuna.’

 Kelvin anandionetsa vidiyo inayake yosonyeza mmene a Mboni amasangalalira. Pompo ndinayamba kulakalaka kukhala mmishonale. Mu 1995, nditaphunzira Baibulo kwa miyezi 6 ndinabatizidwa kukhala wa Mboni za Yehova. Ndiye m’malo mopempha Mulungu kuti andipatse chuma ndinayamba kumupempha kuti: “Musandipatse umphawi kapena chuma.”—⁠Miyambo 30:8.

 Panopa ndikuona kuti ndapeza chuma chenicheni osati ndalama koma chauzimu. Ine ndi mkazi wanga Nuria tinakumana koyamba ku Honduras ndipo takhala tikuchita limodzi umishonale ku Panama ndi ku Mexico. Baibulo limanena zoona likamanena kuti: “Madalitso a Yehova ndi amene amalemeretsa, ndipo sawonjezerapo ululu.”—⁠Miyambo 10:22.