NDINABADWA pa December 10, 1968 m’chigawo cha Ilocos Norte ku Philippines. M’banja mwathu tilipo ana 10 ndipo ine ndi wa nambala 7. Monga zimakhalira ndi anthu ambiri a ku Philippines, banja lathu linali la Katolika. Ndinamaliza sekondale m’chaka cha 1986 ndipo ndinkafuna kudzakhala nesi. Komabe cholinga changachi sichinakwaniritsidwe chifukwa ndinayamba kudwala matenda enaake aakulu moti ndinkangoganiza kuti ndifa basi. Ndinathedwa nzeru kwambiri ndipo ndinachonderera Mulungu kuti andithandize. Ndinamulonjeza kuti ndikangochira ndidzamutumikira kwa moyo wanga wonse.

Patapita nthawi yaitali ndinachira ndipo ndinakumbukira lonjezo langa. Choncho mu June 1991, ndinayamba sukulu ina yophunzitsa Baibulo ya Pentekosite. Sukuluyi inali ndi lamulo loti wophunzira aliyense ayenera kukhala ndi “mphatso yaulere ya mzimu woyera.” Inenso ndinkafuna kukhala ndi mphatso imeneyi kuti ndizitha kuchiritsa. Ankatiphunzitsa kuti tingathe kukhala nayo ngati timapemphera ndiponso kusala kudya. Nthawi inayake ndili kusukulu, chifukwa choti ndinkafuna kuti anthu aziona ngati ndili ndi “mphatsoyi,” ndinayandikira mnzanga wina yemwe ankapemphera, n’kumamvetsera zimene akunena. Nditaona kuti watsala pang’ono kumaliza ndinathawa n’kukakhala pamalo panga. Kenako ndinamufotokozera zonse zimene ananena m’pemphero lake lija ndipo zimenezi zinamupangitsa kukhulupirira kuti ndili ndi “mphatso yaulere.”

Koma pamene ndinkapitiriza maphunziro anga kusukuluyi, ndinali ndi mafunso ambiri. Mwachitsanzo, lemba la Mateyu 6:9 limanena za “Atate” komanso “dzina” la Atatewo. Ndinafunsa aphunzitsi anga mafunso ngati, “Kodi Atate amene Yesu anatchula palembali ndi ndani?” Nanga “kodi ndi dzina la ndani limene liyenera kuyeretsedwa?” Mayankho amene aphunzitsi anga ankandipatsa anali osamveka. Ankandiuza za Utatu ndipo ankati sindingathe kuzimvetsa. Zimenezi zinali zosokoneza kwambiri. Komabe ndinapitiriza kuphunzira n’cholinga chakuti ndidzakhale m’busa.

Kusukulu, ankatiphunzitsa kuti a Mboni za Yehova amaphunzitsa zabodza. Ankanenanso kuti iwo sakhulupirira Yesu. Zimenezi zinachititsa kuti ndizidana kwambiri ndi Mboni za Yehova.

Ndili pa holide, ndinapita kunyumba kuti ndikaone makolo. Mchemwali wanga, dzina lake Carmen, atamva nayenso anabwera kunyumbako. Iye anali wa Mboni ndipo nthawi zambiri ankakhala akulalikira. Pamene iye anayamba kundiuza za Mulungu, ndinamuyankha mwaukali kuti: “Ndikudziwa kale Mulungu amene ndimamutumikira.”  Kenako ndinamulalatira ndipo ndinamukankha n’kumuuza kuti asadzandiuzenso zimenezi.

Nditabwereranso kusukulu, Carmen ananditumizira kabuku kakuti, Kodi Muyenera Kukhulupirira Utatu? * Nditangokalandira, ndinakakwinyakwinya n’kukaponyera pamoto. Ndinkadana kwambiri ndi zoti Carmen azindiuza zachipembedzo.

Pa nthawi yomwe ndinali kusukulu yophunzitsa Baibulo, ndinkatha kutembenuza anthu ena kuti alowe tchalitchi chathu. Ndinasangalala kwambiri pamene amayi anga ndi mchimwene wanga ananditsatira n’kuyamba mpingo wa Pentekosite.

M’mwezi wa March 1994, ndinamaliza maphunziro anga kusukulu imeneyi. Koma monga ndinanenera koyambirira kwa nkhaniyi, tsiku limene tinali ndi mwambo womaliza maphunzirowa kunabwera m’busa wathu. Ophunzira tonse tinkafuna kukhala naye pafupi chifukwa tinkakhulupirira kuti anali ndi mphatso yochiritsa. Tinapita kutsogolo kumene m’busayu anali, ndipo tinkaimba ndi kuvina nyimbo zachipembedzo. Aliyense amene m’busayu wamugwira ankagwa pansi n’kukomoka ndipo zikatere anthu ankati “wafa mwa mzimu.” Pamene anandigwira ineyo ndinachitanso chimodzimodzi. Nditatsitsimuka, ndinachita mantha kwambiri, koma ndinayamba kumva kuti tsopano ndili ndi mphamvu zochiritsa.

