Nakomejile mu Puerto Limón, muzhi uji ku mukuzho wa mukola mu Costa Rica. Bansemi bami bajinga na baana batanu na basatu, amiwa najinga wa butanu na bubiji. Batata bafwile saka nji na myaka itanu na isatu. Bamama bo betukomeshetu bunke bwabo.

Natemenwe bingi mpila itelwa’mba baseball byo najinga mwanyike. Byo nakomeneko, natendekele kuteya ino mpila mu jibumba ja bantu bafunjilenga bya kuteya ino mpila. Byo nateyanga ino mpila saka nji na myaka ya mu ma 20, mwanamulume wamfunjishanga bya kuteya ino mpila wañambijile kuya na kuteya na jibumba ja ku kyalo kya Nicaragua. Bino na mambo a kuba’mba bamama bakolwa kolwanga kabiji yami ne balaminenga, nakaine kuya ku Nicaragua. Byo papichile kimye, mwanamulume mukwabo wamfunjishanga baseball wañambijile kutendeka kuteya mu jibumba ja kyalo kya Costa Rica, jo basajile kufuma mu jibumba ja bafunjilenga bya kuteya ino mpila. Pa kikye kimye naswile. Natendekele kuteya mu jibumba ja kino kyalo mu 1949 kufika mu 1952. Kabiji nateeleko ino mpila mu kyalo kya Cuba, Mexica ne Nicaragua. Nayukile bingi mpila ya baseball, kechi nalubankanyanga pa kuteya ne. Naumvwanga bingi bulongo inge bantu kebantotaike ne kutongola jizhina jami.

Bino kyataminekotu ke kya kuba’mba natendekele kuba bintu byatama. Nangwa kya kuba najingatu na sambe umo, bino najinga ne na banabakazhi bakwabo. Natomanga bingi malwa. Juba jimo napendelwe kya mama nafwa, kya kuba byo nabukile lukelo kechi nayukile ne byo nabwelele ku nzubo ne. Kabiji nakayanga ne makayo a kuchikapo mali.

Bamama baikele Bakamonyi ba kwa Yehoba, saka nkyangye kupimpula byubilo byami. Batendekele kumbulako bintu byo baitabijilemo, bino bekilekele mambo natele bingi maana ku mpila ya baseball. Inge tubena kufunda bya kuteya ino mpila, kechi naumvwanga ne nzala ne. Nalangulukangatu pa mpila. Natemenwe bingi mpila ya baseball kukila kintu kiji kyonse.

 Bino byo nafikizhe myaka 29, nekozhezhe bingi byo twafunjilenga bya kuteya ino mpila. Byo natendekele kukosa, nekilekele kuya na kuteya mu byalo bikwabo. Pano bino, natendekele kufunjisha jibumba ja bantu bya kuteya ino mpila kwipi nakonaikelanga.

Mu 1957, naswile kuya na kushonkena na Bakamonyi ba kwa Yehoba. Kuno kushonkena kwajinga mu kibanza kikatampe mo nateelanga mpila ya baseball. Byo naikele mu luonde, namwene lupusano, Bakamonyi bajinga bingi na mushingi, bino bantu baiyanga na kutamba baseball baubanga bingi kyongo. Byo namwene pa kuno kushonkena byandengejile kutendeka kufunda Baibolo na Bakamonyi ne kuya na kupwila.

Natemenwe bingi byo nafunjilenga mu Baibolo. Yesu waambijile jimo pa moba a kupelako amba baana banji ba bwanga bakasapwila mambo awama a Bufumu bwa Lesa mwaya ntanda yonse. (Mateo 24:14) Kabiji nafunjile ne kuba’mba bena Kilishitu ba kine kechi bengila mwingilo wabo pa kuba’mba bamwenemo nsabo ne. Yesu waambile’mba: “Mwatambwiletu kyatu, ne anweba panaitu kyatu.”—Mateo 10:8.

Byo natwajijile na kufunda Baibolo, natendekele kwesakanya byaubanga Bakamonyi ba kwa Yehoba ne byo nafundanga. Natemenwe bingi byo bebikisheko kwingila mwingilo wa kusapwila mambo awama a Bufumu bwa Lesa mwaya ntanda yonse. Namwene muchima wa bumpanyi ye bajinga nanji, yenka Yesu ye atundaikile bena Kilishitu kumwesha. Onkao mambo, byo natangile byambo biji pa Mako 10:21, namwene lwito lwa kuba’mba, ‘Iya undondelenga,’ ne amiwa nakebeshe bingi kwikala Kamonyi.

Papichile kimye pa kuba’mba ntendeke kuba byo baubanga. Mambo pa myaka yavula najinga na nambala ya “jishuko” yo naingijishanga pa kuba’mba ngikale na mali. Bino nangwa byonkabyo, nafunjile mu Baibolo kuba’mba, Lesa washikwa bantu bapopwela “lesa wa Jishuko” ne bantu baji na lunkumbwa. (Isaya 65:11; Kolose 3:5) Onkao mambo, nafuukwilepo kuleka makayo a kuchikapo mali. Byo nalekele ano makayo, Mulungu walondejilepo nambala yami ya “jishuko” yawinine. Bino, bantu batendekele kuñendeleka na mambo a kubula kuteya yewa mulungu. Kabiji batendekele ne kukanjikizha kuteya ano makayo jikwabo, bino nakaine. Kechi natendekele kukaya jikwabo ano makayo a kuchikapo mali ne.

Panyuma ya kubatizhiwa pa Kushonkena kwa Bakamonyi ba kwa Yehoba, ‘bumuntu bwami bupya’ bwaesekelwe. (Efisesa 4:24) Byo nabwelele ku hotela mabanga ko naikalanga, nataine sambe wami wakala saka abena kumpembelela pa kibelo. Byo nafikile wañambijile’mba, “Sammy, twaya tukeyowe!” Bino nakaine. Namubujile kuba’mba luno mbena kulondela mafunde a mu Baibolo. (1 Kolinda 6:18) Wazazukijile ne kwamba’mba “amba ka?” Watendekele kulengulula mafunde a mu Baibolo aamba pa bulalelale ne kunkanjikizha’mba kanatu tutendeke jikwabo kumvwañana. Nangwa byonkabyo, natwelele mu kibamba ne kushinkako. Kufumatu kimye kyo nabatizhiwe mu 1958, kechi natendekele kuba bintu byatama byo naubanga ne.

Namwenamo bintu byavula bingi. Kukookela byaamba Baibolo kwandengela kwikala na balunda bakine bavula, kabiji bwikalo bwami luno bwawama bingi. Kabiji nayuka ne bintu byo nafwainwa kuba mu bwikalo.

Ne kino kimye nteya baseball, bino kechi nteya byonka byo naubanga kala ne. Byo nateyanga baseball, bantu bampanga bingi munema kabiji najinga bingi na mali, pano bino abino byonse kechi byatwajijila ne. Bino, bulunda bwami na Lesa ne bulunda bwami na balongo ne banyenga ke bwa myaka ne myaka. Baibolo waamba’mba: “Pano pa ntanda pabena kupita ne bya kusakasaka bijipo, pakuba awa uba kyaswa muchima wa Lesa ukekala myaka ne myaka.” (1 Yoano 2:17) Pano luno, natemwa bingi Yehoba Lesa ne bantu banji kukila kintu kiji kyonse.