Ndakakomezyegwa kandili Katolika mu Rochester, New York. Bazyali bangu bakaandaana nondakali amyaka iili lusele. Aboobo mukati kansondo ndakali kukkala abamaama kukkomboni mpoonya awikkeendi ndakali kukkala abataata kumayaadi. Ciindi nindakabona mbobakali kupenga bamaama kukomezya bana bali cisambomwe, ndakakanza kuti ndikavwube kutegwa kandibagwasya.

 Bataata bakali kuyanda kuti ndizwidilile mubuumi, aboobo bakapanga bubambe bwakuti nduunke kucikolo cimwi cakali kuyiisya milimo yamu hotela. Nondakasika ookuya, ndakacikkomanina aboobo ndakalembela kandiyeeya kuti Leza wawiingula mupailo wangu wakuba muvwubi akujana lukkomano. Ndakaiya mulimo wa hotel management, business law, alimwi a corporate finance kwamyaka yosanwe kumwi kandibeleka a casino imwi yamu hotela ku Las Vegas, Nevada.

 Nondakali amyaka iili 22, ndakali kugwasyilizya mupati-pati (assistant vice president) wahotela yakajisi casino. Bunji bwaziindi ndakali kulya zyakulya ziinda kubota akunywa waini uudula kapati aboobo ndakali kubonwa kuti ndilivwubide akuzwidilila mubuumi. Balongwe mbondakali kucita limwi makwebo bakali kundaambila kuti, “Kozumanana kubeleka canguzu nkaambo mali ncecintu ciyandika kapati munyika.” Mukuyeeya kwabo, mali ngaakali kukonzya kupa muntu kuba alukkomano lwini-lwini.

 Mulimo wangu wakali kubikkilizya akulanganya bantu bavwubide kapati ibakali kuboola ku Las Vegas kuuma njuka. Nokuba kuti bakalivwubide, tiibakali kulibonya kukkomana. Andime mbondakatalika kulimvwa oobo. Alimwi buya, nokuba kuti ndakali kuyaabuvwuba, ciindi coonse ndakali kulibilika alimwi ndakali kuba acilabila. Ndakatalika kuba amuzeezo wakulijaya. Buumi mbondakali kupona bwakandipa kutyompwa, aboobo bumwi buzuba ndakamubuzya Leza kuti, “Nkuli nkondikonzya kujana lukkomano lwini-lwini?”

 Tiilyakalampa, bamacizyi bangu bobilo, balo bakazyi kuba Bakamboni ba Jehova bakalongela mu Las Vegas. Nokuba kuti ndakali kukaka kutambula mabbuku aabo, ndakazumina kunoobandika ambabo kubelesya Bbaibbele lyangu. Mu Bbaibbele lyangu, majwi oonse akaambwa a Jesu akalembwa mumubala uusalala. Akaambo kakuti ndakali kuzizumina zyoonse nzyaakaamba Jesu, bunji bwaziindi bamacizyi bangu bakali kugamika mibandi yesu kumajwi aakwe. Alimwi ndakali kulibala Bbaibbele ndelikke.

 Bunji bwazintu nzyondakali kubala zyakali kundigambya. Mucikozyanyo, Jesu wakati: “Ciindi nomupaila, mutanikwaambi majwi ngoonya cakwiinduluka-induluka mbuli bantu bamasi mbobacita, nkaambo bayeeya kuti bayoomvwugwa ikuti babelesya majwi manji.” (Matayo 6:7) Kakuli musyule, mupaizi umwi wakandipede cifwanikiso ca Jesu akundaambila kuti naa ndapaila kulincico cakwiinduluka-induluka, Leza wakali kuyoondipa kufwumbwa mali ngondakali kuyanda. Pele ndakazoozyiba kuti kwiile kwiinduluka majwi ngeena nondipaila tiicakali kundigwasya naaceya. Alimwi ndakabala majwi aa Jesu aakuti: “Mutaiti kufwumbwa muntu anyika kuti taata, nkaambo mujisi Uso omwe ooyo uuli kujulu.” (Matayo 23:9) Eeci cakandipa kulibuzya kuti, ‘Nkaambo nzi swebo toba Katolika ncotwiita bapaizi besu kuti “Taata”?’

