NDAKAKURA ndakaremara kubva muchiuno zvichidzika, uye ndaigara mune imwe komboni muFreetown naamai vangu nedzimwe mhuri dzakati kuti dzaiyaura nourombo. Nemhaka yokuti ndainyara uye ndaitya kuti vanhu vasingandizivi vaizondiona sei, ndakangobuda mukomboni kamwe chete mumakore 18.

Pandaiva nemakore 18, Pauline Landis, mumwe mumishinari Chapupu, akauya kukomboni kwandaigara ndokundiudza kuti aida kundidzidzisa Bhaibheri. Pandakamuudza kuti ndaisagona kuverenga kana kunyora, Pauline akati aizondidzidzisawo izvozvo. Saka ndakabvuma.

Zvandakadzidza muBhaibheri zvakaita kuti ndifare zvikuru. Rimwe zuva ndakabvunza Pauline kana zvaiita kuti ndipinde musangano weungano waiitirwa pedyo nepandaigara. Ndakati, “Ndichaenda ikoko ndichifamba nezvimapuranga zvangu zvokufambisa.”

Pauline paakauya kuzonditora, amai vangu nevavakidzani vangu vakanditarisa vachinetseka. Ndakabata zvimapuranga zvangu, ndokuendesa maoko angu mberi ndokuzvigadzika pasi.  Ndakabva ndavheyesa muviri wangu kuenda mberi kwezvimapuranga zvacho. Sezvandaipfuura nepachivanze, vavakidzani vangu vakashevedzera kuna Pauline vachiti: “Uri kumumanikidza. Akamboedza kufamba asi zvakaramba.”

“Jay, unoda kuenda here?” Pauline akabvunza kudaro zvinyoronyoro.

“Ehe!” ndakapindura kudaro. “Ndicho chisarudzo changu.”

Vavakidzani vangu vakatarisa chinyararire sezvandaisvika kugedhi. Pandakabuda pagedhi, vakashevedzera vachifara.

Ndakanakidzwa chaizvo nemusangano wacho! Panguva yakatevera ndainge ndatsunga kuenda kuImba yoUmambo. Ndaizofanira kufamba kusvika kunogumira mugwagwa, ndokwira tekisi, ndobva ndazoita kuti hama dzinditakure kukwidza chikomo. Ndaiwanzosvika ndanyorova uye ndava nemadhaka uye ndaizofanira kuchinja mbatya dzangu ndasvika. Pave paya, imwe hanzvadzi yokuSwitzerland yakandibatsira nokunditumira wiricheya, zvakazoita kuti ndikwanise kufamba zvakanaka.

Kuverenga zvakaitika zvezvimwe Zvapupu zvakaremara kwakandikurudzira kuti ndiite zvakawanda pakushumira Jehovha. Muna 1988, ndakava piyona wenguva dzose. Ndakanyengetera kuna Jehovha kuti andibatsire kuzadzisa chinangwa changu chokubatsira mumwe munhu mumhuri medu uye mundima yangu kuti ave mushumiri waJehovha. Minyengetero yangu yakapindurwa pandakakwanisa kudzidza chokwadi nevanakomana vaviri vasisi vangu uye nemumwe mukadzi wandakaona pandaiita uchapupu hwomumugwagwa.

Iye zvino maoko angu haasisina simba, uye ndinotomirira kusundwa nevamwe ndiri muwiricheya. Ndinogarawo ndiine marwadzo nguva dzose. Asi ndakaona kuti kudzidzisa vamwe nezvaJehovha ndiwo chete mushonga wemarwadzo. Mufaro wandinowana nokuita kudaro unoderedza marwadzo angu uye unondizorodza nokuti Jehovha akandisimudza, uye iye zvino ndava kurarama upenyu hune chinangwa.