Ngwakolelele mungalila yaLos Angeles, munganda yaCalifornia, mulifuchi lya U.S.A. Mungalila kana mwavulile chikuma vihwanga navaka-kunwa maundu akupendesa. Twasemuka tuva 6 mutanga yetu, kaha ami yami wamuchivali.

Twapwilenga nakuya kuchachi yaevangelical namama. Oloze omu ngwapwile ngumukweze, ngwalingilenga vyuma vyavipi. Sondo hiSondo ngwembilenga myaso navakwetu kuchachi. Oloze awa makumbi eka osena ngwayilenga kuvilika, nakunwa maundu akupendesa, nakulinga ujila.

Ngwapwile ngumutu wamatoto, wakusulakananga washi. Ngwambachilenga kala chuma chinanguhate nakuveta mutu. Vyuma ngwalinangwilenga kuchachi kavyangukafwileko. Ngwambilenga ngwami, “Kulinga sambanjinga chapwa chaMwata, oloze ami yami ali nakuzachisa.” Omu ngwapwile kushikola muji 1960, vanguhungumwishile kulizavu lyaBlack Panthers lize lyakundwijilenga vihande vyalifuchi nachiyulo nalisesa vatwama nalyo vatu. Kaha ngwengilile muliuka lize lyakundwijilenga lisesa vatwama nalyo vaka-shikola. Kakavulu twazondwelenga vakwetu vaka-shikola mangana tulikange kuli milongeshi, kaha shimbu jimwe nashikola vayisokelenga.

Kulikanga kachangulingishile ngumbile muchima wami wamatotoko. Ngocho ngwaputukile kwazana muvilinga vyauhwanga. Chakutalilaho, lwola lumwe twayilenga namasepa jami nakutala mivwimbimbi yize yasolwelenga omu vandungo vamuAfrica vavayanjishilenga muUnited States. Kaha twevwilenga kupihya nakuputuka kuveta vakweze vavindele muzuvo yakutalila mivwimbimbi. Kufumaho twahitanganyinenga mungalila nakutonda vindele veka mangana tuvavete.

Omu ngwapwile namyaka yakusemuka kafwe 20, yayami navasongo jami vavali twazanyinenga chikuma muvilinga vyauhwanga. Tupokola vatutondelenga lwola lwosena. Songo yami umwe apwile halizavu lyavihwanga vaukenya chikuma, kaha nayami ngwaputukile kulikata navo. Chiyoyelo chami chapwile nakupihilako lika.

Visemi jasepa lyami umwe vapwile Vinjiho jaYehova. Kaha likumbi limwe, vangulanyine nguyenga navo kuZuvo yaWangana, ngocho ngwayile. Omu ngwahetele kuze, ngwamwene chikupu ngwami Vinjiho vapwa vatu vakulipwila. Mutu himutu muZuvo yaWangana apwile naMbimbiliya yenyi. Ngwamwene navanyike navahanjika vihande kuutenda. Kaha nawa ngwevwile kuwaha hakulinangula nge lijina lyaKalunga ikiye Yehova, nahakwivwa vatu vali nakulizachisa. (Samu 83:18) Numba tuhu muchikungulwilo  mwapwile vatu vakufuma kumafuchi akulisezaseza, oloze kavalitalilenga hamiyachiko.

Hakavanga kangwasakile kulinangula Mbimbiliya naVinjiho jaYehovako, oloze ngwasakilenga kaha kuya nakukunguluka navo. Likumbi limwe omu ngwayile nakukunguluka naufuku, masepa jami vayile kuchilika chimwe chavaka-kwimba. Kuze vayile vakapupwile mukweze umwe walunga nakumujiha mwomwo akanyine kuvahana kahuma kenyi walilambu. Lichako valisashilenga kuvatu ngwavo vanajihi mutu. Kaha hakuvatwala kuzango yakusopela, valeunwine mulonga vavulumwine. Ngocho vavavulu vavahakile mukamenga swi noho navakafwila. Oloze ami ngwatokwele chikuma hakuhona kuya navo hamwe likumbi lize. Kaha ngwalikashile mumuchima wami ngwami ngwatela kwalumuna kuyoya chami nakuputuka kulinangula Mbimbiliya.

