Ndinabadwira mumzinda wa Ciudad Obregón, kumpoto kwa dziko la Mexico. M’banja mwathu tilimo ana 9 ndipo ine ndi wanambala 5. Tinkakhala kunja kwa mzindawu ndipo bambo anga anali ndi famu yaing’ono. Anali malo abwino kwambiri kukhalako ndipo tinkasangalala komanso kuchita zinthu mogwirizana monga banja. Koma nditangokwanitsa zaka 5, kunachitika chimphepo chamkuntho chomwe chinawononga famuyo. Zimenezi zinachititsa kuti tisamukire kutauni ina.

 Bambo anayamba kupeza ndalama ndipo zinthu zinkawayendera. Koma zimenezi zinapangitsa kuti ayambe kumwa kwambiri mowa. Zimenezi zinasokoneza banja lawo komanso anafe. Tinayamba kumawabera fodya n’kumasuta. Ndili ndi zaka 6 zokha, ndinamwa mowa mpaka kuledzera. Pasanapite nthawi, bambo ndi mayi anasiyana ndipo makhalidwe anga anafika poipa kwambiri.

 Mayi anapeza mwamuna wina ndipo anatenga ana tonse n’kumakhala nafe. Mwamuna wawo watsopanoyo sankawapatsa ndalama ndipo ndalama zimene mayi ankapeza, sizinali zokwanira kutisamalirira. Choncho ine ndi azibale anga aja tinayamba kuchita maganyu, komabe sitinkapeza ndalama zokwanira. Ineyo ndinkapolisha nsapato za anthu komanso ndinkagulitsa buledi, manyuzipepala, chingamu ndi zinthu zina. Penanso ndinkangoyendayenda n’kumatoleza zakudya zomwe anthu olemera ataya m’mabini.

 Ndili ndi zaka 10, munthu wina anandipempha kuti ndizikagwira naye limodzi ntchito kumtaya. Ndinavomera, moti ndinasiya sukulu komanso ndinachoka pakhomo. Ndalama imene ankandipatsa pa tsiku inali yosakwana dola imodzi komanso ankandipatsa chakudya chomwe ankachitenga kumtaya komweko. Ndinkakhala m’kanyumba kakang’ono komwe ndinamanga pogwiritsa ntchito zinthu zotola kumtaya konko. Anthu amene ndinkacheza nawo ankakonda kutukwana komanso chiwerewere. Ambiri mwa anthuwa ankakonda kugwiritsa ntchito mankhwala osokoneza bongo komanso kuledzera. Pa moyo wanga wonse palibe nthawi yovuta kwambiri ngati imeneyi, moti ndinkakhala mwamantha ndipo usiku uliwonse ndinkangokhalira kulira. Popeza kuti ndinali wosauka komanso sukulu inandikanika, ndinkachita manyazi. Ndinakhala kumtayako kwa zaka pafupifupi zitatu kenako ndinasamukira chigawo china cha dzikolo. Ndinkagwira ntchito zakumunda monga kuthyola maluwa, kutola thonje, komanso kukolola mizimbe ndi mbatata.

 Patadutsa zaka 4 ndinabwereranso ku Ciudad Obregón. Nditafika, azakhali anga omwe anali asing’anga amizimu anandipatsa chipinda m’nyumba mwawo choti ndizigonamo. Usiku ndinkalota zinthu zoopsa ndipo zimenezi zinkandichititsa kuti ndizikhala ndi nkhawa kwambiri mpaka kufika poganiza zongodzipha. Tsiku lina usiku, ndinapemphera kwa Mulungu kuti: “Ambuye, ngati mulipodi kumwambako, ndikufuna kuti ndikudziweni, ndipo ndikangokudziwani ndizikutumikirani kwa moyo wanga wonse. Ndipo ngati chipembedzo choona chilipo, mundithandize kuti ndichidziwe.”