Pasanapite nthawi, ndinachiritsa mwana wina amene ankadwala malungo aakulu. Nditangomupempherera, mwanayo anayamba kutuluka thukuta ndipo malungowo anatheratu nthawi yomweyo. Tsopano ndinayamba kuona kuti ndikwaniritsa lonjezo langa lija kwa Mulungu. Komabe nthawi zina ndinkaona kuti ndikusoweka chinachake. Mumtima mwanga, ndinkakhulupirira kuti kuli Mulungu mmodzi koma ndinkaona kuti sindimudziwa bwino Mulungu ameneyu. Komanso ndinkakayikira zinthu zambiri zimene tinkaphunzitsa kutchalitchi kwathu.

Kuchokera pa nthawi imeneyi, ndinayamba kudana kwambiri ndi Mboni za Yehova kusiyana ndi mmene ndinkachitira poyamba. Paliponse pamene ndapeza mabuku a Mboni, ndinkawawotcha. Kenako, panachitika zinthu zosayembekezereka. Ndinadabwa kwambiri kuona amayi atasiya kupita kutchalitchi chathu chija. Carmen anali atayamba kuphunzira nawo Baibulo. Ndinamukwiyira kwambiri mchemwali wangayu chifukwa cha zimene anachitazi.

Tsiku lina ndinapeza magazini ya Galamukani! kunyumba kwa amayi anga. Monga mwa nthawi zonse, ndikanawotcha magaziniyi. Koma popeza ndinkafuna kudziwa zimene amayi ankawerenga, ndinafuna kuona zimene zinali m’magaziniyi. Ndinaona nkhani ina imene inkafotokoza za munthu wina yemwe poyamba ankakhulupirira kwambiri zimene tchalitchi chake chinkaphunzitsa. Komabe, pamene munthuyu anayamba kuwerenga mabuku a Mboni za Yehova komanso Baibulo, anazindikira kuti chiphunzitso cha Utatu, choti Mulungu amawotcha anthu kumoto, komanso chakuti munthu ali ndi mzimu umene suufa akamwalira sizichokera m’Baibulo. Nkhani imeneyi inandikhudza kwambiri chifukwa nanenso ndinkafuna nditadziwa zolondola zokhudza ziphunzitso zimenezi. Kuyambira nthawi imeneyi, ndinkafunitsitsa nditalidziwa bwino Baibulo.

Nditawerenga nkhani ya munthu wina mu Galamukani!, yemwe anali  chidakwa koma anasintha atayamba kuphunzira Baibulo, ndinayamba kuwerenga mabuku a Mboni. Ndinapeza kabuku kakuti Dzina la Mulungu Limene Lidzakhala Kosatha * ndipo nditakawerenga, ndinadziwa kuti dzina la Mulungu ndi Yehova. Ndinasangalala kwambiri nditadziwa zoona zokhudza Mulungu woona.​—Deuteronomo 4:39; Yeremiya 10:10.

Ndinapitiriza kuwerenga mabuku a Mboni mobisa ndipo ndinaphunzira mfundo zambiri za m’Baibulo. Mwachitsanzo, kusukulu kuja ndinaphunzira kuti Yesu ndi Mulungu, koma tsopano ndinaphunzira m’Baibulo kuti iye ndi “Mwana wa Mulungu wamoyo.”​—Mateyu 16:15, 16.

Tsiku lina nditakumana ndi Carmen anadabwa kwambiri nditamuuza kuti ndikufuna andipatse kabuku kakuti Dzina la Mulungu Limene Lidzakhala Kosatha komanso mabuku ena a Mboni. Ndinakhala zaka zambiri kusukulu kuja, komabe sindinaphunzitsidwe zolondola, ankangotinamiza. Koma tsopano ndinasangalala kwambiri chifukwa cha mfundo zolondola zimene ndinkaphunzira m’Baibulo. Ndinaona kuti mawu a Yesu akuti, “Mudzadziwa choonadi, ndipo choonadi chidzakumasulani” ndi olondola. (Yohane 8:32) Mfundo za choonadi zimenezi zinayamba kusintha moyo wanga.

