Ndazalelwa kwidolophu ezolileyo yaseMoundsville, engakuMlambo iOhio kumntla weWest Virginia eUnited States. Ekhaya sasingamakhwenkwe amathathu nentombi enye, yaye kwakusoloko kunguqulukubhede. Abazali bam babesebenza nzima, benyanisekile yaye bebathanda abanye abantu. Ndiyavuma, sasingezozityebi kodwa ke sasizifumana izinto esizidingayo. Ekubeni bengamaNgqina kaYehova, abazali bam bazama kangangoko ukusifundisa iBhayibhile sisengabantwana.

Kodwa ke ndithe ndifikisa ndabe sendiqalile ukuphambuka kwizinto endandizifundiswe ekhaya. Ndandingayiginyi ncam eyokuba iBhayibhile ikwenza uphile ubomi obuthe tse. Ndandisithi inkululeko yokwenza nantoni na oyifunayo ngundoqo ukuze umntu onwabe. Akubanga kudala ndayeka ukuya kwinkonzo yamaNgqina. Umninawa wam nodadewethu nabo bandithelela. Abazali bazama kangangoko ukusinceda sibuyele endleleni, kodwa batsho phantsi kwaqhum’ uthuli.

Ndandingenalo nofifi lokuba kanti le nkululeko ndiyikhanuka kangaka iza kundifak’ enkathazweni. Ngeny’ imini xa ndandibuya esikolweni, enye yeetshomi zam yandinika icuba isithi makhe nditsale. Ndathi utsh’ endodeni. Kwathi kanti lowo ngu-ewe wokuqala kwimikhwa emininzi eyingozi eyayiza kulandela. Akubanga kudala, ndaqalisa ukutshaya iziyobisi, ukunxila nokuziphatha kakubi. Kwiminyaka embalwa eyalandelayo ndaya ndingena nzulu koomanqanqa beziyobisi de ndaba likhoboka lazo. Ekubeni ndandisele nditshone kwangaveli nonwele olu kule mikhwa mibi, ndaqalisa ukuthengisa iziyobisi ukuze ndifumane imali.

Nangona ndandizama ukusicinezela isazela sam, sasisoloko sinditya, sindixelela ukuba le ndlela ndiphila ngayo iphosakele. Sekunjalo, ndandisithi sele konakele yaye akusekho kubuya ngamva. Nangona ndandisoloko ndihleli nabantu kwiipati nakwiikonsathi zomculo, ndandisoloko ndiziva ndililolo kwaye ndixinezelekile. Ngezinye iimini ndandikhe ndicinge ngendlela abalunge nabachubeke ngayo abazali bam, ndize ndizibuze  ukuba kwakutheni mna ze ndiphambuke kangaka.

Nangona ndandicinga ukuba akusekho yam, kwathi kanti abanye bona abakandincami. Ngowama-2000, abazali bam bandimema ukuba ndiye kwinkonzo yamaNgqina kaYehova. Ndaya nangona ndandikrikriza. Ndothuka gqitha xa ndifika abantwana basekhaya ababephambukile belapho.

Ngoxa ndisendibanweni, ndaye ndakhumbula ukuba kunyaka ongaphambi kwalowo ndandikhe ndeza kwikonsathi yomculo kwakwelo bala linye. Ndachukumiseka gqitha xa ndibona umahluko phakathi kwenkonzo yamaNgqina nekonsathi. Ekonsathini kwakuthe saa inkunkuma yaye kumnyama ngumsi wecuba. Uninzi lwabantu ababelapho babenochuku yaye namazwi eengoma ezaziculwa ayekutsho uxinezeleke. Kodwa abantu ababeze enkonzweni babonwabe ngeyona ndlela—bandamkela ngezandla ezishushu nangona ndandineminyaka ndingasababoni. Ibala lalicocekile yaye izinto ezazifundiswa apho zazikwenza ube nethemba. Ukubona indlela enamandla ngayo iBhayibhile kwandenza ndazibuza ukuba ndandingenwe yintoni ukuze ndishiye inyaniso!—Isaya 48:17, 18.

Kamsinya nje emva kwenkonzo, ndagqiba kwelokuba ndibuyele kwibandla lamaKristu. Nabantwana basekhaya ababini bagqiba kwelokuba babuyele kuYehova. Sobathathu savuma ukufundiswa iBhayibhile.

Eyona vesi eyandixhokroza intliziyo nguYakobi 4:8, othi: “Sondelani kuThixo, naye uya kusondela kuni.” Ndaqonda ukuba ukuze ndisondele kuThixo kuza kufuneka ndiqoqe ubomi bam. Kwafuneka ndiyeke icuba, iziyobisi nokunxila.—2 Korinte 7:1.

Ndohlukana nabahlobo bam ababi ndaza ndakhetha abahlobo abakhonza uYehova. Umdala owayendifundisa iBhayibhile wandinceda gqitha. Wayendifowunela rhoqo okanye aze kundibona ukuba ndiqhuba njani na. Nanamhlanje, usengomnye wabahlobo bam abasenyongweni.

Ngentwasahlobo yowama-2001 mna kunye nabantwana basekhaya ababini sabhaptizwa, ngaloo ndlela sibonisa uThixo ukuba sizinikele kuye. Usenokuyithelekelela indlela abazali bam kunye nomntakwethu ongazange ayishiye inyaniso, abavuya ngayo xa ekugqibeleni sonke saqalisa ukukhonza uYehova ngaxhatha linye.

Ndandikade ndisithi iBhayibhile ikubandeza ubumnandi, kodwa ngoku ndiyaqonda ukuba iyakhusela. IBhayibhile yandinceda ndayeka ukutshaya nokuthengisa iziyobisi ndaza ndangumntu ohlonelwayo ekuhlaleni.

Ngoku, ndikhonza uYehova kunye nabanye abazalwana noodade abasemhlabeni wonke. Aba bantu bathandana ngokusuk’ entliziyweni yaye bamanyene njengoko bekhonza uThixo. (Yohane 13:34, 35) Kula maNgqina asemhlabeni wonke ndiye ndazifumanela nenye intsikelelo—umfazi wam endimthandayo uAdrianne. Kuluvuyo kuthi ukukhonza uMdali wethu kunye.

Kunokuba ndiphilele ukwenza unothanda, ngoku ndishumayela ngokusisigxina ngaphandle kwentlawulo, yaye ndifundisa abantu ngendlela elinokubanceda ngayo iLizwi likaThixo. Lo msebenzi uye wandonwabisa ngeyona ndlela. Ndifuna ukulikhupha litsole elokuba, ngokwenene iBhayibhile ibutshintshile ubomi bam. Ekugqibeleni, ndide ndayifumana eyona nkululeko.