Ndakhulela kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo ezaziwa ngoburhalarhume neziyobisi kwisixeko saseLos Angeles, kwiphondo laseKhalifoniya eMerika. Sasibathandathu ekhaya, ibe mna ndandingowesibini.

Umama wasikhulisela ecaweni. Sekunjalo, nakuba ebufaneni ndandihamba icawa, ndandiyiqhuba nemikhuba ecaleni. NgeCawa ndandicula ekwayareni yecawa. Phakathi evekini, ndandisiya ezipatini, ndisebenzisa iziyobisi ibe namantombi ndingawayekanga.

Ndandinomsindo osempumlweni ibe ndineengcwangu. Xa kusiliwa, ndandichola nantoni na ephambi kwam. Izinto endandizifunda ecaweni zazingandincedi nganto. Ndandidla ngokuthi, “Impindezelo yeyeNkosi—ibe isebenzisa mna lo!” Xa ndandifunda amabanga aphakamileyo ngeminyaka yee-1960, ndandithe swii yiBlack Panthers, oophuma-silwe bezopolitiko ababesilwela amalungelo abantu. Nam ndaba lilungu lephiko labafundi leqela elalisilwela amalungelo abantu. Saqhankqalaza kaninzi, ibe onke loo maxesha sasiye sivalwe isikolo.

Ndandingasaneliswa kukuqhankqalaza nje kuphela, ngoko ndaqalisa ukuhlasela abantu bezinye iintlanga. Ngokomzekelo, ngenye imini mna nabahlobo bam sabukela imuvi eyayibonisa indlela ababephethwe kakubi ngayo abantu abamnyama ababengamakhoboka eMerika. Sicatshukiswa yiloo nto, sangomba kanobom ulutsha olungabelungu olwalulapho. Saya nakwindawo ehlala abelungu, sibafun’ eziqwini.

Ndathi ndingekabi nayo neminyaka eyi-20, sabe nabantakwethu siziindlavini ezivunyiweyo. Amapolisa ayehlala esithe nca. Omnye wabaninawa bam wayekwiqela lemigulukudu, ibe nam ndandikhe ndihambe nalo. Ndaye ndisiba nguncanyelweni.

Ndandinomhlobo owayenabazali abangamaNgqina kaYehova. Bandimemela kwiintlanganiso zamaNgqina, ibe ndaya. Zisuka nje, ndawabona ukuba ahlukile. Wonke umntu wayeneBhayibhile, ibe wayeyisebenzisa. Nabantu abatsha babenikela iintetho! Ndavuyiswa nakukufunda ukuba uThixo unegama elinguYehova, nokuliva lisetyenziswa. (INdumiso 83:18) Kwakukho iintlanga ngeentlanga apho, kodwa kwakucaca ukuba azicalulani.

 Ekuqaleni ndandingakufuni ukufunda iBhayibhile namaNgqina, kodwa ndandikuthanda ukuya kwiintlanganiso zawo. Ngobunye ubusuku xa ndandiye kwintlanganiso yamaNgqina, abahlobo bam babeye komnye umnyhadala. Apho baxhimfa omnye umfanyana de bambulala, kuba nje wayengafuni kubanika isilamba sakhe sesikhumba. Kusuku olulandelayo, baqhayisa ngobo bugwinta. Xa babesenkundleni bahleka ngokungathi lityala elingenamsebenzi elo. Uninzi lwabo lwagwetywa ubomi ngaphaya kwezitshixo. Ndavuya kakhulu kuba ndandingekho apho ngobo busuku. Ndagqiba kwelokuba ndibutshintshe ubomi bam, ndize ndiqalise ukufunda iBhayibhile.

