Nnakulira mu kibuga Los Angeles, mu ssaza lya California mu Amerika, mu kitundu ekyalimu abayaaye bangi abaakozesanga ebiragalalagala. Twazaalibwa abaana mukaaga, era nze ow’okubiri.

Maama yafuba okutukuza nga twagala nnyo Katonda. Naye bwe nnatuuka mu myaka egy’obuvubuka, nnatandika okwenyigira mu bikolwa ebibi. Ku Ssande nnayimbanga mu kkanisa, kyokka mu nnaku endala nnabeeranga ku bubaga, nnakozesanga ebiragalalagala, era nneenyigiranga mu bikolwa eby’obugwenyufu.

Nnali nsunguwala mangu nga ndi mukambwe. Bwe nnabanga nnwana, ekintu kyonna ekyambanga okumpi kye nnakozesanga okukuba omuntu. Bye nnayiganga mu kkanisa tebyannyamba. Nnateranga okugamba nti, “Okuwoolera eggwanga kwa Mukama—era ayitira mu nze!” Bwe nnali mu siniya ng’emyaka gya 1960 ginaatera okuggwaako, nnatwalirizibwa endowooza z’abo abaali mu kibiina ky’eby’obufuzi ekyali kiyitibwa Black Panthers, ekyali kirwanirira ennyo eddembe ly’abantu. Nneegatta ku kibiina ky’abayizi abaali balwanirira eddembe ly’abantu. Emirundi mingi twekalakaasanga, era ku buli mulundi essomero lyaggalwangawo okumala akaseera.

Muli nnali mpulira ng’okwekalakaasa tekumala. N’olwekyo, nnatandika okwenyigira mu bikolwa eby’obusosoze. Ng’ekyokulabirako, emirundi egimu nze ne mikwano gyange twagendanga mu kibanda kya firimu ne tulaba firimu eziraga engeri abaddu abaddugavu gye baabonyaabonyezebwangamu mu Amerika. Obusungu bwatukwatanga ne tukuba abavubuka abazungu abaabanga bazze mu kibanda kya firimu. Oluvannyuma twanoonyanga abazungu abalala nabo tubakube.

Mu myaka egy’obutiini, nze ne baganda bange tewenyigiranga mu bikolwa eby’obukambwe bingi, era poliisi yatukwatanga. Omu ku bato bange yali mu kibinja ky’abayaaye ekyali kimanyiddwa ennyo, era nange nnabeegattako. Nnali nneeyongera kwonooneka.

Omu ku mikwano gyange bazadde be baali Bajulirwa ba Yakuwa. Baŋŋamba okugendako gye basabira, ne nzikiriza. Nnakirabirawo nti Abajulirwa ba Yakuwa bantu ba njawulo nnyo. Buli omu yalina Bayibuli era yabikkulanga ebyawandiikibwa ebyabanga bisomebwa. N’abaana baabanga ebintu ebitonotono bye bayigiriza! Kyansanyusa nnyo okukimanya nti erinnya lya Katonda ye Yakuwa, era n’okuwulira  nga likozesebwa. (Zabbuli 83:18) Wadde nga mu kibiina mwalimu abantu ab’amawanga ag’enjawulo, temwalimu busosoze.

Wadde nga nnagendanga mu nkuŋŋaana z’Abajulirwa ba Yakuwa, mu kusooka nnali saagala banjigirize Bayibuli. Lumu bwe nnali mu nkuŋŋaana z’Abajulirwa ba Yakuwa, abamu ku mikwano gyange baagenda mu kivvulu. Nga bali eyo, baakuba omuvubuka ne bamutta olw’okuba yali agaanye okubawa jaketi ye. Olunaku olwaddako, beewaana olw’okutta omuvubuka oyo. Ne bwe baatwalibwa mu kooti okuwozesebwa, baali balowooza nti ekyo kye baali bakoze si kibi. Abasinga obungi ku bo baasalirwa gwa kusibwa mayisa. Kyali kirungi nti saagenda nabo ekiro ekyo. Nnasalawo okukyusa obulamu bwange ne ntandika okuyiga Bayibuli.

