Nnakulira mu kyalo ekisirifu, era ekirimu emiti emingi ekiyitibwa Tampere, mu Finland. Mu maka gaffe twali tetufaayo nnyo ku bya ddiini, naye okusoma n’okweyisa obulungi twali tubitwala nga bikulu nnyo. Maama wange Mugirimaani era bwe nnali omuto, nnateranga okugenda mu Bugirimaani ow’Ebugwanjuba bazadde be gye baali babeera.

 Eby’emizannyo nnabyagala okuva obuto. Mu myaka gyange egy’obuto, nnazannya emizannyo egya buli kika, naye bwe nnali wa myaka 14, nnasalawo okwemalira ku kuzannya tena. We nnawereza emyaka 16, nnali ntendekebwa emirundi ebbiri oba esatu olunaku—ku makya nnatendekebwanga emirundi ebbiri olunaku ate olweggulo ne nneegezaamu nga ndi nzekka. Nneewuunya engeri ez’enjawulo ez’okuzannyamu tena; okuzannya tena kyantendeka mu mubiri ne mu birowoozo. Wadde nga nnanyumirwanga nnyo okubeera ne mikwano gyange n’okunywa ku mwenge, saakozesaako biragalalagala oba okwekatankira omwenge. Obulamu bwange bwonna bwali bwetooloolera ku kuzannya tena —gwe nnali nkulembeza.

 Nnatandika okuvuganya mu mpaka za tena ez’amaanyi eziyitibwa ATP tournaments nga ndi wa myaka 17. a Oluvannyuma lw’okuwangula empaka za Tena eziwerako, nnatandika okumanyibwa mu ggwanga lyonna. Ku myaka 22, nnali omu ku bazannyi ba tena 50 abaali basinga mu nsi yonna.

 Okumala emyaka, nnatambula mu nsi ez’enjawulo nga nzannya tena. Ebifo ebimu byansanyusanga nnyo, naye nnalaba n’ebizibu bingi ebiri mu nsi, gamba ng’obumenyi bw’amateeka, okukozesa ebiragalalagala n’okwonoona kw’obutonde. Ng’ekyokulabirako, bwe twali mu Amerika, twagambibwa obutagenda mu bitundu ebimu olw’okuba byalimu obumenyi bw’amateeka bungi. Ebyo byonna byammalako emirembe. Ate era ne bwe nnabanga nkola ekintu kye njagala, ku nkomerero y’olunaku, saabanga mumativu.

 Muganzi wange, Sanna, yali atandise okuyiga Bayibuli n’Abajulirwa ba Yakuwa. Kyanneewuunyisa okulaba nti yali ayagala ebintu by’eddiini, naye saamulemesa kuyiga Bayibuli. Mu 1990 twafumbiriganwa, era omwaka ogwaddirira yabatizibwa ng’omu ku Bajulirwa ba Yakuwa. Naye nze nnali settanira bya ddiini, wadde nga nnali nzikiriza nti Katonda gyali. Nnajjukira nti jjajja wange omukazi Omugirimaani yali asoma nnyo Bayibuli era nga yali yanjigiriza engeri y’okusabamu.

 Lumu nze ne Sanna bwe twali tukyaliddeko abafumbo Abajulirwa ba Yakuwa, omwami, Kari, yandaga obunnabbi bwa Bayibuli obukwata ku “nnaku ez’enkomerero.” (2 Timoseewo 3:1-5) Ekyo kyankwatako nnyo, era ne ndaba ensonga lwaki ensi erimu ebizibu bingi. Kw’olwo tetwayogera bingi bikwata ku ddiini. Kyokka okuva kw’olwo, Kari yatandika okunyumya nange ebikwata ku Bayibuli, era buli kye nnali njiga kyali kikola amakulu. Olw’okuba nnalina eby’okukola bingi era nga ntambula nnyo kyambeereranga kizibu okufuna obudde obw’okusoma, naye Kari teyalekulira. Yampeerezanga amabaluwa agaddamu ebibuuzo bye nnabanga mbuuzizza nga tusoma. Ebibuuzo byonna ebikwata ku bulamu bye nnalina byaddibwamu bulungi okuva mu Bayibuli, era mpolampola nnagenda nkiraba nti Bayibuli esinga kwogera ku Bwakabaka bwa Katonda obujja okutuukiriza ekigendererwa kya Katonda. Okuyiga erinnya lya Katonda, Yakuwa, era n’okulaba ebintu by’atukoledde kyankwatako. (Zabbuli 83:18) Ekyasinga okunkwatako ennyo y’enteekateeka gye yakola ey’okuwaayo ekinunulo—teyakikola okw’okuba yali ateekeddwa okukikola, wabula yakikola olw’okuba atwagala. (Yokaana 3:16) Ate era, nnayiga nti nnalina omukisa ogw’okufuuka mukwano gwa Katonda era n’okuba omulamu emirembe gyonna mu lusuku lwa Katonda. (Yakobo 4:8) Nnatandika okwebuuza nti “nnyinza ntya okulaga okusiima?”

