Ndandineminyaka nje elishumi xa kwafika abantwana baseKhambodiya esikolweni sam eColumbus, eOhio, eUnited States, ngo-1985. Omnye waloo makhwenkwe wayesazi amagama ambalwa esiNgesi. Esebenzisa imizobo, wandibalisela amabali amanyumnyezi okuthuthunjiswa, okubulawa, nokusaba. Ebusuku ndandidla ngokulila xa ndicinga ngaba bantwana. Ndandifuna ukubaxelela ngethemba leParadesi kwakunye nethemba lovuko, kodwa babengalwazi ulwimi lwam. Nakuba ndandiseyinkwenkwana ndagqiba kwelokuba ndifunde isiKhambodiya ukuze ndikwazi ukufundisa abantwana endandifunda nabo ngoYehova. Ngelo xesha ndandingayiqondi indlela eso sigqibo esasiya kulichaphazela ngalo ikamva lam.

Kwakunzima ukufunda isiKhambodiya. Ndanikezela kwade kwakabini, kodwa esebenzisa abazali bam, uYehova wandomeleza. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, ootitshala nabantwana endandifunda nabo bandibongoza ukuba ndifune umsebenzi ohlawulayo. Kodwa ekubeni ndandifuna ukuba nguvulindlela, ndakhetha izifundo ezaziza kundinceda ndifumane umsebenzi wesingxungxo, ukuze ndikwazi ukufikelela usukelo lwam. Ukuphuma kwam esikolweni, ndandidla ngokusebenza nabanye oovulindlela entsimini. Ukanti ndandikwafundisa abanye abafundi ababefuna ukufunda isiNgesi njengolwimi lwesibini. Olu lukhetho lwandinceda nyhani kamva.

Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-16 ndeva ngeqela laseKhambodiya elaliseLong Beach, eKhalifoniya, eUnited States. Ndatyelela apho ndaza ndafunda ukufunda isiKhambodiya. Ukugqiba kwam esikolweni, ndaba nguvulindlela ndaza ndaqhubeka ndishumayela kubantu baseKhambodiya ababehlala kufuphi nasekhaya. Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-18, ndandicinga ngokufudukela eKhambodiya. Yayisenobungozi, kodwa ndandisazi ukuba kubantu abazizigidi ezilishumi abahlala eKhambodiya babembalwa abazivileyo iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani. Ngelo xesha kwakukho nje ibandla elinye elinabavakalisi abayi-13 kwilizwe lonke. Ndaqala ukutyelela eKhambodiya xa ndandineminyaka eyi-19. Kwiminyaka emibini kamva ndagqiba kwelokuba ndifudukele apho. Ndafumana umsebenzi wesingxungxo wokuguqulela nokufundisa isiNgesi ukuze ndizixhase. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, ndafumana umfazi owayenosukelo olufana nolwam. Siye sanandipha ukunceda abantu balapha bazahlulele kuThixo.

UYehova undinike ‘izicelo zentliziyo yam.’ (INdu. 37:4) Umsebenzi wokwenza abafundi ngowona msebenzi wanelisayo. Kule minyaka iyi-16 ndiseKhambodiya, ela bandla lalinabavakalisi abayi-13 liye lakhula langamabandla ayi-12 namaqela amane!—Kubalisa uJason Blackwell.