Pasanapite nthawi, ndinayamba kuchita mafizo osiyanasiyana kuphatikizapo kunyamula zitsulo zolemera. Kenako ndinatsegula malo ochitira masewerawa mumzinda wa San Leandro ku California. Ndinkagwira ntchito ndi anthu ambiri ochita masewera onyamula zitsulo zolemera kuphatikizapo munthu amene anapambana pa mpikisano wa masewerawa n’kukhala Mr. America. Ngakhale kuti masewerawa anachititsa kuti ndikhale chibaunsa, zimenezi sizinathetse njala yanga yofuna kumvetsa bwino Baibulo.

Mnzanga wina amene ndinkagwira naye ntchito atazindikira kuti ndinkafunitsitsa kumvetsa bwino Baibulo, anandiuza kuti ndikumane ndi munthu winawake wa Mboni za Yehova. Ndinavomera ndipo tsiku lotsatira wa Mboniyo anabwera kunyumba kwanga. Anabwera m’mawa ndipo tinakambirana kwa maola 4. Iye anayankha mafunso anga onse pogwiritsa ntchito Baibulo. Ndinamuuza kuti abwerenso madzulo tsiku lomwelo ndipo tinakambirana mpaka pakati pa usiku. Ndinasangalala kwambiri ndi zimene ndinaphunzira moti ndinamupempha kuti tsiku lotsatira ndipite naye limodzi kuti ndikaone mmene a Mboni amaphunzitsira anthu kunyumba ndi nyumba. Ndinachita chidwi kwambiri ndi mmene ankagwiritsira ntchito Baibulo poyankha mafunso. Ndinaganiza zoti nanenso ndiyambe kuphunzitsa anthu Baibulo.

Choncho ndinasiya ntchito n’kuyamba kuphunzitsa anthu Baibulo. Ndinkaphunzitsa anthu Baibulo limodzi ndi wa Mboniyu, yemwenso anali mpainiya, dzina limene a Mboni za Yehova amene amagwira ntchito yolalikira nthawi zonse amadziwika nalo. M’mwezi wa May 1948 ndinabatizidwa pa msonkhano waukulu wa Mboni za Yehova womwe unachitikira m’holo ya Cow Palace mumzinda wa San Francisco ku California. Chakumapeto kwa chaka chomwechi, nanenso ndinakhala mpainiya.

Ndinapempha a Mboni kuti apite kunyumba kwa mayi anga kuti akakambirane nawo mfundo za m’Baibulo. Mayi anasangalala kwambiri ndi zimene anaphunzirazo moti pasanapite nthawi anakhala a Mboni za Yehova. Ngakhale kuti achibale awo ankawatsutsa, mayi anakhalabe okhulupirika kwa Yehova mpaka pamene anamwalira mu 1995. Kupatulapo mayi anga, palibe aliyense wa m’banja lathu amene anakhala wa Mboni.

Mu 1950, ndinasamukira mumzinda wa Grand Junction ku Colorado, komwe ndinakumana ndi mtsikana wina dzina lake Billie. Iye anabadwa mu 1928 pa nthawi imene ku United States kunali mavuto aakulu azachuma. Ali mwana, mayi ake ankamuwerengera Baibulo usiku uliwonse pogwiritsa ntchito nyali ya palafini. Billie anaphunzira kuwerenga ali ndi zaka 4 ndipo ankadziwa nkhani zambiri za m’Baibulo. Chakumapeto kwa  zaka za m’ma 1940, mayi ake a Billie anayamba kuphunzira Baibulo ndi a Mboni za Yehova, ndipo anazindikira kuti munthu akamwalira sapita kukawotchedwa kumoto. (Mlaliki 9:5, 10) Kenako mayi a Billie ndi bambo ake omwe, anakhala a Mboni za Yehova.

Mu 1949, Billie anamaliza maphunziro ake a ku koleji ku Boston komwe ankaphunzira ntchito ya uphunzitsi. Atabwereranso kunyumba anayamba kuphunzira Baibulo ndi a Mboni za Yehova. Iye anaganiza zogwiritsira ntchito moyo wake potumikira Mulungu m’malo moyamba ntchito ya uphunzitsi. Kenako anabatizidwa pa msonkhano wamayiko wa Mboni za Yehova womwe unachitika mu 1950 pabwalo la zamasewero la Yankee mumzinda wa New York. Patapita nthawi yochepa tinakumananso ndipo tinakwatirana n’kuyamba upainiya.

