Ndakhulela ePuerto Limón, izibuko elikunxweme olukwimpuma yeCosta Rica. Ndandingumntwana wesixhenxe kwabasibhozo ekhaya. Utata wasweleka ndineminyaka esibhozo saza sakhuliswa ngumama.

Ndikhule ndithanda ukudlala ibaseball. Xa ndandineminyaka engaphezu kweyi-15 ndadlalela iqela labangabhatalwayo. Ndisadlalela eli qela, kwafika umntu owathi mandidlalele iqela elibhatalwayo laseNicaragua. Ngelo xesha ndandineminyaka engaphezu kweyi-20. Umama wayengaphilanga, ngoko kwakufuneka ndimhoye, ndandingafuni ukuyohlala eNicaragua. Zange ndivume ukuyodlalela elo qela. Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwafika omnye umntu wandicela ukuba ndidlalele ilizwe laseCosta Rica, ekwakukho kulo nabanye abadlali ababefana nam. Ndavuma. Ndiye ndadlalela eli lizwe ukususela ngo-1949 de kwango-1952. Ndidlale kaninzi eCuba, eMexico naseNicaragua. Ndandiyidlala kakuhle indawo yam, ndandikwazi ukudlala kwimidlalo eyi-17 ndingakhange ndiphazame. Ndandivuya xa ababukeli bekhwazwa igama lam!

Ndandiziphethe kakubi ngeyona ndlela. Nangona ndandithandana nentombi enye kodwa ayesoloko ekhona amanye amantombi endiqhuba nawo aph’ ecaleni. Ndandinxila nokunxila. Ngeny’ imini ndanxila ndavuka ndingakhumbuli kwaukuba aph’ endlini ndize ngantoni! Ndandikuthanda ukudlala ilotho nomnye umdlalo wokungcakaza ekuthiwa ziiDominoes

Ndisaphila obo bomi, umama waba liNgqina likaYehova. Wazama ukundenza ndibe nomdla nam kodwa watsho phantsi, ndandisathe phithi yibaseball. Noba lixesha lokutya emva kokujima, mna ndindingabi namdla tu wokutya! Ndandihlala ndicinga ngomdlalo. Ayikho into endandiyithanda ukodlula ibaseball!

 Ndathi xa ndineminyaka eyi-29, ndonzakala kakhulu ndizama ukubamba ibhola. Ndathi ndakuba bhetele ndayeka ukudlala. Kodwa ke, ndaye ndaqeqesha abadlali abasakhulayo ababehlala kufutshane nasekhaya.

Ngo-1957 ndamenyelwa kwindibano yamaNgqina kaYehova eyayiza kuba kwibala endandidla ngokuyodlala kulo ibaseball. Njengoko ndandihleli, ndandijonge abantu abalapho ebaleni, babengafani tu nabantu ababengalawuleki, bengxola xa kudlalwa ibaseball. Loo nto yandenza ndanomdla wokufunda iBhayibhile namaNgqina, ndaza ndaqalisa ukuya kwiintlanganiso zawo.

Ndandizithanda izinto endandizifunda eBhayibhileni. Ngokomzekelo, uYesu wathi ngemihla yokugqibela abafundi bakhe babeza kushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo emhlabeni wonke. (Mateyu 24:14) Ndafunda nokuba amaKristu okwenyaniso awashumayeli kuba ejonge ukubhatalwa. UYesu wathi: “Namkele ngesisa, yiphani ngesisa.”—Mateyu 10:8.

Njengokuba ndiqhubeka ndifunda iBhayibhile, ndandithelekisa into eyifundisayo nale yenziwa ngamaNgqina KaYehova. Yayindikhuthaza indlela asebenza nzima ngayo ukuze ashumayele ngoBukumkani bukaThixo emhlabeni wonke. Ndawubona lo moya wokupha uYesu wayesithi abafundi bakhe bamele babe nawo. Ndathi ndakufunda ngesimemo sikaYesu esikuMarko 10:21 esithi: ‘Yiba ngumlandeli wam’ ndakufuna ngamandla ukuba liNgqina.

Kodwa ke kwathatha ixesha ngaphambi kokuba ndimlandele kakuhle. Ngokomzekelo, kangangeminyaka, qho ngeveki ndandidlala inani lam “lethamsanqa” kwilotho. Ndaye ndafunda eBhayibhileni ukuba uThixo akafuni nokumbona umntu onqula “uthixo weThamsanqa” kunye nomntu obawayo. (Isaya 65:11; Kolose 3:5) Ndagqiba ekubeni ndohlukane nokungcakaza. Kwangaloo veki ngeCawa inani lam “leThamsanqa” laphumelela! Abantu bahlekisa ngam kuba ndingazange ndidlale ngaloo veki, baza bazama ukundenza ndiphinde ndidlale, kodwa zange ndivume kwaphela. Zange ndiphinde ndingcakaze.

Kanye ngala mini ndandibaptizwa ngayo endibanweni yamaNgqina kaYehova, ‘ubuntu bam obutsha’ baphinda bavavanywa. (Efese 4:24) Ndathi xa ndibuyela kwihotele endandihlala kuyo ndafika intombi endandikhe ndathandana nayo indilinde emnyango. Yathi: “Khawuze Sammy, masizonwabise!” Ngoko nangoko ndathi: “Andifuni!” Ndayikhumbuza ukuba ngoku ndiphila ngemigaqo yeBhayibhile. (1 Korinte 6:18) Yathi “intoni?” Yenza ngathi yinto njee engenamsebenzi imfundiso yeBhayibhile ngesondo yaza yaqhubeka indicela ukuba sibuyelane. Ndayishiya apho ndangena egumbini lam ndatshixa. Namhlanje ndivuyiswa kukuba zange ndiphinde ndibuyele kwizinto endaziyekayo, oko ndaba liNgqina ukususela ngo-1958.

Ingathi ndingabhala incwadi ndibalisa iindlela eye yandinceda ngazo iBhayibhile! Ezinye zazo kukuba ngoku ndinabahlobo bokwenene, ndiphila ubomi obunenjongo ibe ndivuya nyhani.

Ndisayithanda ibaseball, kodwa ayiseyonto ebalulekileyo kum. Ndandiyidlalela ukuduma nokufumana imali, kodwa ezo zinto zimka nomoya. Bona ubuhlobo endinabo noThixo nabazalwana bam soze buphele. IBhayibhile ithi: “Ihlabathi liyadlula nenkanuko yalo, kodwa lowo wenza ukuthanda kukaThixo uhleli ngonaphakade.” (1 Yohane 2:17) Ngoku ayikho enye into endiyithanda ukodlula uYehova uThixo nabantu bakhe!