Bambo anga anachoka ku Germany kupita ku Australia mu 1949, kukafufuza ntchito m’makampani a migodi ndi magetsi. Iwo anakakhala m’mudzi wina wotchedwa Victoria, ndipo n’komwe anakwatirana ndi mayi anga. Ineyo ndinabadwa mu 1953.

Patangodutsa zaka zochepa, mayi anga anayamba kuphunzira Baibulo ndi a Mboni za Yehova. Choncho ndinayamba kumva mfundo za m’Baibulo ndili wamng’ono. Koma bambo anga ankadana ndi chipembedzo chilichonse, ndipo anayamba kutichitira nkhanza kwambiri. Mayi anga ankakhala mwamantha moti ankaphunzira Baibulo mobisa. Komabe anayamba kukonda zomwe ankaphunzirazo. Bambo akachoka, amayi ankapeza mpata wofotokozera ineyo ndi mchemwali wanga zimene aphunzira m’Baibulo. Ankatiuza kuti dzikoli lidzakhala paradaiso komanso kuti tingakhale osangalala ngati titamatsatira mfundo za m’Baibulo.​—Salimo 37:10, 29; Yesaya 48:17.

Ndili ndi zaka 18, ndinachoka pakhomo chifukwa cha nkhanza za bambo anga. Ngakhale kuti ndinkakhulupirira zonse zomwe amayi anandiphunzitsa, sindinkazigwiritsa ntchito. Kenako ndinayamba ntchito ya zamagetsi m’migodi ya malasha. Ndinakwatira ndili ndi zaka 20, ndipo patadutsa zaka zitatu, tinabereka mwana wamkazi. Kenako ndinaganiza zoyambiranso kuphunzira Baibulo chifukwa ndinkadziwa ndithu kuti mfundo zake zikhoza kuthandiza banja lathu. Choncho ndinayamba kuphunzira ndi a Mboni za Yehova. Koma mkazi wanga ankadana nawo kwambiri. Tsiku lina nditapita kumisonkhano ya Mboni za Yehova, anandiuza kuti ngati ndikufuna banja ndisiye kuphunzira. Ndinasowa chochita moti ndinasiyadi kuphunzira komanso kucheza ndi a Mboni. Komabe patapita nthawi ndinadzimvera chisoni chifukwa cholephera kutsatira zinthu zomwe zikanandithandiza.

Tsiku lina ndili kuntchito anzanga anandionetsa zithunzi zolaula. Nditangoziona zinandisangalatsa komabe nthawi yomweyo zinandinyansa ndipo ndinayamba kudziimba mlandu kwambiri. Ndinakumbukira zimene ndinaphunzira m’Baibulo ndipo ndinkadziwa kuti Mulungu akhoza kundilanga. Koma nditayamba kuzionera mobwerezabwereza, ndinaona kuti zinalibe vuto lililonse moti chinangokhala chizolowezi.

Ndinachita zimenezi kwa zaka 20 ndipo ndinkanyalanyaza mfundo zabwino zimene amayi anandiphunzitsa, kenako ndinaziiwaliratu. Khalidwe langa linaipa chifukwa choonera zolaula. Ndinali wowola mkamwa ndiponso ndinkakonda nthabwala zotukwana. Ndinkaona kuti palibe vuto kugonana ndi wina aliyense moti ndinkagonananso ndi akazi ena. Tsiku lina nditadziyang’ana pagalasi ndinadzimvera chisoni ndiponso ndinadziona kuti ndine wachabechabe.

Banja langa linatha ndipo moyo wanga unangokhala ngati nsanza zokhazokha. Ndiyeno ndinapemphera kwa Yehova mochokera pansi pamtima. Kenako ndinayambiranso kuphunzira Baibulo ngakhale kuti panali patadutsa zaka 20. Pa nthawiyi n’kuti bambo anga atamwalira ndipo mayi anga anali atabatizidwa.