Olw’okuba nnali mmaze ekiseera kiwanvu nga ndaba obusosoze mu mawanga, bye nnalaba mu Bajulirwa ba Yakuwa byanneewuunyisa nnyo. Ng’ekyokulabirako, Omujulirwa wa Yakuwa omuzungu bwe yali agenda mu nsi endala, abaana be yabaleka mu maka g’abaddugavu. Ate era waliwo abazungu abaatwala omuvubuka omuddugavu mu maka gaabwe olw’okuba yali talina wa kubeera. Nnakakasa nti Abajulirwa ba Yakuwa bakolera ku bigambo ebiri mu Yokaana 13:35 awagamba nti: “Ku kino bonna kwe bajja okutegeerera nti muli bayigirizwa bange—bwe munaayagalananga.” Nnakiraba nti be Bakristaayo ab’amazima.

Bwe nnatandika okuyiga Bayibuli, nnakiraba nti nnina okukyusa endowooza yange. Nnalina okufuna endowooza empya nsobole okubeera omuntu ow’emirembe obulamu bwange bwonna. (Abaruumi 12:2) Mpolampola nnakola enkyukakyuka, era mu Jjanwali 1974 nnabatizibwa ne nfuuka Omujulirwa wa Yakuwa.

Wadde nga nnali mbatiziddwa, nnalina okweyongera okufuga obusungu. Ng’ekyokulabirako, lumu bwe nnali mbuulira nnyumba ku nnyumba, nnagoba omubbi eyali yaakava okubba leediyo y’omu mmotoka yange. Bwe yalaba nga nnaatera okumukwata, yagisuula ne yeeyongerayo. Bwe nnanyumizaako abo be nnali mbuulira nabo engeri gye nnali ngobyemu omubbi, omu ku bo eyali aweereza ng’omukadde mu kibiina yambuuza nti, “Stephen, kiki kye wandikoze ng’okutte omubbi oyo?” Nnafumiitiriza ku kibuuzo ekyo era nnakiraba nti nnina okufuba okuba ow’emirembe.

Mu Okitobba 1974, nnayingira obuweereza obw’ekiseera kyonna, kwe kugamba nga mmala essaawa 100 buli mwezi nga njigiriza abantu Bayibuli. Nga wayiseewo akaseera, nnafuna enkizo ey’okuweereza nga nnakyewa ku kitebe ekikulu eky’Abajulirwa ba Yakuwa ekiri mu Brooklyn, mu ssaza lya New York. Mu 1978, nnaddayo mu kibuga Los Angeles okulabirira maama kubanga yali alwadde. Nga wayiseewo emyaka ebiri, nnawasa omukyala ayitibwa Aarhonda era mmwagala nnyo. Yannyamba nnyo mu kulabirira maama okutuusa maama lwe yafa. Oluvannyuma lw’ekiseera, nze ne Aarhonda twagenda mu Ssomero lya Gireyaadi era bwe twamaliriza emisomo twasindikibwa okuweerereza mu Panama, gye tukyaweerereza ng’abaminsani.

Okuva lwe nnabatizibwa, nfunye okusoomoozebwa okutali kumu okwandindeetedde okusunguwala. Naye kati omuntu bw’ansoomooza mmuviira buviizi oba nkola kyonna ekisoboka okusigala nga ndi mukkakkamu. Abantu bangi nga mw’otwalidde ne mukyala wange, banneebaza olw’engeri gye nkuttemu embeera ezo. Ate oba nange kinneewuunyisa okuba nti nsobola okwefuga! Enkyukyuka ezo saazikola mu maanyi gange, wabula ziraga nti Bayibuli erina amaanyi okukyusa abantu.—Abebbulaniya 4:12.

Bayibuli ennyambye okuba n’ekigendererwa mu bulamu era n’okuba ow’emirembe. Sikyakuba bantu, wabula mbayamba okuba n’enkolagana ennungi ne Katonda. Nnatuuka n’okuyigiriza Bayibuli oyo eyali omulabe wange nga tukyali mu ssomero! Bwe yamala okubatizibwa, twasulanga mu nnyumba y’emu okumala ekiseera. N’okutuusa leero, tukyali ba mukwano nnyo. Nze ne mukyala wange twakayamba abantu abasukka mu 80 okuyiga Bayibuli ne bafuuka Abajulirwa ba Yakuwa.

Ndi musanyufu nnyo olw’okuba Yakuwa annyambye okuba n’obulamu obw’amakulu era obw’essanyu, era n’okuba omu ku baweereza be ab’amazima.