Ndinakulira m’tauni yaing’ono yotchedwa Ancram, mumzinda wa New York ku United States. M’tauniyi munali mafamu ambiri a ng’ombe za mkaka moti munali ng’ombe zambiri kuposa anthu.

M’banja lathu tinalipo ana atatu ndipo tinkapita kutchalitchi chinachake chomwe chinali m’tauniyi. M’tauni yonseyi munali tchalitchi chokhachi basi. Lamlungu m’mawa agogo aamuna ankandibulashira nsapato ndipo kenako ndinkanyamuka, ulendo wa ku Sande Sukulu nditatenga Kabaibulo koyera komwe agogo aakazi anandipatsa. Makolo athu anatiphunzitsa kuti tizilimbikira ntchito, kulemekeza ndi kuthandiza anthu, komanso kuti tiziyamikira madalitso omwe tili nawo.

Nditakula, ndinasamukira ku Sloatsburg ndipo ndinayamba ntchito yauphunzitsi. Koma ndinali ndi mafunso ambiri okhudza Mulungu komanso zinthu zina zomwe zimachitika pa moyo. Mwachitsanzo, ana ena omwe ndinkawaphunzitsa anali anzeru kwambiri. Pomwe ena analibe nzeru kwenikweni koma anali olimbikira sukulu. Ndiye panalinso ena omwe anali olumala pomwe ena anali alunga ndi amphamvu zawo. Ndinkaona kuti zoterezi si zabwino. Makolo a ana olumalawo ankakonda kunena kuti: “Ndi mmene Mulungu anafunira.” Ndinkadzifunsa kuti: “N’chifukwa chiyani Mulungu amalola kuti ana ena azibadwa olumala pomwe anawo sanalakwe chilichonse?”

Ndinkadzifunsanso kuti, ‘Kodi ndi chinthu chaphindu chiti chimene ndingachite pa moyo wanga?’ Ndinkaona kuti moyo ndi waufupi. Ndinkaganiza kuti ndinakulira m’banja labwino, ndinapita kusukulu zapamwamba ndipo tsopano ndikugwira ntchito yakumtima kwanga. Koma ndinkaonabe kuti moyo wanga ukusowekera chinachake. Ndinkaganiza kuti changotsala n’choti ndidzapeze banja, ndidzakhale ndi ana komanso ndidzakhale ndi nyumba yabwino. Komabe ndinkaona kuti pambuyo pa zimenezi ndizidzangoyembekezera kupuma pa ntchito, kukalamba n’kumakakhala kunyumba yosamalira okalamba. Ndikaganizira zonsezi ndinkadzifunsa kuti, ‘n’chiyaninso chaphindu chomwe munthu angachite pa moyo wake?’

Pa nthawi ina, ine ndi aphunzitsi anzanga tinapita kukacheza ku Europe. Tinafika kuti Westminster Abbey, Notre-Dame de Paris, ku Vatican komanso ku matchalitchi ena ang’onoang’ono. Konseku ndinkafunsa atsogoleri a chipembedzo mafunso anga aja. Titabwerako,  ndinapitanso m’matchalitchi osiyanasiyana kuti mwina ndingapeze mayankho a mafunso anga. Koma palibe amene anandiyankha zogwira mtima.

Tsiku lina mtsikana wina wazaka 12, yemwenso anali mwana wanga wasukulu, anandifunsa mafunso atatu. Loyamba, anandifunsa ngati ndinkadziwa zoti iyeyo ndi wa Mboni za Yehova. Ndinayankha kuti ndinkadziwa ndithu. Lachiwiri, anandifunsa ngati ndingafune kudziwa zambiri zokhudza a Mboni za Yehova. Ndinayankhanso kuti ndinkafunadi nditawadziwa bwino anthu amenewa. Lachitatu anandifunsa komwe ndinkakhala, ndipo nditamuuza, zinapezeka kuti ndinkakhala pafupi ndi kwawo. Sindinkadziwa kuti mafunso amenewa achititsa kuti moyo wanga usinthe kwambiri.

Patangopita masiku ochepa, mtsikanayu anabwera kwathu panjinga, ndipo anayamba kundiphunzitsa Baibulo. Ndinamufunsa mafunso omwe ndinafunsa atsogoleri a zipembedzo aja. Koma mtsikanayo anandisonyeza mayankho a m’Baibulo a mafunso anga onse ndipo ndinkawerenga mayankhowo m’Baibulo langa. Ndinali ndisanaonepo mayankho amenewa chiyambire.

