Ndinakulila ku Los Angeles, mu mzinda wa California, ku U.S.A, kumene ciwawa ndi mankhwala osokoneza bongo n’zofala. Makolo anga anali ndi ana 6 ndipo ndine waciŵili mwa anawo.

Anafe tinali mamembala a chalichi ca amai athu ca evangelical. Ngakhale n’conco, ndili mnyamata ndinali ndi umoyo waciphamaso. Pasondo ndinali kukhala pa gulu la oimba kwaya ku chalichi. Mkati mwa mlungu ndinali kupita ku mapwando, kuseŵenzetsa mankhwala osokoneza bongo ndi kucita ciwelewele.

Ndinali kukwiya msanga ndiponso waciwawa. Munthu akandikwiitsa, ndinali kutenga cinthu ciliconse cili pafupi n’kumutema naco. Zimene ndinali kuphunzila ku chalichi, sizinandithandize. Ndinali kukonda kukamba kuti, “Kubwezela ndi kwa Ambuye, koma akuseŵenzetsa ine monga cida cake.” Cakumapeto kwa zaka za m’ma 1960, ndili pa sukulu ya sekondale, ndinaloŵa m’kagulu kandale kochedwa Black Panthers kamene kanali kudziŵika kuti kanali kumenyela ufulu wa nzika za dziko. Ndinaloŵanso m’kagulu ka ana a sukulu koona pa zaufulu wa ana a sukulu. Nthawi zambili tinali kucita zionetselo zosakondwa ndipo tinali kutseka sukulu nthawi iliyonse imene tafuna.

Kucita zionetselo zosakondwa sikunali kukhutilitsa khalidwe langa laciwawa. Conco, ndinayamba kucita zinthu zoipa kwambili. Mwacitsanzo, panthawi ina, ine ndi anzanga tinali kuonelela filimu yoonetsa mmene kale anthu akuda anali kuvutitsidwila ku dziko la United States. Zimenezo zinatikwiitsa kwambili cakuti tili mu holo yoonetsa masewela, tinamenya ndi kuvulaza anyamata a ciyela. Pambuyo pake, tinapita kukafunafuna anthu ena a ciyela kuti tiwamenye.

Pamene ndinali ndi zaka pafupifupi 20, ine ndi abale anga tinali kucita zinthu zambili zaciwawa. Pa cifukwa cimeneci, apolisi anali kutifunafuna. Mng’ono wanga analoŵa m’gulu la zigaŵenga ndipo inenso ndinayamba kugwilizana nao. Umoyo wanga unali kuipilaipilabe.

Makolo a mnzanga anali a Mboni za Yehova. Iwo anandiitanila ku misonkhano ya mpingo ndipo ndinavomela. Kucoka nthawi imeneyo, ndinaona kuti Mboni ndi zosiyana ndi anthu ena. Pamisonkhano imeneyi, aliyense anali ndi Baibulo ndipo anali kuliŵelenga. Ngakhale acicepele anali kukamba nkhani papulatifomu. Ndinakondwela kudziŵa kuti Mulungu ali ndi dzina, lakuti Yehova, ndipo linali kuchulidwa kaŵilikaŵili. (Salimo 83:18) Mumpingo munali anthu amitundu yosiyanasiyana, koma pakati pao panalibe tsankho.

 Sindinali kufuna kuphunzila Baibulo ndi Mboni, koma ndinali kukonda kupita ku misonkhano yao. Tsiku lina usiku, ndili ku misonkhano ya Mboni, gulu la anzanga linapita ku kumalo ovinila. Kumeneko, anamenya mnyamata wina mpaka kumupha cifukwa cakuti anakana kuwapatsa jekete yake. Tsiku lotsatila, anayamba kudzitama cifukwa ca kupha munthu. Iwo ataonekela m’khoti, anaonetsa kuti sanadziŵe kuti anacita mlandu waukulu. Ngakhale n’telo, ambili a io anapatsidwa cilango cakuti adzakhala m’ndende kwa moyo wao wonse. Cokondweletsa n’cakuti, usikuwo sindinali nao. Conco, ndinaganiza zosintha umoyo wanga ndipo ndinayamba kuphunzila Baibulo.