 Nnafumiitiriza ku bulamu bwange bwe bwali. Nnayiga okuva mu Bayibuli nti okugaba kulimu essanyu lingi, era nnali njagala okubuulirako abalala ebyo bye nnali njiga. (Ebikolwa 20:35) Olw’okuba nnali nneenyigira mu mpaka z’okuzannya tena, nnamalanga ennaku nga 200 buli mwaka nga siri waka. Obulamu bw’ab’omu maka gange bwali bwesigamye ku nze—okutendekebwa kwange, enteekateeka zange, n’omulimu gwange. Nnakiraba nti nnalina okukola enkyukakyuka.

 Nnali nkimanyi nti bwe nsalawo okuleka eby’emizannyo olw’eddiini, bangi kyandibazibuwalidde okutegeera. Naye omukisa ogw’okumanya Yakuwa n’okufuna obulamu obutaggwaawo gwali gusingira wala ekirabo kyonna kye nnandifunye olw’okuzannya tena, bwe kityo kyannyanguyira okusalawo eky’okukola. Nnali mumalirivu obutassaayo mwoyo ku ebyo abalala bye bagamba—olw’okuba nze nnalina okwesalirawo eky’okukola. Ekyawandiikibwa ekyasinga okunnyamba obutatwalirizibwa kupikirizibwa ng’okwo, kyali Zabbuli 118:6: awagamba nti: “Yakuwa ali ku ludda lwange; siityenga. Omuntu ayinza kunkola ki?”

 Mu kiseera ekyo, abamu ku abo abagaba obuyambi baŋŋamba nti bagenda kunnyamba nsobole okuzannya tena nga tewali kintu kyonna kye nneeraliikirira okumala emyaka egiwera. Kyokka, nnali mmaze okusalawo eky’okukola bw’entyo sakkiriza era oluvannyuma nnalekera awo okwetaba mu mpaka z’okuzannya tena. Nneeyongera okuyiga Bayibuli era nga Jjulaayi 2,1994, nnabatizibwa ng’omu ku Bajulirwa ba Yakuwa.

 Nze, saamala kufuna bizibu ne ndyoka ndowooza ku Katonda. Era saali muntu eyali anoonya amazima. Nnali mpulira ng’ali mu bulamu obulungi, era nga sirina kirala kye nneetaaga. Kyokka, bwe nnayiga amazima agali mu Bayibuli, nnakizuula nti obulamu bulina ekigendererwa era obulamu bwange bulongoose nnyo n’okusinga bwe nnali ndowooza! Amaka gaffe manywevu era gali bumu. Era ndi musanyufu nnyo olw’okuba batabani bange abasatu batambulidde mu bigere byange—si nga bannabyamizannyo, naye ng’Abakristaayo.

 Nkyanyumirwa okuzannya tena. Okumala emyaka mbadde nkola emirimu egikwatagana n’okuzannya tena, gamba ng’okukola ng’omutendesi era nga maneja wa tiimu ya tena. Naye obulamu bwange tebukyetoololera ku bya mizannyo. Edda, nnamalanga essaawa nnyingi buli wiiki nga ntendekebwa okufuuka omuzannyi wa tena omulungi. Kati ng’omubuulizi ow’ekiseera kyonna, ndi musanyufu nnyo okukozesa obudde bwange okuyamba abalala okuyiga n’okukolera ku magezi agali mu Bayibuli agaakyusa obulamu bwange. Nfuna essanyu lingi olw’okukulembeza enkolagana yange ne Yakuwa Katonda, era n’okubuulira abalala ebikwata ku ssuubi ery’omu biseera eby’omu maaso.—1 Timoseewo 6:19.