Zomwe ndinkachita zinali zosemphana kwambiri ndi mfundo zapamwamba za m’Baibulo. Pa nthawiyi ndinkafunitsitsa kukhala ndi mtendere wa m’maganizo womwe Baibulo limanena. Choncho ndinaganiza zosintha mmene ndinkayankhulira komanso khalidwe lokwiya msanga. Ndinaganizanso zosiya kuchita zachiwerewere, kutchova njuga, kumwa mwauchidakwa komanso kubera abwana anga.

Anzanga akuntchito sankamvetsa chifukwa chimene ndinkafunira kusiya makhalidwe oipawa. Ndipo kwa zaka zitatu anayesetsa kuchita zinthu zofuna kundigwetsa ulesi. Nthawi zina akandimva ndikuyankhulanso mawu owola kapenanso ndikakwiya, ankasangalala ndipo ankanena kuti: “Eya! Ameneyo nde Joe timamudziwa ife.” Kunena zoona mawu amenewa ankandilasa mumtima. Ndipo ndinkaona kuti ndine wolephera basi.

Kuntchito kwathu kunkapezeka mabuku ndiponso mavidiyo ambiri a zithunzi zolaula. Ndipo anzanga ankakonda kutumizirana zithunzizi pamakompyuta monga mmene ndinkachitira poyamba. Ndinkafunitsitsa nditasiya kuonera zolaula koma nthawi zonse anzangawo ankandikakamiza kuti ndizionerabe. Ndiyeno ndinafotokozera munthu yemwe ankandiphunzitsa Baibulo kuti andithandize. Iye anandimvetsera moleza mtima n’kundiwerengera mavesi a m’Baibulo omwe anandithandiza kudziwa mmene ndingathetsere vutolo. Anandilimbikitsanso kuti ndisasiye kupemphera kwa Yehova.​—Salimo 119:37.

Tsiku lina ndinaitanitsa anthu onse omwe ndinkagwira nawo ntchito. Kenako ndinawauza kuti atenge mowa n’kupatsa anzathu ena awiri amene anasiya uchidadwa. Komano chodabwitsa n’choti aliyense anadzuma n’kunena kuti: “Sitingachite zimenezo! Iwe sukudziwa kuti anthuwa akhala akuvutika ndi uchidakwa?” Ndiye nanenso ndinawayankha kuti: “Eetu, inenso ndikulimbana ndi vuto loonera zolaula.” Pompo anasiyiratu kundikakamiza.

Patapita nthawi Yehova anandithandiza kusiyiratu khalidwe loipali. Mu 1999, ndinabatizidwa n’kukhala wa Mboni za Yehova ndipo ndimasangalala kwambiri kuti Yehova wandipatsanso mwayi wokhala ndi moyo wosangalala.

Panopa ndimamvetsa chifukwa chake Yehova amadana ndi khalidwe loonera zolaula lomwe ndinkalikonda. Iye ndi Atate wachikondi ndipo ankafuna kunditeteza kuti ndisakumane ndi mavuto omwe anthu amene akhalidweli amakumana nawo. Ndaona kuti mfundo ya palemba la Miyambo 3:5, 6 ndi yoona. Lembali limati: “Khulupirira Yehova ndi mtima wako wonse, ndipo usadalire luso lako lomvetsa zinthu. Uzim’kumbukira m’njira zako zonse, ndipo iye adzawongola njira zako.” Choncho mfundo za m’Baibulo zanditeteza kwambiri komanso zandithandiza kuti zinthu zizindiyendera bwino.​—Salimo 1:1-3.

Nthawi yomwe ndinkaonera zolaula, ndinkadziona kuti ndine wachabechabe. Koma panopa ndimaona kuti ndine munthu wofunika, wamakhalidwe abwino, ndili ndi mtendere wamumtima, komanso ndimadziwa kuti Yehova anandikhululukira ndiponso amandithandiza. M’chaka cha 2000, ndinakwatira mkazi wokongola dzina lake Karolin. Nayenso amakonda kwambiri Yehova ndipo timakhala mwamtendere. Timaona kuti ndi mwayi waukulu kukhala m’gulu la Akhristu amakhalidwe abwino komanso okondana, omwe ali padziko lonse.