Ndakakurira muguta rePuerto Limón, riri kumabvazuva kweCosta Rica. Mumhuri medu taiva 8, uye ini ndaiva wechi7. Baba vangu vakafa pandaiva nemakore 8. Saka takakura tichichengetwa naamai.

Baseball ndaiida chaizvo. Ndakatanga kuitamba kubvira ndichiri mudiki. Pandakanga ndava kuda kusvitsa makore 20, ndakabva ndajoina kamwe katimu kebaseball. Ndava nemakore ekuma20, pane mumwe murume weimwe timu yebaseball akati ndiende kunotambira timu yavo yaibhadhara yaiva kuNicaragua. Panguva iyi amai vangu vairwara uye ndini ndaivachengeta, saka zvakanga zvisingaiti kuti ndiende kuNicaragua. Pava paya, mumwezve murume akati aida kuti ndipinde mutimu yenyika yeCosta Rica, iyo yaivawo nevamwe vaibva mune mamwe matimu madiki, ndichibva ndabvuma. Ndakatambira timu yeCosta Rica kubva muna 1949 kusvika muna 1952, uye ndakatamba magemhu akawanda kuCuba, Mexico, nekuNicaragua. Ndaiva baseman uye ndaiigona. Pane mamwe magemhu 17 andakatamba uye handina pandakatadza kubata bhora. Ndainzwa ropa kumhanya vanhu pavaindikuza!

Ndinorwadziwa pandinofunga mararamiro akaipa andaiita. Kunyange zvazvo ndaiva nemusikana wangu, zvemadhirezi ndaizvida, uye ndaidhakwa. Rimwe zuva ndakadhakwa uye pandakazomuka mangwana acho, ndakatadza kuziva kuti ndakasvika sei kumba! Ndaiita zvekubheja pamitambo inonzi domino uye ndaitamba lotto.

Panguva iyi, amai vangu ndipo pavakava mumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha. Vakamboedza kuti ndidzidzewo Bhaibheri, asi panguva iyoyo zvakaramba nekuti ndaishaya nguva yacho nenyaya yebaseball. Nguva yekudya yaitopfuura ndiri patraining uye ndaisambonzwa nzara nekuti pfungwa dzaingova pabaseball. Hapana chimwe chandaida kupfuura baseball!

Asi pandakanga ndava nemakore 29, ndakakuvara zvakanyanya tichitamba rimwe gemhu pandaida kugamha bhora. Pandakapora, ndakabva ndarega zvekutamba baseball. Ndakanga ndava kudzidzisa matimu madiki aigara pedyo nekwandaigara.

Muna 1957, ndakakokwa kugungano reZvapupu zvaJehovha raiitirwa mustadium yandakambotambira baseball. Pandakaendako, ndakafarira kudzikama kwaiva kwakaita Zvapupu. Painge pasina ruzha serwaiitwa vanhu pavaitamba baseball. Izvi zvakaita kuti nditange kudzidza Bhaibheri neZvapupu, ndichibva ndatanga kupinda misangano yavo.

Zvinhu zvakawanda zvandakadzidza muBhaibheri ndakazvifarira. Chimwe chandakaona ndezvakataurwa naJesu paakati mumazuva ekupedzisira, vadzidzi vake vaizoparidza mashoko akanaka eUmambo hwaMwari pasi rose. (Mateu 24:14) Ndakadzidzawo kuti vaKristu vechokwadi havaiti basa rekuparidza vachiitira kuti vawane mari. Jesu akati: “Makagamuchira pachena, ipai pachena.”—Mateu 10:8.

Pandaidzidza Bhaibheri, ndaienzanisa zvarinotaura nezvandaiona zvichiitwa neZvapupu zvaJehovha. Ndaiyemura kushanda nesimba kwavaiita vachiparidza mashoko akanaka eUmambo hwaMwari pasi rose. Jesu akataura kuti vaKristu vanofanira kuva nerupo, uye ndizvo chaizvo zvinoitwa neZvapupu. Saka pandakaverenga Mako 10:21 ndichibva ndaona mashoko aJesu ekuti ‘Uya uve muteveri wangu,’ ndakabva ndada kuva Chapupu.

Asi zvakanditorera nguva kuti ndiite zvaienderana nezvandaidzidza muBhaibheri. Semuenzaniso, ndakanga ndava nemakore ndichitamba lotto, uye ndaiva nenhamba dzandaigara ndichidzokorora vhiki nevhiki ndichiti ndichaita mhanza. Asi ndakadzidza kuti Mwari anovenga vanhu vanonamata “mwari weMhanza Yakanaka,” uye vane makaro. (Isaya 65:11; VaKorose 3:5) Saka ndakabva ndasiya zvekubheja. Vhiki iroro, nhamba dziya dzandaibheja ndidzo dzakahwinha! Vanhu vakandishora nekuti vhiki iroro ndainge ndisina kubheja, uye vakandimanikidza kuti ndisasiya zvekubheja asi ndakaramba. Handina kuzombobvira ndaita zvekubheja zvekare.

Musi wandakabhabhatidzwa seChapupu chaJehovha, ndakasangana nemuedzo waida kuti ndiratidze ‘unhu hwangu hutsva.’ (VaEfeso 4:24) Manheru iwayo, ndakadzokera kuhotera kwandakanga ndichigara ndichibva ndaona musikana wandakambodanana naye akandimirira padhoo remandaigara. Akati: “Sammy shaa, ngatimbofarei nhasi!” Ipapo ipapo ndakabva ndamuti, “Handisi kuda!” Ndakamuyeuchidza kuti ndakanga ndava kuita zvinodiwa naMwari. (1 VaKorinde 6:18) Akabva ati, “Wati chii?,” ndokubva atanga kutaura kuti zvinotaurwa neBhaibheri nezveufeve hazvina basa uye akaedza kundimanikidza kuti tidzokerane. Ndakapinda mandaigara, ndichibva ndamukiyira dhoo panze. Ndiri kufara kuti kubva musi wandakava Chapupu muna 1958, handina kuzombodzokerazve kumararamiro andaiita.

Dai ndainzi ndinyore nezvekubatsirwa kwandakaitwa nekudzidza Bhaibheri, ndaizonyora riri bhuku chairo!Iye zvino ndava neshamwari dzechokwadi, ndava kurarama upenyu hune chinangwa uye ndava kunyatsofara.

Baseball ndichiri kuifarira, asi haisiyo yandava kukoshesa. Pandaitamba baseball, ndakaita mukurumbira uye ndakaita mari, asi zvese izvi zvakapera. Asi ukama hwangu naMwari uye ushamwari hwandiinahwo nevandinonamata navo zvinogara nokusingaperi. Bhaibheri rinoti: “Nyika iri kupfuura pamwe chete nokuchiva kwayo, asi uyo anoita kuda kwaMwari anoramba aripo nokusingaperi.” (1 Johani 2:17) Iye zvino hapana chandinoda chinopfuura Jehovha Mwari nevanhu vake!