Hamyaka yayivulu ngwalikachilenga navatu vaze valitalilenga hamiyachi. Oloze ngwalikomokelele chikuma hakumona zangi vapwile nayo Vinjiho. Chakutalilaho, Vinjiho jaYehova vavindele vasezelenga vana vavo kuli vandumbwavo velava mangana vavalaminevo nge navaya ungeji. Vindele nawa vatwaminenga navandumbwavo velava vavakweze vaze vahonenenga kwakutwama. Echi changulingishile ngwitavile chikupu ngwami Vinjiho jaYehova veji kukavangizanga mazu aYesu ahali Yowano 13:35, akwamba ngwavo: “Vatu vosena navakatachikiza ngwavo enu mwapwa mutumbaji twami kachi nge namulizanganga mwenumwenu.” Ngocho ngwamwene jino ngwami ngunawane vandumbwami vamwenemwene.

Omu ngwapwile nakulinangula Mbimbiliya, ngwaputukile kumona ngwami ngwatela kwalumuna vishinganyeka vyami. Ngwatelelele kulingisa vishinganyeka vyami kupwa vyavihya mangana ngupwenga ngumutu wakuunda nakuyoya kanawa. (Wavaka-Loma 12:2) Ngocho ngwaputukile kuzovoloka kushipilitu. Kuheta muJanuary 1974, vangumbapachishile nakupwa nguChinjiho chaYehova.

Numba tuhu vangumbapachishile, oloze ngwatelelele kutwalaho lika kukilikita mangana nguhonese muchima wami wamatoto. Chakutalilaho, likumbi limwe twayile nakwambulwila kuzuvo hizuvo, kaha mwiji evile chisaji chamuminyau yami, ngocho ngwaputukile kumuhangasana. Omu ngwapwile hakamwihi nakumukwata, aholwele chize chisaji nakuchina. Jino hakwambulilako vandumbwami vaze ngwapwile nakuzata navo vyuma vyasolokele, kalama umwe anguhulishile ngwenyi, “Stephen, nge uze mwiji wamukwatanga, kachi wamulinganga ngachilihi?” Chihula kana changukwachile kumuchima, kaha changukafwile ngufwile kutwama navatu mukuunda.

MuOctober 1974, ngwaputukile kuzata mulimo washimbu yosena wakunangula vatu Mbimbiliya. Ngwazachilenga jiola 100 kakweji hikakweji. Kutwala muze, ngwayile nakuzachila hachikota chaVinjiho jaYehova kuBrooklyn, muNew York. Oloze kuheta mu 1978, ngwakindulukile kuLos Angeles nakulama mama uze apwile nakuviza. Kahomu mwahichile myaka yivali, ngwambachile pwevo. Lijina lyenyi ikiye Aarhonda. Puwami angukafwile chikuma kuvijisa mama palanga nomu mama afwile. Kutwala muze, twayile kuShikola yaNgileyate Yakulinangula Mbimbiliya, kaha vatutumine kuya nakuzata mulimo waumishonali munganda yaPanama, uze tuli nakuzata noholyapwa.

Kufuma vene haze vangumbapachishile, ngunalitalasananga navyuma vyavivulu vize vinasangumunanga muchima wami wamatoto. Oloze nge vatu vali nakungusowangiza, ngweji kukatukanga nakuvaseza chipwe kuzachisa jijila jeka jize najineha kuunda. Puwami navatu veka vanangusangejekanga chikuma hakuhonesa vyeseko kanevi. Nayami ivene ngunalikomokela. Chipwe ngocho, kangwalumukile mungolo jamiko, oloze ngwafwelela ngwami Mbimbiliya yikiko yinalumuna chiyoyelo chami mwomwo yikwechi ngolo jakulinga ngocho.—WavaHepeleu 4:12.

Mbimbiliya yinangukafwe ngupwenga wakuwahilila mukuyoya nakutwama navakwetu mukuunda. Kangweshi kuveta cheka vatuko, oloze ngweji kuvakafwanga vatachikize muchano. Ngwanangwile Mbimbiliya namutu uze apwile muka-kole wami kushikola. Kahomu vamumbapachishile, twatwaminenga muzuvo yimwe hatando yayisuku. Noholyapwa twapwa tuvasepa namutu. Ami napuwami tunanangula vatu vakuhambakana 80 Mbimbiliya nakuvakafwa kupwa Vinjiho jaYehova.

Ngweji kusakwililanga chikuma Yehova hakungukafwa ngupwenga nachiyoyelo chamwaza nakuwahilila hakupwa hamwe navandumbwami vamwenemwene.