Nakuba ndandiqhele ukubona ucalucalulo lobuhlanga, ndabona into emangalisayo kumaNgqina. Ngokomzekelo, xa elinye iNgqina elingumlungu laliza kuya kwelinye ilizwe, laye lashiya abantwana balo kwintsapho engabantu abamnyama. Kwakhona, enye intsapho yabelungu yamkela umfana omnyama ukuba ahlale ekhayeni labo xa wayedinga indawo yokuhlala. Ndatsho ndaqonda ukuba amazwi awathethwa nguYesu kuYohane 13:35 athi, “ngako oko bonke baya kwazi ukuba ningabafundi bam, ukuba ninothando phakathi kwenu,” angena gingci kumaNgqina kaYehova. Ndaqonda nokuba ndifumene abazalwana bokwenene.

Ekufundeni kwam iBhayibhile, ndaqalisa ukubona ukuba ndimele ndiguqule indlela endicinga ngayo, ndinganeli nje kukwenza izinto ezibonisa ukuba ndinoxolo, kodwa ndiyiphile loo nto. (Roma 12:2) Ndaya ndiphucula ngokuthe ngcembe. NgoJanuwari 1974, ndabhaptizwa ndaliNgqina likaYehova.

Kwafuneka ndiqhubeke ndisilwa ukuba neengcwangu nasemva kokuba ndibhaptiziwe. Ngokomzekelo, ngenye imini xa ndandikumsebenzi wokufundisa abantu iBhayibhile emakhayeni abo, ndaleqa isela elalibe irediyo emotweni yam. Xa ndisondele kulo, layilahla phantsi laza labaleka. Xa ndandibalisela abo ndandihamba nabo indlela endiyifumene ngayo irediyo yam, umdala owayekwelo qela wandibuza, “Stephen, ubuza kwenzani xa ulifumene ela sela?” Loo mbuzo wandenza ndacinga, waza wandikhuthaza ukuba ndisukele uxolo.

Ngo-Oktobha ka-1974 ndaqalisa ukufundisa abantu iBhayibhile ixesha elizeleyo, ndichitha iiyure eziyi-100 nyanga nganye. Kamva, ndavuyiswa kukusebenza kwikomkhulu lamaNgqina kaYehova eliseBrooklyn, eNew York. Ngo-1978 ndabuyela eLos Angeles ukuze ndinyamekele umama wam owayegula. Emva kweminyaka emibini, ndatshata inkosikazi yam endiyithandayo uAarhonda. Wandixhasa ngeyona ndlela xa sasinyamekela umama, de wasweleka. Emva kwexesha, saya kwiSikolo seBhayibhile seWatchtower saseGiliyadi, saza sathunyelwa ePanama, saqhubeka apho singabavangeli basemazweni.

Oko ndabhaptizwa, zininzi izinto endikhe ndadibana nazo ezazinokundenza ndigqajukelwe ngumsindo. Kodwa ndiye ndafunda ukubashiya abantu abacaphukisayo, okanye ndizame ukulungisa ingxaki ngaphandle komsindo. Abantu abaninzi, kuquka umkam, baye bandincoma ngendlela endiye ndazilungisa ngayo iimeko ezinjalo. Nam ndikhe ndothuke yindlela entle endisabela ngayo kwezinye iimeko! Andizingombi sifuba ngako oko. Ukusuk’ apho, ndikholelwa ukuba yiBhayibhile enamandla okutshintsha umntu.—Hebhere 4:12.

IBhayibhile indincede ndaphila ubomi obunenjongo nobunoxolo. Andisangombi bantu ngoku, kunoko ndibafundisa ngoThixo. Ndide ndafunda iBhayibhile nomfo owayelutshaba lwam esikolweni! Kangangokuba sakhe sahlala kunye kangangethuba elithile emva kokuba ebhaptiziwe. Sisengumtya nethunga nanamhlanje. Sithethanje, mna nenkosikazi siye sanceda abantu abangaphezu kwe-80 baba ngamaNgqina kaYehova ngokubafundisa iBhayibhile.

Ndimbulela kakhulu uYehova ngokundinika ubomi obunenjongo nobuzaliswe lulonwabo nabazalwana bokwenene.