Titakwatirana tinakakhala ku Eugene mumzinda wa Oregon, ndipo tinapeza anzathu ambiri. Mu 1953, tinapita ku Grants Pass mumzinda womwewu n’kumakagwira ntchito yolalikira limodzi ndi mpingo wina wa Mboni za Yehova umene unali ndi anthu ochepa. Chakumapeto kwa chaka chomwechi, tinaitanidwa ku sukulu ya Giliyadi, kalasi ya nambala 23. Iyi ndi sukulu ya Mboni za Yehova yophunzitsa umishonale. Sukuluyi inali pafupi ndi tauni ya South Lansing ku New York, mtunda wa makilomita 400 kumpoto chakumadzulo kwa mzinda wa New York.

Titamaliza maphunziro athu, ine ndi Billie, tinauzidwa kuti tikakhala amishonale ku Brazil. Mu December 1954, patatha miyezi 5 kuchokera pamene tinamaliza maphunzirowa, tinakwera ndege kupita ku Brazil. Patangotha ola limodzi, injini ya ndege inazima. Komabe mwamwayi ndegeyi inatera bwinobwino ku Bermuda. Titanyamuka, ndegeyi inavutanso ndipo tinaima ku Cuba. Patatha maola 36 tinafika kumaofesi a Mboni za Yehova ku Rio de Janeiro, m’dziko la Brazil, ndipo tinali titatopa kwabasi.

Titakhala nthawi yochepa, tinanyamuka limodzi ndi amishonale ena awiri kupita ku Bauru mumzinda wa São Paulo. Titafika tinayamba kukhala m’nyumba ya amishonale yatsopano imene inali mumzindawu. Mumzindawu munali anthu okwana 50,000 koma a Mboni tinali ifeyo basi.

Tinkapita kunyumba za anthu n’kumakawalalikira. Koma izi sizinasangalatse wansembe wina wakatolika ndipo anayamba kudana nafe. Ankatilondola tikamapita kunyumba za anthu ndipo ankawauza anthuwo kuti asamamvetsere zimene tikuwauza. Koma patangotha milungu ingapo, anthu onse a m’banja lina amene tinawalalikira, anavomera kuti tiziphunzira nawo Baibulo ndipo patapita nthawi anabatizidwa. Panalinso anthu ena omwe anavomera kuti tiziphunzira nawo Baibulo.

Banjali linali ndi wachibale amene anali pulezidenti wa gulu linalake lotchuka. Ndinakonza zoti tikapangire msonkhano m’holo ya gululi. Koma wansembe uja anaumiriza anthu a m’gululi kuti asatilole kukapangira msonkhano m’holoyi. Komabe pulezidentiyo anauza anthu a m’gululi kuti, “Mukangokana kuti a Mboni achite msonkhano wawo m’holoyi, ndichoka m’gululi.” Zimenezi zinachititsa kuti atilole kupangira msonkhano m’holoyi.

Mu 1956, tinauzidwa kuti tikachite nawo msonkhano wachigawo ku Santos, mumzinda wa São Paulo. Pafupifupi anthu 40 a mumpingo wathu anapita kumsonkhanowu pa sitima. Titabwerera ku Bauru, ndinapeza kalata yondidziwitsa kuti ndiziyendera mipingo ya Mboni za Yehova. Ndinagwira ntchitoyi kwa zaka pafupifupi 25 ndipo ndinkayenda madera osiyanasiyana m’dziko la Brazil.

Pa nthawiyi, kuyenda kunali kovuta kwambiri. Nthawi zambiri tinkayenda pa basi, sitima, ngolo kapena njinga ndipo nthawi zina tinkayenda pansi. Choyamba tinayendera mipingo ya Mboni za Yehova ya mumzinda wa Jaú womwe uli ku São Paulo. Mumzindawu, wansembe wina sankafuna kuti tizilalikira.

Tsiku lina wansembeyu anatiuza kuti: “Musiyiretu kulalikira ‘nkhosa zanga.’”

Koma ife tinamuyankha kuti, “Si nkhosa zanu, ndi nkhosa za Mulungu.”