 Ndinayamba kukonda zinthu zauzimu kuyambira kale. Ndili mwana ndinkapita kumatchalitchi osiyanasiyana koma zimene zinkachitika kumeneko zinkandikhumudwitsa. Matchalitchi onsewa sanandithandize kudziwa zenizeni zokhudza Mulungu ndipo zambiri zomwe ankaphunzitsa sizinkakhala zochokera m’Baibulo. M’zipembedzo zina ankakonda kufotokoza kwambiri za ndalama, pomwe zina anthu ake anali okonda chiwerewere.

 Ndili ndi zaka 19, mlamu wanga wina anandiuza kuti anakumana ndi a Mboni za Yehova ndipo anamufotokozera zimene Baibulo limanena pa nkhani ya kugwiritsa ntchito mafano. Anandiwerengera lemba la Ekisodo 20:4, 5, lomwe limanena kuti tisamapange mafano. Ndipo vesi 5 limanena kuti: “Usaziweramire kapena kuzitumikira, chifukwa ine Yehova Mulungu wako, ndine Mulungu wofuna kuti anthu azidzipereka kwa ine ndekha.” Kenako mlamu wangayo anandifunsa kuti, “Akanakhala kuti Mulungu amagwiritsa ntchito mafano pochita zozizwitsa kapena akanakhala kuti amafuna kuti tiziwagwiritsa ntchito polambira, n’chifukwa chiyani palembali akutiletsa kupanga mafanowo?” Funso limeneli linandipatsa chidwi. Kenako tinayamba kumakambirana nkhani zosiyanasiyana za m’Baibulo. Ndinkasangalala kwambiri ndi zimene tinkakambiranazo moti nthawi yokambiranayo ndinkangoiona kuchepa.

 Tsiku lina, ananditenga popita kumisonkhano ya Mboni za Yehova. Zimene ndinaona komanso kuphunzira kumisonkhanoko, zinandisangalatsa kwambiri. Ndinaona kuti ndi ana omwe anali ndi zochita, moti ankatha kulankhula zomveka bwino kupulatifomu. Ndinagoma kwambiri kuti, “Koma anthuwatu amaphunzira zakupsa kuno!” Ngakhale kuti ndinali ndi tsitsi lalitali komanso sindinkaoneka bwino, a Mboni anandilandira bwino kwambiri. Moti banja lina linandiitanira chakudya chamadzulo kunyumba kwawo pambuyo pa misonkhano.

 Pa nthawi yomwe ndinkaphunzira Baibulo ndi a Mboni, ndinadziwa kuti Yehova Mulungu ndi Atate wachikondi, yemwe amatisamalira mosatengera kuti ndife olemera kapena osauka, komanso mosatengera mtundu wathu kapena maphunziro amene tili nawo. Iye ndi Mulungu wopanda tsankho. (Machitidwe 10:34, 35) Apano ndinayamba kudziwa Mulungu amene ndinkafuna nditamudziwa komanso ndinayamba kukhala mosangalala.

 Moyo wanga unasintha mofulumira kwambiri. Ndinasiya kusuta, kumwa mowa kwambiri komanso kutukwana. Ndinasiyanso kusungira ena zifukwa ngati mmene ndinkachitira poyamba komanso ndinasiya kulota zinthu zoopsa. Komanso ndinasiya kamtima kodzimva kuti ndine wosafunika kaja, komwe ndinali nako chifukwa cha mavuto amene ndinkakumana nawo ndili wamng’ono komanso chifukwa chosaphunzira mokwanira.

 Ndili ndi mkazi wabwino kwambiri wokonda Yehova ndipo amandithandiza pa zinthu zambiri. Panopa ndikutumikira monga woyang’anira dera wa Mboni za Yehova. Ndimayendera mipingo n’kumalimbikitsa komanso kuphunzitsa abale ndi alongo anga. Mfundo za m’Baibulo komanso maphunziro apamwamba omwe Mulungu amatipatsa, zandithandiza kwambiri, moti panopa sindimadzimvanso kukhala wosafunika.