Ndakakurira kuLos Angeles, California, U.S.A., munharaunda dzakasiyana-siyana dzaizivikanwa chaizvo nekuva nezvikwata zvematsotsi uye dzaishandiswa madhiragi. Mumba medu taiva vana 6. Ini ndini wechipiri.

Takakura tichienda kuchechi yechiKristu naamai vangu. Asi pandakanga ndati kurei ndaiita zvechiKristu, ukuwo ndichiita zvakaipa nerweseri. Musi weSvondo ndainoimba mukwaya yekuchechi. Asi mamwe mazuva ose ndaienda kumapati, ndichidhakwa nemadhiragi, uye ndaiita unzenza.

Ndaikurumidza kutsamwa uye ndainge ndisinganonoke kurwisana nevanhu. Ndaingorova nechero chandainge ndawana. Zvandaidzidza kuchechi zvaisashanda. Ndaiwanzoti, “Kutsiva ndekwaIshe asi ini ndiri shamhu yake!” Pandaiva kusekondari, makore ekuma1960 ava kunopera, ndakatanga kufarira zvaiitwa nerimwe sangano rezvematongerwo enyika raishandisa chisimba panyaya yekurwira kodzero dzevanhu, rainzi Black Panthers. Ndakapinda muboka rairwira kodzero dzevana vechikoro. Takatomboratidzira kakati wandei, uye pose pataizviita chikoro chaitombovharwa kwekanguva.

Ndaida zvechisimba, uye handina kugutsikana nekungoratidzira. Saka ndakatanga kupara mhosva dzaikonzerwa nerusaruro. Somuenzaniso, pane imwe nguva ini neshamwari dzangu taiona mafirimu ekutambudzwa kwaiitwa nhapwa dzekuAfrica muUnited States. Izvi zvakatishatirisa zvekuti takatanga kurova vana vevarungu vaiva mataionera mafirimu. Takatozoenda kwaigara varungu, tichitsvaka vamwe vekurova.

Pandakanga ndava kusvitsa makore 20, ini nemukoma wangu nevanin’ina vangu vaviri tainge tava kuzivikanwa nekupara mhosva dzinotyisa tichishandisa chisimba. Taigara tichivhimwa nemapurisa. Pane mumwe munin’ina wangu aiva muchikwata chematsotsi emakoko uye ndaimbobatanawo navo. Upenyu hwangu hwaibva pakuipa huchienda pakuipisisa.

Vabereki veimwe shamwari yangu vaiva Zvapupu zvaJehovha. Vakandikoka kumisangano yeungano yavo, ndikaenda. Kubvira pakutanga chaipo, ndakaona kuti Zvapupu zvakasiyana nevamwe vanhu. Mumwe nemumwe aiva neBhaibheri uye airishandisa pamusangano wacho. Kunyange vana vadiki vaipawo hurukuro papurogiramu! Ndakafara chaizvo kuziva kuti Mwari ane zita rekuti Jehovha, uye kunzwa richishandiswa. (Pisarema 83:18) Ungano yacho yaiva nevanhu vaibva kunyika dzakawanda, asi pakanga pasina kana rusaruraganda.

 Pakutanga ndakanga ndisingadi kudzidza Bhaibheri neZvapupu, asi ndaifarira kuenda kumisangano yavo. Mamwe manheru, ndiri pamusangano weZvapupu, dzimwe shamwari dzangu dzakaenda kubhendi. Ikoko, vakarova mumwe mukomana kusvikira afa nokuti akaramba kuvapa bhachi rake rainge rakagadzirwa nedehwe. Zuva rakatevera, vaitozvirova dundundu neumhondi ihwohwo. Pavaitongwa pamberi pedare, vaitoita sekuti hapana mhosva yakakura yavakapara. Vazhinji vavo vakatongerwa kugara mujeri kweupenyu hwese. Ndakafara chaizvo kuti handina kuenda navo manheru iwayo. Ndakatsidza kuti ndaifanira kuchinja upenyu hwangu, ndotanga kudzidza Bhaibheri.