Pa nthawi ina tinakonza zoonetsa filimu yonena za ntchito yathu yolalikira ya padziko lonse. Koma wansembeyo anauza gulu la anthu kuti adzatisokoneze. Titadziwa zimenezi tinadziwitsa apolisi. Wansembeyu  komanso gulu lakelo atafika pamalo amene tinkaonetsera filimuyo, anangofikira m’manja mwa apolisi ndipo anawalozetsa mfuti. Tinaonetsa filimuyi ndipo anthu anasangalala nayo kwambiri.

Pafupifupi m’madera onse amene tinkalalikira, tinkakumana ndi anthu amene ankafuna kulepheretsa ntchito yathu yolalikira. Mwachitsanzo, mumzinda wa Brusque, womwe uli pafupi ndi mzinda wa Blumenau ku Santa Catarina, tinakumana ndi azimayi awiri omwe anali apainiya ndipo ankatsutsidwa koopsa. Koma iwo ankapirira ndipo kupirira kwawoko kunabala zipatso zabwino. Panopa patha zaka zoposa 50 ndipo kuderali kuli mipingo ya Mboni za Yehova yoposa 60. Kulinso malo a msonkhano okongola kwambiri amene ali kufupi ndi mzinda wa Itajaí.

Pa nthawi imene ndinkayendera mipingoyi, tinkasangalala kwambiri tikamagwira ntchito ndi a Mboni anzathu yokonzekera misonkhano ikuluikulu. Kuyambira mu 1975 mpaka 1977, ndinkayang’anira misonkhano yathu ikuluikulu yomwe inkachitikira m’bwalo lalikulu la zamasewero lotchedwa Morumbi. Tinkapempha mipingo kuti itumize anthu 10 kuti adzasese ndi kukolopa pamalo a msonkhanowo kutatsala tsiku limodzi kuti msonkhano uchitike.

Tsiku lina pamene osewera mpira ankachoka m’bwaloli, ankaseka n’kumanena kuti, “Azimayi omwewa akwanitsa kusesa ndi kukolopa malo onsewa?” Koma pofika 12 koloko usiku, tinali titamaliza kusesa ndi kukolopa bwalo lonselo. Woyang’anira bwaloli ataona zimenezi ananena kuti: “Tikanakhala kuti tikugwira ntchitoyi ndife, zikanatitengera mlungu wathunthu kuti tiimalize. Koma n’zodabwitsa kuti inuyo mwangoigwira maola ochepa okha.”

Mu 1980 bambo anga anamwalira, ndipo zitatere tinabwerera kwathu ku United States kuti tizikasamalira mayi anga omwe ankakhala mumzinda wa Fremont, ku California. Tinkagwira ntchito yotsuka makoma ndi mawindo. Koma tinapitirizabe kuchita upainiya ndipo tinkathandiza anthu olankhula Chipwitikizi omwe ankakhala m’derali. Kenako tinasamukira ku San Joaquin, ndipo tinkafufuza anthu olankhula Chipwitikizi kuyambira ku Sacramento mpaka ku Bakersfield n’kumaphunzira nawo Baibulo. Panopa ku California kuli mipingo 10 ya Mboni za Yehova yachipwitikizi.

Mayi anga atamwalira mu 1995, tinapita ku Florida kukasamalira bambo a Billie popeza mayi ake anali atamwalira kale mu 1975. Tinawasamalira mpaka pamene nawonso anamwalira. Mu 2000 tinasamukira kudera lina lachipululu cha kum’mwera kwa Colorado. Tinkalalikira kwa anthu olankhula Chingelezi omwe ndi nzika za m’derali ndipo amakhala ku Navajo ndi ku Ute. Koma n’zomvetsa chisoni kuti mu February chaka cha 2014, mkazi wanga anamwalira.

Ndine wosangalala kwambiri kuti zaka 65 zapitazo ndinakumana ndi wa Mboni za Yehova amene anayankha mafunso anga onse pogwiritsa ntchito Baibulo. Ndikuona kuti chimene chinandithandiza kwambiri n’choti akandiuza mfundo iliyonse, ndinkafufuza kuti ndidziwe ngati ikugwirizana ndi zimene Baibulo limanena. Zimenezi zinathandiza kuti ndiyambe kutumikira Mulungu n’kumakhala moyo wosangalala.