Poyamba ndinkaganiza kuti ndingathe kumalambira Yehova Mulungu mobisa kwinaku ndikupitiriza ntchito yanga yaubusa. Koma pasanapite nthawi ndinazindikira kuti sindingathenso kumaphunzitsa ziphunzitso za tchalitchi chathu. Komabe ndinkada nkhawa kuti ndikasiya ubusa ndizipeza kuti ndalama. Komanso ndinkaona kuti zikhala zochititsa manyazi kutchalitchi chathu ngati ndingakhale wa Mboni. Choncho ndinapitirizabe ntchito yaubusa, koma ndinkayesetsa kuti ndisamaphunzitse ziphunzitso zawo zabodzazo.

Nditakumananso ndi mchemwali wanga uja, anandilimbikitsa kuti ndiyambe kusonkhana ndi Mboni za Yehova. Popeza nthawi zina ndinkapita kutchalitchi chathu chachikulu chimene chinali mumzinda wa Laoag, ndinayamba kumapita mobisa kukasonkhana ndi a Mboni za Yehova a kumeneko. Mumpingo wa Mboni wa kumeneko, ndinakumana ndi mtsikana wina, dzina lake Precious, yemwenso ankatha nthawi yambiri akulalikira. Ngakhale kuti ndinali ndisanatsimikizebe kukhala wa Mboni, ndinavomera kuti iye azindiphunzitsa Baibulo.

Mchemwali wanga uja ankandilezera mtima akamandiuza choonadi cha m’Baibulo. Ndinadabwa kuona kuti Precious nayenso ankachita nane zinthu moleza mtima. Iye anandithandiza kwambiri kumvetsa mfundo za m’Baibulo ngakhale kuti nthawi zina ndinkakwiya, kumutsutsa komanso kumulankhula mokweza poumirira mfundo zina zimene ndinkakhulupirira poyamba.  Precious nayenso komanso a Mboni ena ankandisonyeza chidwi, anali odzichepetsa ndiponso ofatsa, ndipo zimenezi zinandichititsa chidwi. Izi zinachititsa kuti ndiyambe kulambira Yehova.

Mu July 1995, ndinazindikira kuti sindingachitirenso mwina koma kusiya ubusa basi. Chifukwa chiyani? Chifukwa cha zimene lemba la Chivumbulutso 18:4 limanena pa nkhani ya chipembedzo chonyenga. Lembali limati: “Tulukani mwa iye anthu anga, ngati simukufuna kugawana naye machimo ake, ndiponso ngati simukufuna kulandira nawo ina ya miliri yake.” Koma ndinkaganizabe kuti, kodi ndalama ndizizipeza kuti? Ndinakumbukira zimene ndinaphunzira palemba la Aheberi 13:5, pomwe Yehova akulonjeza kuti: “Sindidzakusiyani kapena kukutayani ngakhale pang’ono.”

Ngakhale kuti bambo anga ndi mchimwene wanga ankanditsutsa kwambiri chifukwa chokhala wa Mboni, patangotha milungu iwiri yokha kuchokera pamene ndinabatizidwa, ndinalimba mtima kupita kunyumba n’kukawotcha zinthu zonse zimene ndinkagwiritsa ntchito pa ntchito yanga yaubusa. Nditachita zimenezi, ndinaona kuti mphamvu zonse zochiritsa zimene ndinali nazo zatha. M’mbuyomo ndikagona ndinkamva ngati chinachake chikunditsamira koma zimenezinso zinasiya. Komanso chinthu chimene poyamba ndinkachiona pawindo chinasiya kumaoneka. Ndinaphunzira m’Baibulo kuti mphamvu zochiritsa zilizonse zimene anthu amati ali nazo masiku ano, sizichokera kwa Mulungu koma kwa ziwanda. Ndine wosangalala kwambiri kuona kuti ziwanda zinasiya kundivutitsa ngati mmene zinachitikira kwa mtsikana wantchito amene Paulo anamuchotsera “chiwanda cholosera zam’tsogolo.”​—Machitidwe 16:16-18.

Ndinasangalala kwambiri pamene mu September 1996 ine ndi mayi anga tinabatizidwa n’kukhala a Mboni za Yehova. Nditabatizidwa, ndinayamba kuthera nthawi yambiri ndikulalikira ndipo ndakhala ndikugwira ntchito imeneyi kwa zaka zambiri.

Panopa ndili pa banja ndipo mwamuna wanga dzina lake ndi Silver. Ine ndi mwamuna wangayu tikuyesetsa kuphunzitsa mwana wathu wamkazi choonadi cha m’Baibulo. Abale anga ena nawonso anayamba kutumikira Yehova. Ndimangodandaula kuti kwa zaka zambiri sindinkadziwa Mulungu, komabe ndikusangalala kuti tsopano ndimadziwa Mulungu amene ndimamulambira.