Sezvo ndainge ndajaira rusaruraganda, zvinhu zvandaiona zvichiitwa neZvapupu zvaindishamisa chaizvo. Somuenzaniso, mumwe murungu aiva Chapupu chaJehovha paakaenda kunze kwenyika akasiya vana vake vachichengetwa neimwe mhuri yevanhu vatema. Uyewo, imwe mhuri yevarungu yakatora mumwe mwana wechitema ainge asina pokugara kuti igare naye. Izvi zvakaita kuti ndive nechokwadi chokuti Zvapupu zvaJehovha ndivo vanhu vaitaurwa nezvavo naJesu pana Johani 13:35 paakati: “Vose vachaziva kuti muri vadzidzi vangu neizvi, kana muine rudo pakati penyu.” Ndakabva ndaziva kuti ndakanga ndawana hama dzangu chaidzo.

Zvandaidzidza muBhaibheri zvakaita kuti ndione kuti ndaifanira kuchinja mafungiro angu. Ndaitofanira kuchinja pfungwa dzangu kuti ndigarisane nevamwe zvakanaka, ndoita kuti ave mararamiro angu. (VaRoma 12:2) Ndakatanga kuchinja zvishoma nezvishoma. Muna January 1974, ndakabhabhatidzwa ndikava mumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha.

Ndaitofanira kuramba ndichishanda nesimba kuti ndidzore hasha dzangu kunyange ndabhabhatidzwa. Somuenzaniso, pane imwe nguva ndichiparidza paimba neimba, ndakadzingirira mbavha yainge yaba redhiyo mumotokari yangu. Pandakanga ndava kuda kuibata yakaidonhedza ndokuramba ichitiza. Pandakaudza vamwe kuti ndainge ndawana sei redhiyo yangu, mumwe mukuru anga ari muboka iri akandibvunza kuti, “Stephen, kudai wamubata waizoita sei?” Mubvunzo uyu wakaita kuti ndione kuti ndaifanira kushanda nesimba kuti ndizvidzore.

Muna October 1974 ndakatanga kushanda semushumiri wenguva yakazara, ndichiita maawa 100 mwedzi nemwedzi pakudzidzisa vanhu Bhaibheri. Ndakazovawo neropafadzo yokuzvipira kushanda kumahofisi makuru eZvapupu zvaJehovha kuBrooklyn, New York. Muna 1978 ndakadzoka kuLos Angeles kuti ndichengete amai vangu vairwara. Pashure pemakore maviri ndakaroora mudiwa wangu Aarhonda. Ainditsigira chaizvo pataichengeta amai vangu kusvikira pavakazofa. Nekufamba kwenguva ini naAarhonda takapinda Chikoro cheBhaibheri cheWatchtower cheGiriyedhi. Tapedza, takaendeswa kuPanama kunoita mamishinari uye ndiko kwatichiri nanhasi.

Kubva pandakabhabhatidzwa, pane zvakawanda zvakamboitika zvaigona kuita kuti ndiviruke nehasha. Ndakadzidza kusuduruka pane vanhu vanenge vachindidenha kana kusaita zvinhu zvekuti ndinetsane navo. Vanhu vakawanda, kusanganisira mudzimai wangu, vakandirumbidza pane zvose zvandakaita pakuzvidzora. Ndinotombozvibvunza kuti ndini here ndachinja kudai! Handingati kukwanisa kwandava kuita kudzora hasha kugona kwangu. Ndinobvuma kuti Bhaibheri ndiro rakandichinja. Izvi zvinoratidza kuti rine simba rekuchinja maitiro emunhu.—VaHebheru 4:12.

Bhaibheri rakaita kuti upenyu hwangu huve nechinangwa uye ndigarisane nevamwe zvakanaka. Handicharovi vanhu asi ndava kuvabatsira kuti vanamate. Ndakatodzidzisa Bhaibheri mumwe aimbova muvengi wangu kuchikoro chandaidzidza kusekondari. Paakabhabhatidzwa takatombogara tese kwenguva yakati kuti. Nanhasi tichiri shamwari dzepedyo. Iye zvino, ini nemudzimai wangu tava nevanhu vanodarika 80 vatadzidza navo Bhaibheri kusvika vava Zvapupu zvaJehovha.

Ndinotenda Jehovha chaizvo nekundipa upenyu hune chinangwa uye hunofadza pakati pehama dzangu.