Zimene ndinaphunzira m’Baibulo zinandithandiza kukhala wosangalala ndipo ndinasiya kuona kuti ndikusoweka chinachake. Zinandikhudza kwambiri nditawerenga lemba la 1 Yohane 5:19 lomwe limati: “Dziko lonse lili m’manja mwa woipayo.” Mtima wanga unakhala pansi nditadziwa kuti Satana ndi amene amachititsa mavuto onse padzikoli, osati Mulungu. Ndinasangalalanso kudziwa kuti Mulungu wakonza zoti adzathetse mavutowa. (Chivumbulutso 21:3, 4) Ndinazindikira kuti mfundo za m’Baibulo n’zomveka, zikafotokozedwa bwino. Ngakhale kuti amene ankandiphunzitsa Baibulo anali mwana wazaka 12, ndinadziwa kuti choonadi ndi choonadi basi, kaya akukuuza ndi mwana kapena wamkulu.

Komabe ndinkafuna kudziwa ngati a Mboni amachita zomwe amaphunzitsa. Mwachitsanzo, mtsikanayu ankakonda kunena kuti Akhristu oona amakhala oleza mtima komanso okoma mtima. (Agalatiya 5:22, 23) Choncho ndinaganiza kuti ndimuyese kuti ndione ngati amachitadi zomwe ankandiphunzitsazi. Tsiku lina ndinafika dala mochedwa kunyumba, ngakhale kuti ndinkadziwa kuti mtsikana uja abwera kudzandiphunzitsa Baibulo. Ndinkafuna ndione ngati angandidikire komanso ngati sakhumudwa kuti ndachedwa. Koma mmene ndinkafika ndinamupeza atakhala pamasitepe a nyumba yanga, akundidikira. Anandithamangira n’kunena kuti: “Ndimafunatu ndizipita kunyumba kuti ndikawauze mayi anga kuti tiimbe foni kuchipatala kapena kupolisi n’kufunsa ngati muli bwino. Ndinada nkhawa chifukwa simunayambe mwachedwapo chonchi.”

Nthawi inanso ndinamufunsa funso lovuta kwambiri, losayenera mwana wazaka 12. Ndinkafuna ndione ngati angayankhe za m’mutu mwake. Koma anandiyang’ana n’kunena kuti: “Funso limeneli ndi lovuta kwambiri. Ndililemba kuti ndikafunse makolo anga.” Anakawafunsadi ndipo ulendo wotsatira anabwera ndi magazini ya Nsanja ya Olonda yomwe inali ndi yankho la funso langa. Zimenezi zinapangitsa kuti ndiyambe kuwakonda kwambiri a Mboni. Mabuku awo anandithandiza kupeza mayankho a mafunso anga onse. Ndinapitirizabe kuphunzira ndi mtsikanayu, ndipo patatha chaka chimodzi ndinabatizidwa n’kukhala wa Mboni za Yehova. *

Nditapeza mayankho ogwira mtima a mafunso anga, ndinaona kuti ndi bwino kuti ndiziuzanso ena zomwe ndaphunzira. (Mateyu 12:35) Poyamba achibale anga sankagwirizana ndi zoti ndikhale wa Mboni. Koma patapita nthawi anasintha maganizo. Mayi anga anayamba kuphunzira Baibulo, komabe anamwalira pasanapite nthawi. Ngakhale kuti anali asanabatizidwe, ndikukhulupirira kuti anali atasankha kutumikira Yehova.

Mu 1978, ndinakwatiwa ndi wa Mboni wina, dzina lake Elias Kazan. M’chaka cha 1981, ine ndi Elias anatiitana kuti tizikatumikira ku Beteli ya ku United States. * Koma titangotumikira zaka 4 zokha, Elias anamwalira. Komabe ineyo ndinapitirizabe kutumikira pamalowa. Zimenezi zinkandilimbikitsa komanso zinkandithandiza kuti ndiziiwalako imfa ya mwamuna wanga.

Mu 2006, ndinakwatiwa ndi Richard Eldred, yemwe nayenso amatumikira pa Beteli. Ine ndi Richard tikupitirizabe kutumikira pa Beteli. Panopa ndine wosangalala kwambiri chifukwa ndikudziwa zoona zokhudza Mulungu, ndinapeza mayankho a mafunso anga aja komanso ndinadziwa zomwe ndingachite kuti moyo wanga ukhale waphindu. Komatu zonsezi zinayamba ndi mafunso atatu amene mtsikana uja anandifunsa.