Zimene ndinaona pakati pa Mboni, zinandidabwitsa kwambili cifukwa io analibe tsankho. Mwacitsanzo, pamene Mboni ya ciyela inapita kudziko lina, inasiya ana ake m’manja mwa banja la anthu akuda. Ndiponso banja lina la anthu aciyela linatenga mnyamata wina wacikuda amene analibe kokhala. Kucoka nthawi imeneyo, ndinadziŵa kuti Mboni za Yehova zimakwanilitsa mau a Yesu a pa Yohane 13:35, akuti: “Mwakutelo, onse adzadziŵa kuti ndinu ophunzila anga, ngati mukukondana.” Ndinazindikila kuti ndapezadi ubale wa padziko lonse.

Nditayamba kuphunzila Baibulo, ndinazindikila kuti ndifunika kusintha umoyo wanga. Ndinafunika kusintha maganizo anga kuti ndizicita zinthu mwamtendele komanso kuona kuti ndiyo njila yabwino kwambili yokhalila ndi moyo. (Aroma 12:2) Pang’ono ndi pang’ono, ndinayamba kusintha. Mu January 1974, ndinabatizidwa ndi kukhala wa Mboni za Yehova.

Ngakhale pamene ndinabatizidwa, ndinafunika kuyesetsa kuthetsa mkwiyo wanga. Mwacitsanzo, nthawi ina pamene ndinali kulalikila kunyumba ndi nyumba, ndinapitikitsa mbala imene inaba wailesi ya m’galimoto yanga. Nditatsala pang’ono kuigwila, inataya wailesiyo n’kuthaŵa. Pamene ndinafotokozela anzanga zimene zinacitika, mmodzi wa akulu anandifunsa kuti: “M’bale Stephen, ukanaigwila, ukanaicita ciani?” Funso limenelo linandicitsa kuganiza kwambili ndipo linandithandiza kuti ndipitilize kuyesetsa kukhala mwamtendele ndi ena.

Mu October 1974, ndinayamba kulalikila nthawi zonse. Ndipo ndinali kuthela maola 100 mwezi uliwonse kuphunzitsa ena Baibulo. Pambuyo pake ndinapatsidwa mwai wotumikila pa likulu la Mboni za Yehova ku Brooklyn, New York. Mu 1978, ndinabwelela ku Los Angeles kukasamalila amai cifukwa anali kudwala. Patapita zaka ziŵili, ine ndi Aarhonda, mkazi wanga wokondedwa tinamanga banja. Iye anandithandiza kusamalila amai mpaka pamene iwo anamwalila. Patapita nthawi, ine ndi Aarhonda tinaloŵa Sukulu ya Gileadi Yophunzitsa Baibulo ndipo pambuyo pake tinauzidwa kuti tikatumikile ku Panama, kumene tinapitiliza kutumikila monga amishonale.

Kucoka panthawi imene ndinabatizidwa, ndakumana ndi zinthu zambili zimene zikanandipangitsa kucita ciwawa. Anthu ena akandikhumudwitsa, ndimayesetsa kusakwiya msanga ndipo nthawi zina ndimangocokapo. Mkazi wanga limodzi ndi anthu ena amandiyamikila kaamba ka kuyesetsa kwanga. Ndine wokondwa cifukwa umoyo wanga tsopano, unasintha. Sindidzitama kuti ndinasintha khalidwe langa, koma ndimakhulupilila kuti ndi umboni wakuti Baibulo lili ndi mphamvu zosintha anthu.—Aheberi 4:12.

Kuphunzila Baibulo kwandithandiza kukhala ndi umoyo wabwino ndi kukhala mwamtendele ndi anthu onse. Masiku ano, sindimenyanso anthu koma ndimawathandiza mwa kuwaphunzitsa za Mulungu. Mwacitsanzo, ndinathandiza munthu amene ndinali kudana naye ndili kusukulu ya sekondale, kuphunzila Baibulo. Iye atabatizidwa, tinakhala m’nyumba imodzi kwa kanthawi ndithu. Mpaka lelo, ndife mabwenzi apamtima. Kufika panthawi ino, ine ndi mkazi wanga tathandiza anthu 80 kukhala a Mboni za Yehova mwa kuphunzila nao Baibulo.

Ndimayamikila kwambili Yehova pondithandiza kukhala ndi umoyo wabwino ndi wacimwemwe pakati pa abale a padziko lonse.