 Nondakabala bbuku lyamu Bbaibbele lya Jakobo, lyakandipa kukkala ansi akuyeeya mbondakali kububelesya buumi bwangu. Mucaandaano 4, Jakobo wakalemba kuti: “Sena tamuzyi kuti kuba acilongwe anyika nkuba sinkondonyina a Leza? Aboobo, kufwumbwa uuyanda kuba mulongwe wanyika ulipa kuba sinkondonyina a Leza.” (Jakobo 4:4) Kapango 17 akalo kakandinjila mumoyo: “Ikuti umwi kazyi mbokucitwa cintu cibotu pele taciciti, muntu ooyu ucita cibi.” Kumane ndakabatumina fooni bamacizyi bangu akubaambila kuti ndiyanda kuuleka mulimo wangu wama hotela ama casino nkaambo wakali kundipa kujatikizyigwa mumicito iitali kabotu kubikkilizya akuuma njuka abulyato.

 Ndakali kuyanda kuba acilongwe a Leza alimwi akubambulula cilongwe abanamukwasyi. Aboobo ndakaubya-ubya buumi bwangu kutegwa ndicikonzye kucita oobo. Pele tiicakali cuuba-uba kucinca. Mucikozyanyo, ndakali kusunkwa abantu ibakali kuyanda kundilemba mulimo walo wakali kuyoondipa kuvwola mali manji kapati kwiinda ngondakali kuvwola kaindi. Pele nondakamana kupaila, ndakasinizya kuti ndakeelede kubulekela limwi buumi oobo. Aboobo ndakauleka mulimo wangu akulongela mugalaji yabamaama, mwalo mondakatalika kukkala akubelekela mumo kandicita makwebo aatayi koomoonga.

 Nokuba kuti Bbaibbele lyakali kundigwasya kusala zintu camaano mubuumi, tiindakalinatalika kujanika kumiswaangano ya Bakamboni ba Jehova. Bamacizyi bangu bakandibuzya kuti naa kwakali kaambo ncondatakali kubayandila Bakamboni. Ndakaingula kuti: “Nkaambo kakuti Leza wanu Jehova upa mikwasyi kwaandaana. Cilikke ciindi ncondijana cakuba antoomwe abanamukwasyi nciindi ca Kkilisimasi anotusekelela mazuba aakuzyalwa, pele nywebo tamusekeleli.” Melina, mucizyi wangu umwi, wakatalika kulila akundibuzya kuti: “Nkaambo nzi ncomutaswayi mazuba aamwi aamumwaka? Inga tulayanda kwiizya andinywe kufwumbwa ciindi. Pele nywebo muboola buyo mumazuba aaya alimwi cakwiinzya buyo mulawo.” Majwi ngaakaamba akandiyasa kumoyo cakuti andime misozi yakandeenda.

 Nondakazyiba kuti Bakamboni balabayanda kapati banamukwasyi akuti ndime ndakalubide, ndakaunka kuyooswaangana ku Ŋanda ya Bwami yakali afwaafwi. Okuya ndakaakuzyibana aba Kevin, basikuyiisya Bbaibbele bacibwene balo bakatalika kundiyiisya.

 Ba Kevin abakaintu babo bakali kupona buumi buuba-uba calo cakali kubapa kuba aciindi cinji cakugwasya bantu kulimvwisya Bbaibbele. Mali ngobakali kujana akabagwasya kuunka ku Africa aku Central America, kwalo nkobakagwasyilizya mumayake aamitabi ya Bakamboni. Bakalikkomene alimwi bakali kuyandana kapati. Mumoyo ndakati, ‘Oobu mbobuumi mbondiyanda kunoopona andime.’

 Ba Kevin bakanditondezya vidiyo yakali kwaamba lukkomano luboola akaambo kakuba misyinali, aboobo eeyi yakaba mbaakani yangu. Mu 1995 ndakabbapatizyigwa kandili umwi wa Bakamboni ba Jehova nondakamana kwiiya Bbaibbele cakulomya myezi iili 6. Muciindi cakulomba kuti Leza andipe kuvwuba, ndakatalika kupaila kuti: “Utandipi bucete naa buvwubi.”—⁠Tusimpi 30:8.

 Lino ndilivwubide ncobeni, kutali kumubili pele kumuuya. Twakakwatana abakaintu bangu ba Nuria ku Honduras, alimwi twabeleka antoomwe mulimo wabumisyinali ku Panama aku Mexico. Eelo kaka ngamasimpe majwi aamu Bbaibbele aakuti: “Cileleko icizwa kuli Jehova ncecivwubya, alimwi tayungizyi macise kulincico pe”!—⁠Tusimpi 10:22.